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2.0 Harry Hemsley 2.15 Musical Memories 2.45 "Ray's a Laugh"
3.15
Finland v. England
3.45 Down Your Way 4.30 Take It From Here 5.0 Round Britain Quiz
Sunday, 15 May 1949
End-of-Season Continental Tour Match


Finland A 0 England
 4
[0-1]
 
 
Olympiastadion, Töölö, Helsinki
Kick-off (CET & BST): 2.00pm

Attendance: "the gate of 22,218 was more than 2,000 short of the record expected".
Finland won the toss England kicked-off
  [0-1] Jimmy Mullen 43
from a very narrow angle
  [0-2] Johnny Morris 48
netted from close in
[0-3] Dennis Wilshaw 51
picked his way through the defence
[0-3] Dennis Wilshaw strike hits crossbar
[0-4] Dennis Wilshaw 65
again working his way through the defence
last half hour live on the Radio Light Programme - Commentator: tbc
 
"ENGLAND "B" ROUT FINLAND AND SET SELECTORS POSER" Daily News
Officials Finland FIFA ruling on substitutes England Party
Referee
Ivar Eklund
Sweden
The FIFA ruling of allowing a substitute to replace an injured player prior to the 44th minute, and a goalkeeper at any time, is in place.
Linesmen
tbc tbc
 
Finland A Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours not known - probably blue and white
Captain   Selection  
Finland Lineup
  Sarnola, Thure 33   G      
2 Martin, Kurt     RB      
3 Myntti, Stig-Göran     LB      
4 Asikainen, Veikko     RHB      
5 Pylkkönen, Tapio     CHB      
6 Ventijörv, Sven     LHB      
7 Högg, Per-Erik     OR      
8 Rvtkönen, Aulis     IR      
9 Lilja, Olavi 21   CF      
10 Vaihela, Jorma     IL      
11 Lehtovirta, Kalevi     OL      
unused substitutes: -
 
2-3-5 Sarnola -
Martin, Mvntti -
Askkainen, Pylkkoenen, Wentiaery -
Haegg, Rvtkoenen, Lilja, Valhela, Lehtovirta
Averages: Age - Appearances/Goals - -
 
England B Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours probably the 1949 home uniform - White collared jerseys, blue shorts, black socks with white tops.
Captain Leon Manager Walter Winterbottom, 36 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA
Leuty in charge: Harold Shentall
Trainer: Jesse Carver (Millwall FC)
national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
1st of 2, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 4 - A 0. third of fourteen B matches, W 2 - D 1 - L 0 - F 9 - A 1.
Party chosen by the Intermediate Selection Committee, headed by Arthur Drewry, on Monday, 2 May, team chosen on Wednesday, 11 May.
England Lineup
  ten changes to the previous B match (only Mannion remains) FINAL league positions (7 May)  
2   Williams, Bert F. 29
104 days
31 January 1920 G Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 6th) 1 0ᵍᵃ
16 only B app 1949
17 2 Ellerington, William 25
319 days
30 June 1923 RB Southampton FC (FL2 third) 1 0
only B app 1949
18 3 Westwood, Eric 31
232 days
25 September 1917 LB Manchester City FC (FL 7th) 1 0
19 4 Harrison, Walter E. 26
119 days
16 January 1923 RHB Leicester City FC (FL2 19th) 1 0
20 5 Leuty, Leon 28
204 days
23 October 1920 CHB Derby County FC (FL 3rd) 1 0
21 6 Dickinson, James W. 24
21 days
24 April 1925 LHB Portsmouth FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 1 0
22 7 Parsons, Eric G. 25
187 days
9 November 1923 OR West Ham United FC (FL2 7th) 1 0
23 8
Morris, John 25
230 days
27 September 1923 IR Derby County FC (FL 3rd) 1 1
only B app 1949
24 9
Wilshaw, Dennis J. 23
65 days
11 March 1926 CF Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 6th) 1 2
10 Mannion, Wilfred J. 29
364 days
16 May 1918 IL Middlesbrough FC (FL 19th) 3 0
mst B apps 1948-49
25 11
Mullen, James 26
129 days
6 January 1923 OL Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 6th) 1 1
               
unused substitutes: Frank Swift (Manchester City FC (FL 7th)) and Bill Jones (Liverpool FC (FL 12th))
 
2-3-5 Williams -
Ellerington, Westwood -
Harrison, Leuty, Dickinson -
Parsons, Morris, Wilshaw, Mannion, Mullen.
Averages: Age 27 years 16 days Appearances/Goals 1.2 0.0
youngest B team so far
 
              Match Report by Charles Buchan, News Chronicle, 16 May 1949

England 'B' team today regained some of the prestige lost in Stockholm on Friday. Compact and intelligent team work brought decisive victory over Finland.
It was a great exhibition of Soccer, though Finland must be rated one of the weakest sides in Europe. And tonight the England selectors face a problem as they discuss teams for Wednesday—to meet Norway in Oslo and Holland in Amsterdam. There must be several changes in each XI. It would not surprise me if at least five of the 'B' team were promoted for the match against Norway. I expect the choice to be: Williams; Ellerington, Aston; Harrison, Franklin, Wright; Finney, Mortensen, Wilshaw, Mannion, Mullen.
Our 'A' team's defeat by Sweden undoubtedly kept the size of this Helsinki crowd down. The gate of 22,218 was more than 2,000 short of the record expected. Though the fierce sunshine and the small Continental ball on a narrow ground unsuitable for international football were all against the England XI, they played magnificently.
For the first 20 minutes England were baffled by the light ball and strange Finnish tactics. In the second half, however, they had their opponents floundering and bewildered. But for goalkeeper Sarnola, a slender giant taller than Frank Swift, and missed chances the score would have mounted rapidly. Inside forwards Mannion and Morris continually schemed for openings. They were well assisted by Parsons and Mullen, while Wilshaw led the line with great dash.
Mullen scored the first goal in the 42nd minute and in the second half, Morris (3 min.). Wilshaw (6 and 20 min.) put on goals, while Mannion and Wilshaw, between them, struck the cross-bar on four other occasions.
Finland, I am told, have not won an international since 1939. I don't think they will while employing tactics as crude as these. The only good feature of their play was forceful shooting on the few occasions they had a chance.
After the match, the teams lined up and a Finnish expert, over the loudspeaker, named the best player on each side. He chose Sarnola, Finland goalkeeper, and Parsons, England outside-right. I agree with his choice of Sarnola but thought that Ellerington, Leuty and Mannion ought to have been bracketed with Parsons.

 

              Match Report as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1949-50, page 26

May 15th was another warm day, the hottest of the year in Helsinki, when the English 'B' team played Finland in the Olympic Stadium, where the 1952 Olympics will take place.
Although the visitors had the better of the play it was not until two minutes from half-time that they scored, with Mullen netting from an acute angle. The Finns had to defend desperately to keep out a vigorous English attack. In the second half the English forwards found their form and were soon three goals up. Morris scored from close in, in the third minute, after a clever movement with Mullen and Mannion, while three minutes later Wilshaw got a second goal later in almost identical fashion. The Finns fought hard to get a goal but the Englishmen, winning 4-0, were always masters of the situation.

   

              Source Notes
Original newspaper reports   Rothman's Yearbooks
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