[10] He married Alma Foster in 1947 and they remained married until her death in 1985. The Lion of Vienna With the war over, the legendary Nat Lofthouse was finally able to start his career officially. [3] There was a national wave of sympathy for United, who three months earlier had suffered grievously in the Munich air disaster. However, theres little doubt that financial pragmatism aside, his heart was always in Bolton and with Wanderers. There is no doubt he gave everything to his club, and to the game. Contents show The 1952 tour England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria. Stanley Mathewshad his last chance to earn a winners medal. Thread starter leefer; Start date 16 January 2011; leefer Loyal Member. Bolton finished in the top half of the table for 6 of those 13 seasons. His mother stayed at home and cared for the four boys. Nat Lofthouse was everything you will not find in a footballer today. He was made the club's Vice President for life in 1969. (Subs) Ronnie Allen, Ivor Broadis, Bill Nicholson, Stan Pearson, Bert Williams. This time he only managed to score a brace, the fourth and fifth goals in a 5-1 victory at Burnden Park. Nat Lofthouse Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family In 1953, it all came together. Telephone: 0161 605 8200. He was declared English Footballer of the Year, an accolade he was given on the eve of the famed Stanley Matthews Final in the FA Cup. Thousands of people gather for the funeral of former Bolton Wanderers and England football legend Nat Lofthouse. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. As it transpired, Nats first day reporting to Burnden Park in 1939 was also Britains first full day at war with Germany. Only two players from Manchester United's side that lost to Aston Villa in the previous year's final took the field on May 3, 1958, Bill Foulkes and Bobby Charlton, and a further two were survivors of the disaster. This was touched on to Lofthouse on the halfway line by Finney. Two players were so injured they were never able to take to the football pitch again, and the final player, goalkeeper Ray Wood, was still recovering from injuries sustained. Sir Tom Finney and Nat Lofthouse together at the National Football Museum Hall Of Fame awards in 2002. Andy is a UK-born, football fanatic who follows the trials and tribulations of Aston Villa and his local non-league side, Stafford Rangers. Bolton born and bred, Lofthouse was signed by Bolton Wanderers as a 14 year old apprentice in 1939. As though fate declared it, Nat's debut for Bolton's first team also came against a Bury side, on March 22, 1941. Returning on the bus after the game he was shocked to find Tommy Lawton waiting for him. Nat Lofthouse's ashes interred alongside those of his beloved wife Nat joined Burnden Parks backroom staff several years ago, eventually becoming the clubs manager in August 1968. Once Lofthouse arrived Hunt moved to right-half and was later transferred to Sheffield Wednesday. We don't charge goalkeepers around here.". [8] Nat Lofthouse was an Inaugural Inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. When the goalkeeper tried to give Lofthouse the money for his pint, Lofthouse refused. Injured for the next match, in the quarter final game against Uruguay he equalized in the 16th minute, after receiving the ball in the 18-yard box.[which? The Lion Of Vienna | Family History UK Forum - Free UK Genealogy He started his countrys next 12 internationals scoring 13 times. Bolton as a team were struggling to reassert themselves with their pre-war team dismantled and Foweraker retiring, and that process was made considerably more difficult by the shadow both psychological and financial cast by the Burnden Disaster, a crush that killed 33, in 1946. This was a one-off and Bolton came from behind to get the better of Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Hunt and Lol Hamlett. Having failed to find the net in his past two internationals, a run which had scuppered more than a few promising youngsters England careers, Boltons star was aware of a concerted campaign in the press to have him replaced by Newcastles brilliant Jackie Milburn. Nat Lofthouse, the battering ram with a shrewd brain and heart of lion Nat Lofthouse was Bolton in a way that the modern day equivalent of Kevin Davies, however loved by the fans, could never be. Speaking During his "Nat Lofthouse: This Is Your Life" show, Lofthouse had said of his time as manager: "I think the worst thing Bolton Wanderers' directors ever did was ask me to be manager. As with the other definitive match of his career, the match was emotionally charged, this time due to the fact that the opponents, Manchester United, had been decimated only three months earlier in the tragic Munich Air Disaster. Lofthouse stood unmarked on the right side of the penalty area when Sewell crossed the ball. Several players in the match played below their level, with Nat Lofthouse one of those.