"NO TEST FOR ENGLAND" Sunday Post

"W. Winterbottom may act as the F.A. team manager.
"Wing Commander W. Winterbottom, a former player with Manchester United and director of physical fitness at the Air Ministry during the war, has been appointed a member of the Football Association staff. His primary duties will concern the direction and extension of the coaching and instructional work of the English F.A. While he has not been appointed as England team manager, he will take charge of teams at the discretion of the International Selection Committee, and if so directed, will decide tactics.". - Yorkshire Post, Tuesday, 9 July 1946

"ENGLAND SHOCK THE I.F.A"
 "The Emergency Committee of the Irish Football Association held a special meeting in Belfast to consider a letter from the Football Association stating that their International Committee wanted assurance that only players born in Northern Ireland would be selected for the international match against England at Windsor Park on Saturday, September 28. The I.F.A. Committee did not announce their decision, but it is understood that they are to inform the Football Association that they see no reason why such an assurance should be given. The information given to the Press was: "We have drafted a reply which is being sent to the Football Association. A copy will be issued to the Press on Thursday afternoon. At the Liverpool Conference of 1923 the IFA was given international status and the Eire Association dominion status. Under this agreement the IFA had the right to select any Irish-born player attached to an English or Scottish club and the Eire Association was only permitted to call upon Eire-born players". - Belfast News-Letter, Wednesday, 18 September 1946
  

A RECORD 57,000 people attended the first official full Home International football match since 1939 and the huge swirling crowd threatened to cancel the game as the spectators spilled on to the pitch.  Thankfully, common sense and good humour prevailed and order was restored in time for the kick-off.
 
The match got off to a sensational start with England taking the lead in the first minute.  George Hardwick sent the ball into the Irish penalty area and after Ahearne had made a weak attempt at a clearance, Raich Carter pounced to open the scoring.

Although Ireland tried desperately to recover they could not stop the eager England forwards.  In the seventh minute it was 2-0.  Henry Cockburn found Tommy Lawton with a lovely pass and the centre-forward fond some space brilliantly to set up and easy goal for Wilf Mannion.  Middlesbrough's Mannion scored again before half-time after Lawton's ferocious shot rebounded off the crossbar and England went in with a commanding lead.

Carter and Mannion continued to perform brilliantly after the break to completely destroy Ireland's already shattered defences.  Time and again their fine passing set up more goal chances.  Within 15 minutes England had scored two more goals through Tom Finney and Mannion, who thus completed his hat-trick.

Finney was doing just as he pleased on the right wing and by this time Mannion and Carter were walking through the demoralised Irish ranks.  Lockhart gave the eerily silent crowd something to cheer with a goal from the left, but Lawton and then Bobby Langton underlined England's superiority with goals six and seven.  Just before the end Lockhart gave the Irish another consolation goal but it was a very dejected set of green-shirted footballers who left the field at the final whistle.

England's display had been very impressive and Carter's link up with Finney was outstanding, much better than at anytime with Stanley Matthews; Mannion's performance was also memorable.
     

Raich Carter scored in the first minute of what was a memorable match for Middlesbrough team-mates Wilf Mannion and George Hardwick.  Mannion illuminated his debut with a hat-trick, and Hardwick was made skipper in his first official international. He was to make thirteen successive appearances for England, all as captain. There was a record Windsor Park crowd of 57,000 for this first Home International match since 1939. England were 3-0 up at half-time. This was England's first game under the stewardship of Walter Winterbottom, a former Manchester United centre-half who was a university-educated intellectual whose depth of knowledge about the tactics and techniques of the game were unequalled. He was shackled and stifled by a team selection system that put all the responsibility on his shoulders but most of the power in the hands of amateur selectors. Winterbottom was lucky if he got his players together a day before an international match, and often they would arrive just a few hours before the kick-off. It was nothing unusual for England team-mates to meet each other for the first time in the dressing-room shortly before going out to play.