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Match
Summary |
|
Officials |
Hungary |
Type |
England |
Referee
(black blazer) -
Bernardi Giorgio
x (-), Italy.
Linesmen -
tbc
Only an injured goalkeeper maybe substituted. This is a
compromise between the IFAB rule and the FIFA ruling on allowing
substitutes.

|
|
Goal Attempts |
|
|
Attempts on Target |
|
|
Hit Bar/Post |
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|
Corner Kicks Won |
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|
Offside Calls Against |
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|
Fouls Conceded |
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Possession |
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|
Hungary
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 1st |
Colours: |
Cherry red v-necked short-sleeved jerseys, white shorts, green socks |
Capt: |
Ferenc
Puskás |
Manager:
Trainer: Gyula Mandi |
Selection Committee headed by Gusztáv Sebes
Team chosen on Thursday, 20 May 1954. |
Hungary
Lineup |
1 |
Grosics, Gyula, off 77th min. |
28 |
4 February 1926 |
G |
Budapest Honvéd SE |
31 |
22ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Buzánszky, Jenő |
29 |
4 May 1925 |
RB |
Dorogi FC |
23 |
0 |
3 |
Lantos, Mihály |
25 |
29 September 1928 |
LB |
Vörös Lobogó SE |
30 |
2 |
4 |
Lóránt, Gyula |
31 |
6 February 1923 |
CHB |
Budapest Honvéd SE |
24 |
0 |
5 |
Bozsik MP, József |
28 |
28 November 1925 |
CM |
Budapest Honvéd SE |
48 |
4 |
6 |
Zakariás, József |
30 |
25 March 1924 |
CHB |
Vörös Lobogó SE |
31 |
0 |
7 |
Tóth, József |
25 |
16 May 1929 |
OR |
Budapesti Dózsa SE |
2 |
1 |
8  |
Kocsis, Sándor P. |
24 |
21 September 1929 |
CF |
Budapest Honvéd SE |
36 |
37 |
9 |
Hidegkuti, Nándor |
32 |
3 March 1922 |
AM |
Vörös Lobogó SE |
36 |
26 |
10  |
Puskás,
Ferenc |
27 |
1 April 1927 |
CF |
Budapest Honvéd SE |
55 |
65 |
11 |
Czibor, Zoltán |
24 |
23 August 1929 |
OL |
Budapest Honvéd SE |
22 |
6 |
Hungary Substitutes |
1 |
Gellér, Sándor, on 77th min. for Grosics |
28 |
12 July 1925
in Romania |
G |
Vörös Lobogó SE |
5 |
1ᵍᵃ |
unused
substitutes: |
- |
team notes: |
The Hungarian's were set up at their headquarters on Margaret Island,
in the Danube, near Budapest. Lantos' opening free-kick goal was only the fourth time England have
conceded a direct free-kick, the first time England have conceded a
direct free-kick for over twenty-two years. Despite agreeing only
to substitute an injured goalkeeper, Grosics' substitution appeared to
defy this ruling. Both goalkeepers wore black jerseys with the number
one on their backs.
