|
Match
Summary |
|
Officials
from Wales |
England |
Type |
Ireland |
Referee
(black) - Robert E. Smith
x (-), Newport.
Linesmen -
L. Higgins, Gwersyllt (yellow flag) and
T. Williams, Dyserth
(red flag).
No
substitues permitted, as per UK ruling.

|
|
Goal Attempts |
|
|
Attempts on Target |
|
|
Hit Bar/Post |
|
|
Corner Kicks Won |
|
|
Offside Calls Against |
|
|
Fouls Conceded |
|
|
Possession |
|
|
England
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 3rd |
Colours: |
The 1949 home
uniform -
White collared jerseys, blue shorts, red socks. |
Capt: |
Billy Wright, 39th captaincy |
Manager: |
Walter Winterbottom, 40 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
57th match, W 37 - D 12 - L 8 - F 171 - A 71, one abandoned. Team chosen by Selection Committee
headed by Harold Shentall on Monday, 2 November 1953.. |
England
Lineup |
|
Merrick, Gilbert H. |
31 |
26 January 1922 |
G |
Birmingham City FC |
16 |
21ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Rickaby, Stanley |
29 |
12 March 1924 |
RB |
West Bromwich Albion FC |
1 |
0 |
3 |
Eckersley, William |
28 |
16 July 1925 |
LB |
Blackburn Rovers FC |
16 |
0 |
4 |
Wright, William A. |
29 |
6 February 1924 |
RHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
54 |
3 |
5 |
Johnston, Harry |
34 |
26 September 1919 |
CHB |
Blackpool FC |
9 |
0 |
6 |
Dickinson, James
W. |
28 |
24 April 1925 |
LHB |
Portsmouth
FC |
31 |
0 |
7 |
Matthews, Stanley |
38 |
1 February 1915 |
OR |
Blackpool FC |
35 |
10 |
8 |
Quixall, Albert |
20 |
9 August 1933 |
IR |
Sheffield Wednesday FC |
3 |
0 |
9 |
Lofthouse, Nathaniel, injured off 75th
min. |
28 |
27 August 1925 |
CF |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
19 |
20 |
10  |
Hassall, Harold W. |
24 |
4 March 1929 |
IL |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
5 |
4 |
11 |
Mullen, James |
30 |
6 January 1923 |
OL |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
9 |
4 |
reserve: |
Len
Quested (Huddersfield Town AFC) |
team notes: |
The England team were set up in Southport, training at the Haig Avenue
ground. Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally. Nat
Lofthouse collided with Ireland's Billy Dickson as he scored the final
goal. A cut over his right eye resulted in two stitches! |
|
2-3-5 |
Merrick - Rickaby, Eckersley - Wright, Johnston,
Dickinson - Matthews, Quixall, Lofthouse, Hassall, Mullen. |
Averages: |
Age |
29.0 |
Appearances/Goals |
18.0 |
3.5 |
|
|
Ireland
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 53rd |
Colours: |
Green jerseys with white collars, white shorts, blue socks with
white tops. |
Capt: |
Alf McMichael |
Manager: |
Peter Dermot Doherty, 40 (5 June 1913),
appointed October 1951, also manager at Doncaster Rovers FC since June 1949.
ninth match, W 0 - D - 2 - L 7 - F 8 - A 26.
Team chosen on Monday, 2 November 1953. |
Ireland
Lineup |
|
Smyth, William T., injured off 76th min |
27/28 |
1925 |
G |
Distillery FC |
4 |
15ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Graham, W.G. Leonard |
28 |
17 October 1925 |
RB |
Doncaster Rovers FC, England |
8 |
0 |
3 |
McMichael, Alfred |
26 |
1 October 1927 |
LB |
Newcastle United FC, England |
14 |
0 |
4 |
Blanchflower, R.
Dennis |
27 |
10 February 1926 |
RHB /CHB |
Aston Villa FC, England |
12 |
0 |
5 |
Dickson, William |
30 |
15 March 1923 |
CHB /GK |
Arsenal FC, England |
10 |
0 |
6 |
Cush, Wilbur |
25 |
10 June 1928 |
LHB |
Glenavon FC |
4 |
0 |
7 |
Bingham, William L. |
22 |
5 August 1931 |
OR |
Sunderland AFC, England |
10 |
0 |
8 |
McIlroy, James |
22 |
25 October 1931 |
IR |
Burnley FC, England |
8 |
0 |
9 |
Simpson, William J. |
23 |
12 December 1929 |
CF |
Rangers FC, Scotland |
4 |
2 |
10 |
McMorran,
Edward J. |
30 |
2 September 1923 |
IL |
Doncaster Rovers FC, England |
12 |
4 |
11 |
Lockhart,
Norman H. |
29 |
4 March 1924 |
OL |
Aston Villa FC, England |
6 |
3 |
reserve: |
Jim McCabe (Leeds United AFC) |
team notes: |
Manager Peter Doherty played for Ireland against England on seven
separate occasions from 1935 until 1947, scoring one in 1947. The
Ireland team were also set-up in Southport prior to the match.