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-banner-1','ezslot_10',184,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-banner-1-0'); In the Daily Telegraph, Frank Coles wrote, One of the question marks is against Lofthouse. Many would travel more than a mile down into the earth for around eight hours per day of very hard, physical work. Austria and England played a classic international match in Vienna, combining physical, influential English players with a technically proficient Austrian team to display steel and brute strength when needed. In the spring, he was awarded the Football Writers Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year title, a clear indication that he had achieved the status of a model professional. There may have been no better example of this than in 1954 when Serie A side Fiorentina put in a lucrative offer for Lofthouse (one that would have allowed him to live very comfortably after retirement) but the club turned it down. Even at that time, Bolton was an unfashionable club that hadn't exactly been lighting up the league for 10 years, and Nat felt this was slowing down his career. Bolton were then beaten in the semi-final by Derby County. It was there that the conversation that would change his life forever took place. Lofthouse played his last match against Birmingham City in December 1960 due to an ankle injury. As far as Englands league goalscorers are concerned, Nat Lofthouse is 37th all-time. In 195253, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. But he came back before the final whistle as Nat's valiant display earned him the nickname, 'Lion of Vienna'. In addition to their colorful rosettes, red, white, and blue rattles, and chants of England, they instilled a carnival atmosphere around the stadium, evoking the atmosphere associated with an FA Cup match. He was famous for entertaining the clientele with some of the many stories about his time as a professional footballer. [15] [3], On 26 November 1958, Lofthouse made his final England appearance, against Wales, at the age of 33, and he officially retired from the game in January 1960 because of an ankle injury, although his final league game was not until 17 December of that year, when he suffered a knee injury against Birmingham City. As always, football matches were symbolic.. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. During the Second World War, both countries were major allies of Nazi Germany. After retiring from playing football, Lofthouse became the assistant trainer at Burnden Park on 10 July 1961 and was then appointed chief coach at the club in 1967. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-leader-1','ezslot_12',186,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-leader-1-0');White shirts were worn by Austria and red by England. It was then more than five years until he made his league debut for the club, but he eventually played against Chelsea on 31 August 1946, when he scored twice in a 43 defeat. Thousands of England fans attended it. Additionally, he and Tom Finney had the England scoring record together until Jimmy Greaves came along. Soon after Lofthouse's death a swell of support for a statue to be built in his memory started. In his 1999 book, Bolton Wanderers, Dean Hayes illustrated what a typical day looked like for Lofthouse: "Bevin Boy Lofthouse's Saturdays went like this: up at 3.30 a.m., catching the 4.30 tram to work; eight hours down the pit pushing tubs; collected by the team coach; playing for Bolton. He scored both goals in the 1958 FA Cup Final, the second seeing him charge both keeper and ball over the line. Lofthouse was a constant at the head of the Wanderers goalscoring charts and his exploits, which included four goals in a win for an FA XI over the Army were finally rewarded by the international selectors in 1950 when, after scoring the only goal in the B teams win over the Netherlands at St James Park he went on the FA tour of Canada and North America. After the game for Castle Hill, Nat asked the school side's manager for more games. Lofthouse, battered and semi-conscious, was taken from the field but returned as a passenger minutes later, still proving fit enough to shoot an effort 30 yards into the goal. Two goals on his England debut against Yugoslavia wasnt enough to convince the notoriously finicky and often mystifying FA selection committee, but when he was recalled a year later, he took an iron grip on Englands number 9 shirt, one he wouldnt fully relinquish for another five years. As he regretted later, I never saw the ball enter the Austrian net for the goal of my life.. 1968 rolled around and Nat Lofthouse was appointed caretaker manager of the club. [12], Lofthouse died on 15 January 2011, aged 85, in a nursing home in Bolton. Former Bolton captain Kevin Davies and then manager Owen Coyle were among the pallbearers.[16]. Indeed, many of the stereotypes we now associate with players from the sepia-tinged era of the 1950s have their roots in Lofthouses own story. In the 16 international matches played since November 1949, 10 have been won, and only two have been lost.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',182,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-4-0'); From Englands perspective, it was necessary to note that Austria had defeated Scotland twice during this run and achieved a 2-2 draw at Wembley. His father, Robert, was a coal bagger and head horse keeper for the Bolton Corporation but once his footballing skills come to the fore it was quickly apparent that there was no way Nat would be following in Dads footsteps full time. And so with that barge, Lofthouse won Bolton's fourth, and final to date, FA Cup, famously proud of his "110 team" that cost no more than each player's signing-on fee. Lofthouse is rightly remembered as the archetypal one-club man, but to call him that is to do him a disservice. However, given his family's financial stance and the need to care for