This results defied all the odds as France gained a draw that they deserved but never expected. England gave a very indifferent display and would quickly want to forget this match. At least they managed to retain  their proud unbeaten record against continental teams but they were lucky to come away with a draw and could easily have lost.

The success France obtained was built largely on a defensive display and they won few friends amongst the crowd with their tactics.

England had an excellent start, scoring in the fourth minute. A firm cross pass by Tom Finney was unfortunately diverted beyond his own goalkeeper by Firoud. Then they should have had a second when Harold Hassall was put clear by Henry Cockburn's throw-in. Vignal did well to save Hassall's shot but a square pass to the unmarked Jackie Milburn would probably have brought a more positive result.

In the next 20 minutes, France hit back hard, Inspired by Doye, their best player, they hit the crossbar with a cracker from Baratte. The warning was there for England and shortly afterwards France turned the game around with two goals in two minutes.

First Allenby Chilton, who struggled throughout, failed to clear a corner taken by Alpsteg and Doye was on hand to shoot home from close range. Almost at once Doye, with some clever footwork and a quick pass, sent Arthur Willis and Cockburn the wrong way and left Alpsteg with a clear chance. He shot from an acute angle and the ball flew into the England net with the aid of a deflection. England were stunned and watched as Grumellon and Alpsteg tested Bert Williams. But gradually they began to fight back. Billy Wright's long pass sent Milburn away only for the centre-forward's shot to go just wide.

Just before half-time England equalised. A fine move involving Alf Ramsey and Wilf Mannion ended with Les Medley cutting through at inside-right to score.

That was the end of the scoring and the second half was one of England battling against a well organised and uncompromising  French defence without any success. There was one other dramatic moment in the half and it almost brought that record to an end. Sloppy work by Willis and Cockburn gave Grumellon the chance to gain possession and speed off towards goal unchallenged. Williams came out and, although he went to his left, he somehow managed to reach back to his right and parry his shot.
   

Les Medley's first goal for England and an own goal saved a mediocre England team from a first home defeat by a foreign side. France were robbed of a deserved victory when Bert Williams made a desperate late save from French centre-forward Jacques Grumellon, who gave centre-half Allenby Chilton a nightmare afternoon. Arthur Willis, partnering his Spurs team-mate Alf Ramsey, was one of four players - along with Chilton, Henry Cockburn and Wilf Mannion - who never played for England again. It was a scrappy team performance and England's problems continued in the middle of the defence. France could count themselves unlucky not to have won by a convincing margin, and it was Wolves goalkeeper Bert Williams who saved England from defeat with a succession of Swift-standard saves.
  

Though England's form in the opening matches was disappointing, there are many reasons to loo back at the 1951-52 International season with satisfaction. England came through undefeated in eight matches, many of which tested her severely, and shared the home Championship with gallant little Wales. Of many lessons learned, mention should be made of the value of close liaison with the Football League, the need to fit each selection to the character of the opposition, and yet at the same time preserve as much continuity as possible and to give outstanding players a fair chance to become accustomed to the strain of International engagements.

The International season opened on October 3rd at Highbury with the match against France. For both teams this was to some extent in the nature of a trial match. The French, after a run of failures in the previous season, had made a number of changes, and the England team, with many of her best players then showing mixed form, took the field with a new cap in Willis at left-back, Chilton returned to centre-half, and Mannion, recovered from his facial operation, at inside-right to Finney.
The game ended 2-2, and for the French this was a triumph, England could only conclude that, although her record of being unbeaten at home remained intact, her side played decidedly below International form. Nevertheless, many seriously underrated the French team, particularly as a month later at Paris they also forced Austria to a 2-2 draw.
England was given a lucky lead just after the opening, when the French half-back, Firoud, unhappily put the ball past his own goalkeeper. The French were undismayed, and following some neat manœuvres, Doye, the left-winger, equalised with a fast shot following a corner. Hardly a minute later Alpsteg, the other winger, had put the visitors one up.
The French forged ahead, but gradually England recovered from the shock and before half-time had again been drawn level when Medley completed a brilliant move by Ramsey and Mannion.
During nearly the whole of the second half the French stayed on the defensive. They only gained 2 corner-kicks to England's 10, but the English forward line was mostly ragged, uninspired, and unable to break through. Indeed, during the dying moments France nearly won when a sudden break-away by Grumellon, the centre-forward, was only just saved in a desperate effort by Williams.
          

TheFA.com Original newspaper reports Allezlesbleus.free.fr FFF.fr

Rothman's Yearbooks Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record Norman Giller, Football Author Drew Herbertson, Scottish FA historian British Pathé