Charlie Tully (The Celtic) was the original named outside-left He tore
his leg ligaments, and carried off after 35 minutes in his team's
League match against Hibernians, his place going to Lockhart on
Monday, 9 November. Billy
Smyth, in diving at the feet of Jimmy Mullen, broke his nose, he was
replaced in goal after 76 minutes by Billy Dickson. |
|
2-3-5 |
Smyth (Dickson) - Graham, McMichael - Blanchflower, Dickson
(Blanchflower), Cush
- Bingham, McIlroy, Simpson, McMorran, Lockhart.
notes: following the Smyth injury, Dickson
took over in goal and Blanchflower went to the centre. |
Averages: |
Age |
26.3 |
Appearances/Goals |
8.4 |
0.7 |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
By
winning this match England duly qualified for the World Cup finals to be
held in June of the following year in Switzerland, but their performance
on the day would not send too many fears to the other competing nations.
It was a poor
game with the Irish showing up better than England for long spells. With
their wing-halves, Blanchflower and Cush, dominating the midfield battle,
they should have capitalised on their superiority. As it was, they were
given a lesson in finishing.
Even a gift goal for
England after only 30 seconds could not inspire the home side. A cross
shot by Harold Hassall seemed easy for Smyth but the goalkeeper
unaccounatbly allowed the ball to squirm under his body and into the net.
Having been given a terrific start, it was disappointing to see England
fail to build on it. Their team was non-existent and there was no cohesion
in their performance. Not so Northern Ireland!
With Blanchflower outstanding and
McIlroy, Cush and Bingham working tirelessly, they came back strongly.
Alas, their finishing was poor although credit must go to the excellent
defensive play of Harry Johnston, Jimmy Dickinson and Gil Merrick. At the
other end, ,Smyth made up for his earlier blunder by pulling off a
thrilling point-blank save from Hassall. But that was an isolated raid by
England and they were somehwat fortunate to see their lead still intact at
the half-time whistle.
Nine minutes after the interval, though,
Northern Ireland deservedly equalized. Bingham sent over a right-wing
cross and McMorran headed past Merrick. The goalkeeper was a little
unlucky as the ball rebounded off his body and into the net but it was no
more than the Irish deserved.
From that moment, England had to turn
to the one saving grace of their day. Once again it was the incomparable
Stanley Matthews who shone like a beacon on the dull afternoon's
proceedings. His footwork was superb and he wandered into the middle to
test all the Irish defenders.
It was Matthews who began the move on
the hour that gave England the lead again. A lovely piece of trickery
ended with a pass to Billy Wright. The captain moved down the right wing
before crossing for Hassall to lead a fine goal from 15 yards into the top
corner.
A quarter of an hour later England made the game safe with
a third goal. This time Jimmy Mullen was the provider as his long centre
was crashed into the net by the head of Nat Lofthouse. After the goal,
both Lofthouse and Smyth left the field injured. Lofthouse, already
limping, had hurt his head and Smyth left the action with a broken nose.
Dickson took over in goal for the Irish but was not seriously troubled
in the remaining minutes. It was a case for Ireland to reflect on their
missed chances on the first half especially, whilst for England only
Matthews, Johnston, Dickinson and Merrick could be satisfied with their
display.
|
Match Report
by Norman Giller |
Harold Hassall, playing alongside his Bolton team-mate Nat Lofthouse,
scored the first of his two goals in just thirty seconds to mark his
international recall after two years. It was Hassall's fifth and last cap.
Eddie McMorran equalised for the Irish nine minutes after half-time, and
they were the superior side for long periods. Stanley Matthews turned the
game England's way with a typical mazy run on the hour before passing to
Billy Wright, who set up a simple second goal for Hassall. It was Nat
Lofthouse who wrapped up victory for England fifteen minutes later when he
headed in a Jimmy Mullen cross, colliding with goalkeeper Smyth as he
powered the ball into the net. Lofthouse limped off and Smyth was carried
off with a broken nose. West Bromwich right-back Stan Rickaby played in
his one and only England match in place of the injured Alf Ramsey.
|
The
Top Twelve UK Music Chart
by New Musical Express |
On Friday, 15 November 1952, The
New Musical
Express
published the first ever singles chart in the UK. However, less than a
year later, when England beat Ireland, David Whitfield's version of
Answer Me was the best selling single. When the
chart of Friday, 6 November 1953 was published, there were six surviving
songs from the last chart when England played:-
1. |
(4) |
Answer Me
-
David Whitfield (Decca) |
7. |
(5) |
Where
The Winds Blow
-
Frankie
Laine (Philips) |
2. |
(3) |
Answer Me
-
Frankie Laine (Philips) |
8. |
(=) |
Poppa Piccolino -
Diana
Decker (Colombia) |
3. |
(1) |
Hey Joe
-
Frankie Laine (Philips) |
9. |
(=) |
Swedish Rhapsody-
Mantovani
(Decca) |
4. |
(2) |
Look At That Girl - Guy Mitchell (Philips) |
10. |
(7) |
Kiss
-
Dean Martin (Capitol) |
5. |
(6) |
I Believe
- Frankie Laine
(Philips) |
11. |
Wish You Were Here
- Eddie Fisher
(HMV) |
6. |
Chicka Boom - Guy Mitchell (Philips) |
12. |
(re) |
Flirtation Waltz
-
Winifed Atwell
(Decca)
|
♪Most weeks at number one when
England played:
Frankie Laine four, Guy Mitchell two, Al Martino, Lita Roza and
David Whitfield one each |
|
Source Notes |
TheFA.com Original newspaper reports Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
(Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
Norman Giller, Football Author officialcharts.com singles chart
____________________
CG
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