Ferenc Puskás extends his
tallies of Hungarian record appearances and goalscoring, and making
this side the most experienced that England have faced. |
|
2-3-3-2(5) |
Grosics (Geller)
- Buzánszky,
Lantos - Lóránt, Bozsik, Zakariás - Tóth, Hidegkuti, Czibor -
Kocsis, Puskás. |
Averages: |
Age |
27.5 |
Appearances/Goals |
30.7 |
12.2 |
|
|
England
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 4th |
Colours: |
The 1949 home
uniform -
White collared short-sleeved jerseys, blue shorts, black socks
with white tops. |
Capt: |
Billy Wright, 43rd captaincy |
Manager:
Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) |
Walter Winterbottom, 41 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
61st match, W 38 - D 12 - L 11 - F 179 - A 87,
one abandoned. Team chosen by Selection Committee, headed by Harold
Shentall, on Thursday, 20 May 1954. |
England
Lineup |
|
Merrick, Gilbert H. |
32 |
26 January 1922 |
G |
Birmingham City FC |
20 |
37ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Staniforth, Ronald |
30 |
13 April 1924 |
RB |
Huddersfield Town AFC |
3 |
0 |
3 |
Byrne, Roger W. |
24 |
8 September 1929 |
LB |
Manchester United FC |
3 |
0 |
4 |
Wright, William A. |
30 |
6 February 1924 |
RHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
58 |
3 |
5 |
Owen, Sydney W. |
31 |
29 September 1922 |
CHB |
Luton Town FC |
2 |
0 |
6 |
Dickinson, James
W. |
29 |
24 April 1925 |
LHB |
Portsmouth
FC |
35 |
0 |
7 |
Harris, Peter P. |
28 |
19 December 1925 |
OR |
Portsmouth FC |
2 |
0 |
8 |
Sewell, John |
27 |
24 January 1927 |
IR |
Sheffield Wednesday FC |
6 |
3 |
9 |
Jezzard, Bedford A.G. |
26 |
19 October 1927 |
CF |
Fulham FC |
1 |
0 |
10 |
Broadis, Ivan A. |
31 |
18 December 1922 |
IL |
Newcastle United FC |
11 |
6 |
11 |
Finney,
Thomas |
32 |
5 April 1922 |
OL |
Preston
North End FC |
51 |
23 |
unused substitutes: |
Ted Burgin (Sheffield United FC), Jackie Mansell (Portsmouth FC),
Ken Armstrong (Chelsea FC),
John Haynes (Fulham FC),
Jimmy Mullen (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC). |
team notes: |
Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally. |
|
2-3-5 |
Merrick - Staniforth, Byrne - Wright, Owen, Dickinson -
Harris, Sewell, Jezzard, Broadis, Finney. |
Averages: |
Age |
29.1 |
Appearances/Goals |
17.5 |
3.1 |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
Six
months earlier at Wembley, England were given a football lesson by the
magnificent Hungarian side. It was the first time they had been beaten on
home soil by a continental team and it was hoped that many lessons would
be learned from the experience. Sadly, on this performance against that
same Hungarian side, few would believe that they have learned any.
England were
once again totally outclassed. Hungary simply tore them apart with some
devastating football and scored virtually at will. The old fashioned
tactics that England employed were shown up to be woefully inadequate by
the slick pattern of the Hungarian formation. Quick, accurate short
passing was coupled with lethal long passes which totally bemused
overworked defenders. One of the most obvious differences between the two
sides was in the teamwork. Whereas England played as a group of
individuals doing their own jobs the Hungarians moved as one unit with Puskás,
especially, pulling the strings.
The trouble began
in the tenth minute when Jimmy Dickinson was somewhat harshly penalised
for a foul on Hidegkuti 20 yards from goal. Puskás summoned up the
powerful Lantos from the back to take the free-kick and before you could
say 'Hidegkuti' the ball crashed into the England net. It was the
beginning of the end for the visitors and 12 minutes later they went 2-0
down when Puskás lashed home a rebound from close range after Ron
Staniforth had blocked a sharp cross by Kocsis.
The lean and
skilful inside-right Kocsis was having a fine game and on the half-hour he
scored a brilliant goal volleying home a pass from Puskás. Kocsis
had just come back on to the field after having running repairs to an
injury. How England had wished he had stayed off!
For the remainder
of the half Hungary turned on the full exhibition of their skills and it
was a bemused and bedraggled bunch of England players that trooped off at
half-time 3-0 down. Only a good shot by Ivor Broadis which brought the
best out of Grosics had given them any encouragement.
At the start
of the second half England made a brief spirited reply when Peter Harris
saw a shot blocked on the Hungarian goal-line but alas it was only a token
gesture as within 20 minutes of the restart Hungary had conjured up some
more magic to score three more goals. Kocsis, T�th and the incomparable
Hidegkuti all added to the goal tally with splendid strikes rounding off
marvellous passing movements. Gil Merrick hardly knew what had hit him and
he had little chance.
The 92,000 crowd loved every minute of this
superb performance and watched in delight as each of the goals were
created following some super play.