four boys, the young Lofthouse could not afford to pay for entry into Burnden Park to watch his beloved Whites. Phillips, a 78-year-old Minden resident, was Lofthouse's cousin (their mothers Lily and Jane were sisters) and said the man dubbed the "Lion of Vienna" would be shocked at all the fuss. Lofthouse was at his imperious best, plundering goals at a rate that even the sportswriters who had grown up watching the likes of Dixie Dean and others agreed was exceptional. During Lofthouses career, Vienna played a crucial role. Nat Lofthouse began playing football as a very young boy. Despite Ocwirks efforts, Lofthouse was able to slip past him. In that game, Blackpool came back from 3-1 down to win 4-3, largely thanks to the heroics of Matthews, although he was no doubt helped by the fact that the Wanderers were effectively down to 10 men throughout much of the second half as Eric Bell was playing through a torn hamstring. As a result, Nat Lofthouse was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. Lofthouse soon played for the Bolton Schools XI and made his debut in a 7-1 win over Bury Schools. Harry Johnston (1951) and Syd Owen (1959), among others and more apparent candidates, Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney, won this award for their model-professional status, loyalty to club and country, and scrupulously fair approach to the game. With no club having shown an interest and his days of regular organised football coming to an end, it appeared that any chance he had of making it as a professional was over, before one of his final days at school where he was to be commended at the annual prize-giving ceremony. For Nat, the expectations were even greater. Richard Lofthouse brought up his family on a weekly wage of just 2 10s. Lofthouse had made his Wanderers debut back in 1941 aged 15, scoring. On the morning of Saturday 6 December 1947 he married Alma Foster and in the afternoon scored twice as Wanderers beat Wolves 3-2. After that 1958 final, Bolton had started slipping and were ultimately relegated to the old Second Division in 1964. Billy Wright had defensive prowess; Tom Finney, pinpoint crossing accuracy; Stan Matthews, a mesmeric array of tricks. Football hero: Nat Lofthouse - Manchester Evening News This was the first time the team played behind the Iron Curtain, and it was also the first peacetime match in Continental Europe with a significant away following.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-box-4','ezslot_8',183,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-box-4-0'); As many as 1,400 tickets were assigned to British troops, although many more were obtained through the black market. On this occasion, he relieved himself of day-to-day duties at the club but remained on board as an ambassador for the Trotters, attending matches and club events for years to come. Thanks to his size, a healthy 12 stone (168 pounds) by age 15, he was played up front in a center forward position and it was there that Nat thrived. The paradigm that would come to define a golden era in the history of one of Englands oldest clubs was now set in stone. 16 January 2011 #1. He later served as chief scout, caretaker manager, executive manager and as the clubs president from 1986. On 24 August 2013, a statue was dedicated. Once again, Nat Lofthouse made his intent known early on, scoring his first goal 3 minutes in, bounding onto the ball inside the 6-yard box and poking it in. English lion Nat Lofthouse dies aged 85 | Reuters ALTHOUGH he earned a great deal of his reputation, and indeed his nickname, for one performance, Nat Lofthouse, The Lion of Vienna was a tremendous servant for his country for eight years, bagging 30 goals in just 33 games, and for his club for over 30 years. Lofthouse would go on to play 33 games for England, but his debut on 22 November 1950 made him 25 when he finally broke into the team. RIP Nat Lofthouse. Then, in the 83rd minute keeper Gil Merrick cleared the ball from a corner and Tom Finney flicked it on to the centre forward near the halfway line. However, the lead was short-lived. The Bolton Wanderers reached the final again five years later. Nat Lofthouse had endured well against a battering from the Italian defenders, despite these suggestions of poor performance. Nat Lofthouse, the former England forward who spent his whole playing career with Bolton Wanderers FC and was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna, has died in his sleep at the age of 85. The only identity was Nat Lofthouse. He grew up without much in the way of material comforts; his first sight of Bolton Wanderers came after shinning up a drain pipe at the clubs Burnden Park home rather than paying the threepence for schoolboy admission. Between 1950 and 1958, he played 33 times for the England national football team. Having played his first organised game as an emergency goalkeeper for his older brothers school team, conceding seven times and upsetting his Mum by playing in a new pair of shoes (he would later redeem himself by cleaning them as good as new), he quickly moved into attack his more natural position, due to his size, and established himself as the star centre forward for Castle Hill school. Thompson would later write: I came away with the impression that Lofthouse was game and persistent, a fine footballer, but not quite an England leader. The Lion of Vienna, Fifty Years a Legend (Edinburgh, 1989); Billy Wright, The Worlds My Football Pitch (London, 1953); Percy M Young, Bolton Wanderers (London, 1961); England Beat Austria, Path Film; Dave Russell, Deeply Honoured: The Rise and Significance of the British Sporting Award. But the Wanderers policy was that if you played for them you couldnt run a pub. Instead of scarring him, the experience seemed to instill a sense of purpose when it came to scoring goals which was reflected throughout his career. Quick off the mark, an ability to shoot with either foot, with strength and agility in the air an innate ability to be in the right place at the right time. Drawing 2-2 and with the Austrians pressing for a famous win, an England counter-attack saw Lofthouse put through on goal. On 2 December 1989, he was made a Freeman of Bolton. