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Page Last Updated 11 December 2017
 
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277 Party vs. Argentina
Thursday, 14 May 1953
Early Summer American Tour Match

Buenos Aires XI 3 FA XI 1 [1-1]
Match Summary
Argentina Party
England Party

Team Records
 

 

The England Party for the end-of-season South American Tour  May 1953
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club starts subs App G Capt
Barlow, Raymond J. 17 August 1926 26 LHB West Bromwich Albion FC 0 0 0 0 0
Barrass, Malcolm W. 13 December 1924 28 CHB Bolton Wanderers FC 3 0 3 0 0
Bentley, T.F. Roy 17 May 1924 28 I/CF Chelsea FC 8 0 8 3 0
Berry, R. John 1 June 1926 26 OF Manchester United FC 0 0 0 0 0
Broadis, Ivan A. 18 December 1922 30 IR Manchester City FC 4 0 4 3 0
Dickinson, James W. 24 April 1925 28 LHB Portsmouth FC 24 0 24 0 0
Ditchburn, Edward G. 24 October 1921 31 G Tottenham Hotspur FC 2 0 2 3ᵍᵃ 0
Eckersley, William 16 July 1925 27 LB Blackburn Rovers FC 9 0 9 0 0
Eckersley was called into the party on 4 May as a replacement for Smith
Finney, Thomas 5 April 1922 31 OR Preston North End FC 43 0 43 21 0
Froggatt, Jack 17 November 1922 30 CHB/
OL
Portsmouth FC 12 0 12 2 0
Froggatt, Redfern 23 August 1924 28 IL Sheffield Wednesday FC 3 0 3 1 0
Garrett, Thomas H. 28 February 1926 27 LB Blackpool FC 2 0 2 0 0
Johnston, Harry 26 September 1919 33 CHB Blackpool FC 3 0 3 0 0
Lofthouse, Nathaniel 27 August 1925 27 CF Bolton Wanderers FC 12 0 12 14 0
Merrick, Gilbert H. 26 January 1922 31 G Birmingham City FC 10 0 10 12ᵍᵃ 0
Ramsey, Alfred E. 22 January 1920 33 RB Tottenham Hotspur FC 26 0 26 1 3
Smith, Lionel 23 August 1920 32 LB Arsenal FC 6 0 6 0 0
Smith withdrew from the party on 4 May because of sciatica
Taylor, Thomas 29 January 1932 21 IL Manchester United FC 0 0 0 0 0
Wright, William A. 6 February 1924 29 RHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 47 0 47 3 32

All information is complete to and including England's last match, the fourth of the 1952-53 season, against Scotland on 18 April 1953.

Diary

Monday, 13 April 1953 - The Football Association announce a party of eighteen players that will represent England on their tour of South America next month. Charlton Athletic's Jimmy Trotter has again been chosen as the party's trainer. In three weeks five matches will be played under strange conditions and it is reasonable that such a large party be selected.

Tuesday, 21 April 1953 - Yorkshire referee Arthur Ellis has been invited to accompany the FA team to tour South America. Argentina and Chile have already agreed that he shall control their matches against England.

Sunday, 3 May 1953 - Stanley Matthews, hero of Blackpool's Cup Final triumph, has been invited to join the England team which leaves for South America on Thursday. He will make his decision after medical advice, as he has had thigh muscle trouble for some weeks.  Matthews, now 38, was dropped by England selector's two years ago.

Monday, 4 May 1953 - Stanley Matthews has declined the invitation to join the tour. "I am very sorry to have to turn down the invitation, for I would have loved to have gone. But I don't feel my thigh will be quite right for about a fortnight yet, and it is no use going on such a trip without feeling completely fit."
Outside-right Tom Finney also looks uncertain to go, because of a groin injury, he twice saw a specialist last week.
Another weekend problem for Walter Winterbottom and the selectors came from the withdrawal of Lionel Smith, the Arsenal left-back, who is suffering from sciatica and a recurrence of an old ankle injury. His place will be taken by Blackburn Rovers' Bill Eckersley. He will be, together with three others of the touring party, flying with Winterbottom tomorrow to Copenhagen, where he will play for the Football League XI against the Danish side.

Thursday, 7 May 1953 -
The England team leave for South America, by air, BA353, via Madrid, Dakar, Reciffe, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo, for their longest-ever Football Association tour to date, landing at Ministro Pistarini Airport, outside Buenos Aires. They are staying at the Hindu Country Club, Don Torcuato, twenty miles out of Buenos Aires, where Tom Finney is recovering after he caught a chill on the journey.

Sunday, 10 May 1953 - The touring party watch an Argentine Second Division match. Meanwhile, the AFA summoned 28 players to their Olympic Village to prepare for the matches.

Monday, 11 May 1953 - The England team train at the La Plata Stadium at Buenos Aires, where they will meet a Buenos Aires XI on Thursday, and Argentina next Sunday. Though dusty, the pitch at the majestic marble and stone bowl is completely covered with grass. Rain is forecast. The party rejected an invitation to visit the Isidro racecourse.

Tuesday, 12 May 1953 - Sir Stanley Rous, the F.A. Secretary was marooned for three hours in the Argentina FC offices because of a milling crowd outside wanting tickets for the matches. Police reinforcements and firemen were called to control the crowds. Rous eventually escaped with police aid, which included the laying out with truncheons of two particularly difficult men.
The team to play Buenos Aires tomorrow is chosen. It is clear that it has been decided to try to give every member of the touring party a game. The seven omitted players will probably play on Sunday against Argentina, or later in the tour.
Arthur Ellis will referee all four of the touring party's matches in South America if he can get leave of absence from his employers. Both Uruguay and Chile have agreed to Ellis handling their matches, but he only has permission to be away for the two Argentina matches.

Wednesday, 13 May 1953 - This morning the FA party laid wreaths on the civic altar of Eva Perón and then were received in as a special audience by Juan Perón, President of the Argentine Republic, at the famous Pink Palace of Government House". Perón, wearing a dark blue morning suit, said, through an interpreter - "I hope you win. My money is on England. I shall be cheering for you. Our teams fight hard in the first half and then fade away," he told the team laughingly. The President was presented with a gold FA badge by Mr. Joseph Mears, the Chelsea chairman and FA member.
England's match against Uruguay at the Centenario Stadium, Montevideo, will definitely be played on Saturday, 30 May, unless weather conditions cause a postponement. The match was originally scheduled for the Sunday, but because of the feared possibility of bad weather the Uruguayan officials requested the Saturday game so that there would be a chance of playing it on the Sunday if it had to be postponed.

England Form: last six games
W W D W W D  f 20:asuccess: 83%
271 25 May 1952 - Austria 2 England 3 [2-2]
Praterstadion, Wien (65,500)
Huber (pen), Dienst
Lofthouse (2), Sewell
tour AW
272 28 May 1952 - Switzerland 0 England 3 [0-1]
Hardturm Stadion, Zürich (32,000)
Sewell, Lofthouse (2) AW
273 4 October 1952 - Ireland 2 England 2 [1-1]
Windsor Park, Belfast (59,000)
Tully (2)
Lofthouse, Elliott
BC AD
274 12 November 1952 - England 5 Wales 2 [3-1]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(94,094)
Finney, Lofthouse (2), J.Froggatt, Bentley
Ford (2)
HW
275 26 November 1952 - England 5 Belgium 0 [2-0]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(68,333)
Elliott (2), Lofthouse (2), R.Froggatt Fr HW
276 18 April 1953 - England 2 Scotland 2 [1-0]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(97,000)
Broadis (2)
Reilly (2)
BC HD
____________________

CG