England battled gamely on. Billy
Wright, Dickinson and Staniforth all worked themselves into the ground but
Roger Byrne was their best player with a cultured display despite all that
went on around him. Jackie Sewell and Tom Finney also worked hard although
Finney in fact missed a sitter in one attack. In the end, though, the
England players were willing the referee to end their misery. Before teh
final whistle though they did manage to salvage some pride when Broadis
met a Dickinson free-kick to pull a goal back. Hungary were not amused by
this and immediately struck again with goal number seven.
This
time, appropriately perhaps, it was Puskás who advanced on to a
defence splitting pass by Hidegkuti to fire home the last humiliating nail
into the England coffin. In the remaining minutes Hungary totally
dominated and even a substitution of Grosics in goal had little effect on
an England display which is best forgotten. Unfortunately, the fact that
this ranks as England's biggest-ever defeat will probably mean that it
will never be forgotten.
|
Match Report
by Norman Giller |
This was the biggest defeat in England's
90-year football history (and continues to be so to this day). Just four
of the England team had survived from the 6-3 slaughter at Wembley in
November: Merrick, Wright, Dickinson and Finney. Fulham centre-forward
Bedford Jezzard made a best-forgotten debut, while the unfortunate Peter
Harris was winning his second and last cap after a gap of five years. His
first cap came in the 2-0 home defeat by the Republic of Ireland in 1949.
Puskas and Kocsis scored two goals each. The Hungarians, leading 3-0 at
half-time, were six goals clear and cantering before Ivor Broadis opened
the scoring for England. Hungary immediately replied with their seventh
goal, scored by Puskas from a pass by Hidegkuti. Hungary's scorers were
Puskas (2), Kocsis (2), Lantos, Toth and Hidegkuti. Billy Wright came off
with his face as white as his shirt, and looking like a man who had seen a
ghost come back to haunt him. As hard as this giant-hearted man tried, he
could not get near to suppressing the irrepressible Puskas.
|
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,
over eighteen months later,
when England lost to Hungary again,
Doris Day's Secret Love
was again the best selling single. When the chart of Friday, 21 May
1954 was published, there were eleven surviving songs from the last chart
when England played:-
1. |
(=) |
Secret Love
- Doris Day (Philips) |
7. |
(10) |
Someone Else's Roses
- Joan Regan (Decca) |
2. |
(=) |
Such A Night
-
Johnnie
Ray (Philips) |
8. |
(5) |
I See The Moon
-
Stargazers
(Decca) |
3. |
(6) |
Friends And Neighbours
-
Billy
Cotton & His Band (Decca) |
9. |
(11) |
The Gang That Sang Heart Of My Heart
-
Max Bygraves
(HMV) |
4. |
(6) |
Changing Partners
-
Kay Starr (Capitol) |
10. |
(8) |
Don't Laugh At Me ('Cause I'm A Fool)
-
Norman Wisdom (Colombia) |
5. |
(4) |
The Happy Wanderer
- Obernkirchen Children's Choir
(Parlophone) |
11. |
(9) |
A Dime And A Dollar
- Guy Mitchell (Philips) |
6. |
(3) |
The Kid's Last Fight
-
Frankie Laine
(Philips) |
12. |
(re) |
Bimbo
-
Ruby Wright
(Parlophone) |
♪Most weeks at number one when
England played:
Frankie Laine five, Doris Day and Guy Mitchell two, Al Martino, Lita Roza,
Stargazers and
David Whitfield one each |
|
Source Notes |
"HUNGARIAN SEASON
HALTED FOR ENGLAND GAME. "All league and championship football will be
halted temporarily in Hungary from May 9th to give the Hngarian players,
who meet England in Budapest on May 23rd, a spell of uninterrupted
training. This was announced yesterday by the Hungarian Deputy Minister of
Sports, Gustav Sebes, according to Budapest Radio." -
Thursday, 22 April 1954, The Lancashire Evening Post.
TheFA.com
Magyarfutball.hu
Original newspaper reports Official Matchday programme
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
(Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author officialcharts.com singles chart
____________________
CG
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