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service during World War II, lent his name to the conscripted miners. Speaking as a Bolton Wanderers player, I must say we get the best of everything. There was a tense atmosphere in both countries in 1952 when memories of recent misfortunes were mixed with a present sense of injustice and a zeal for spiritual and national renewal. Compared to the broadsheets, tabloid match reports treat the occasion as a related event to the war. BBC News - Nat Lofthouse: Life of football legend Nat Lofthouse - Bolton Wanderers The tour began with a 1-1 draw between England and Italy in Florence. It was, perhaps, fitting that Finney played a key role in the famous goal. There were a number of football legends and people that the Bolton Wanderers faithful hold dear on hand to pay their respects to the legendary Nat Lofthouse. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. After a 2-0 away win at the Victoria Ground where Ray Westwood bagged both goals the second leg was played seven days later and tragedy struck. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Please tick if you would like to receive information in this way. Bolton won the game 20 with Lofthouse scoring both goals, the second of which was highly controversial and remains a talking point to this day. His very style of football embodied Bolton, an appreciation for power alongside skill which is still part of the club today. To be awarded the label of Lion, once reserved for realm's greatest warriors, is to be christened with one of England's most enduring symbols. He netted in every round of the FA Cup in 1953, including the final, only to be thwarted by the wizardry of Stanley Matthews and a hat-trick from Stan Mortensen in one of the most famous finals of all time. Additionally, the development of the Cold War affected the trip to Austria. On 22 March 1941, he made his debut for Bolton, scoring two goals in a 5-1 victory over Bury. If he fails again to accept changes from the clean breakaways against Italy, England will be doomed. Lofthouse was well aware of his uncertain status, saying later, I knew I played poorly in Florence [but] I wasnt prepared for the reception I received in the press.. To prove it, they battered England with arms, legs and heads. You would be very hard-pressed to find a sane person that had a negative thing to say about Nat Lofthouse. As far as the future was concerned, these results were not isolated, and these signs were already in evidence. By the end of the match, he had done just that, and earned the title of The Lion of Vienna in the process. He hesitated before he emerged at my side. Nonetheless Lawtons legend was cemented locally and Nat became a huge fan, often travelling to Goodison Park to watch him play for Everton. Somehow, he managed to get the shot off before colliding with the Austrian keeper. Lofthouse was the recipient of various honours after retiring from the game. In July 1961, Lofthouse accepted a boot cleaner and assistant trainer position at Burnden Park. Lofthouse opened the scoring but Austria came back, and with the game deadlocked at 2-2, began to exert significant pressure. On top of running the Castle Pub after his retirement, Lofthouse maintained a number of different positions with Bolton Wanderers. Lofthouse received a 10 signing-on fee and put pen to paper for Bolton on 4 September 1939 the day after Britain had declared war on Germany causing the abandonment of the Football League season. Inducted: 2002, National Football Museum Viennas Soviet Zone is home to the Praterstadion, where the match was played. 102 Years of Burnden Park: Part Two - Lion Of Vienna Suite That statue is a fitting tribute to a man who gave his all, for both club and country throughout his life. Nat Lofthouses statue now stands proudly outside the University of Bolton Stadium. I wasn't cut out to be a manager.". It would have certainly resulted in a straight red card by today's standards, but was adjudged to be fair at the time. The Bolton boys launched another attack, ending with a Ray Parry shot on goal. Bolton Wanderers On the Trot: Internationals, The Nat Lofthouse Stand - Bolton Blogroll. NAT LOFTHOUSE is a name that rings through the annals of English football history like few others. Nat Lofthouse: the Lion of Vienna and the gent of Bolton And that, basically, was all I wanted to do. Even when things were not in his favor, Lofthouse was not one to complain or pity himself. The Lion of Vienna - Lion Of Vienna Suite On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 32 victory over Austria. It was a close match, and neither side was shy about using force, a game far away from today's well-regulated affairs.