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 Results 1950-1955                            Page Last Updated 30 January 2024

Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera/Svizra

 
272 vs. Switzerland
 
previous match (3 days)
288 vs. Belgium
289
next match (6 days)
290 vs. Uruguay
 
357 vs. Switzerland

BBC was showing the Hungary vs. Germany match live. Highlights of England's match were not shown until Wednesday.
Sunday, 20 June 1954
The Championnat du Monde de Football Finals First Phase Pool D match four


England 2 Switzerland 0 [1-0]
 



Players lost since last match
Joe Hodkinson (18 June 1954) 65
Wankdorfstadion, Wankdorf, Bern
Kick-off (CEST & BST): 5.10pm

Attendance: 43,119 (FIFA states 43,500).
Billy Wright won the toss Eugen Meier kicked-off
[1-0] Jimmy Mullen 43
 tapped the ball in with his right foot after rounding the keeper on the corner of the 6-yard box from a Tommy Taylor flick
 
[2-0] Dennis Wilshaw 69
 picked up a pass from Bill McGarry 10-yard right-footed strike past Parlier after skipping through the defence
 
This week's Music Charts

There is no Radio coverage.
 
"THAT'S BETTER, ENGLAND!" Charles Buchan, Daily News
Officials England Party FIFA ruling on substitutes Swiss Party
Referee (black)
István Zsolt
32 (28 June 1921), Budapest, Hungary
Linesmen
José da Costa Vieira
47 (13 February 1908), Porto, Portugal
Vasa Stefanović
Yugoslavia
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 5th to 4th
Colours The 1949 home uniform - White collared short-sleeved jerseys, blue shorts, black socks with white tops.
P 41st of 43, W 22 - D 10 - L 9 - F 108 - A 70.
Captain Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 41 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
record 45th of 90, W 26 - D 9 - L 10 - F 111 - A 70. Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) P 63rd of 139, W 39 - D 13 - L 11 - F 185 - A 91, one abandoned.
  ³ Team chosen by Selection Committee headed by Harold Shentall, on Saturday, 19 June.
England Lineup
  three changes to the previous match (McGarry, Wilshaw & Mullen>Owen, Lofthouse & Matthews) FINAL league positions (FL1 26 April, FL2 29 April)
1 Merrick, Gilbert H. 32
145 days
26 January 1922 G Birmingham City FC (FL2 7th) 22 41ᵍᵃ
oldest WCF goalkeeper so far
2 Staniforth, Ronald 30
68 days
13 April 1924 RB Huddersfield Town AFC (FL 3rd) 5 0
3 Byrne, Roger W. 24
285 days
8 September 1929 LB Manchester United FC (FL 4th) 5 0
733 14
McGarry, William H. 23
10 days
10 June 1927 RHB Huddersfield Town AFC (FL 3rd) 1 0
the 19th Town player to represent England
4 Wright, William A. 30
134 days
6 February 1924 CHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 60 3
most apps 1952-54
6 Dickinson, James W. 29
57 days
24 April 1925 LHB Portsmouth FC (FL 14th) 37 0
11 Finney, Thomas 32
76 days
5 April 1922 OR Preston North End FC (FL 11th) 53 23
8 Broadis, Ivan A. 31
184 days
18 December 1922 IR Newcastle United FC (FL 15th) 13 8
10
Taylor, Thomas 22
141 days
29 January 1932 CF Manchester United FC (FL 4th) 5 2
15
Wilshaw, Dennis J. 28
101 days
11 March 1926 IL Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 2 3
youngest WCF goalscorer so far
17
Mullen, James 31
165 days
6 January 1923 OL Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 12 6
final app 1947-54
reserves: not permitted.
team changes: Stan Matthews and Nat Lofthouse were named in their same positions as against Belgium, but had to be replaced at the last moment. Finney swapped wings, and Mullen and Wilshaw formed a new left wing.
team notes: Since Neil Franklin was banned from playing for England, the centre-half berth has been filled by eleven different players before the selectors gave Billy Wright a turn.....
 
2-3-5 Merrick -
Staniforth, Byrne -
McGarry, Wright, Dickinson -
Finney, Broadis, Taylor, Wilshaw, Mullen.
Averages: Age 29 years 27 days Appearances/Goals 17.5 3.9
 
Switzerland Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 21st to 24th
Colours Red buttoned-up jerseys, white shorts, black socks with two thin white hoops and red tops.
Captain Roger Bocquet Manager Karl Rappan, 48 (26 September 1905 in Austria), reappointed November 1953 for a third time.
40th match, W 13 - D 9 - L 18 - F 81 - A - 98.
Switzerland Lineup
2 Parlier, Eugéne 25
127 days
13 February 1929 G Servette FC 5 7ᵍᵃ
7 Neury, André 32
290 days
3 September 1921 RB Servette FC 26 0
4 Bocquet, Roger 33
62 days
19 April 1921 LB Lausanne-Sports 46 2
14 Kernen, Wilhelm 24
318 days
6 August 1929 RHB FC La Chaux-de-Fonds 16 1
10 Eggiman, Olivier 35
143 days
28 January 1919 CHB FC La Chaux-de-Fonds 38 0
oldest opposing WCF player so far
8 Bigler, Heinz 28
181 days
21 December 1925 LHB BSC Young Boys 4 0
22 Vonlanthen, Roger 23
197 days
5 December 1930 OR Grasshopper Club 11 3
15 Antenen, Charles 24
229 days
3 November 1929 IR FC La Chaux-de-Fonds 27 13
20 Meier, Eugen 24
51 days
30 April 1930 CF BSC Young Boys 7 1
16 Ballaman, Robert 27
364 days
21 June 1926 IL Grasshopper Club 22 9
17 Fatton, Jacques 28
183 days
19 December 1925 OL Servette FC 50 28
reserves: not permitted
 
2-3-5 Parlier -
Neury, Bocquet -
Kerna, Eggiman, Bigler -
Vonlanthen, Antenen, Meier, Ballaman, Fatton
Averages: Age 27 years 362 days Appearances/Goals 22.9 5.2
 
              Match Report by Mike Payne

Injuries to Stanley Matthews and Nat Lofthouse caused England to make several changes to their team for this vital World Cup match against the host nation. The Wankdorf Stadium looked very impressive under a cloudless blue sky and it soon warmed to a cauldron-like atmosphere as the shirt-sleeved crowd, reminiscent of a Test match, basked in the conditions. Sadly, the football match, understandably perhaps, never rose above the mediocre.
 
England, looking disjointed, never really got to grips with the game and far too often moves broke down before reaching the danger zone. The Swiss fared little better and it was hard to believe that they had already beaten Italy in these finals. On the plus side Billy Wright looked superb in his new role of centre-half and perhaps he will now settle down into a position that has been beckoning for some time.

Thirty minutes into the match, Tom Finney began to cause some flutters in the Swiss defence by moving to inside-right. Tommy Taylor also looked good and gave his market, Neury, a hard time. Five minutes before the break England broke the deadlock. Taylor headed a long through-pass in toce and Jimmy Mullen moved in to slide the ball past Parlier. It was a much-need boost for England.

The second half was very poor with the seering heat taking its toll on all the players, so, when midway through the half England settled the result with a second goal, the relief could be felt everywhere. The chance came with Billy McGarry finding Dennis Wilshaw with a ground pass. The inside-left sold two dummies before dribbling past Neury, Bigler and Bocquet to shoot a brilliant goal beyond Parlier. It was a fine effort by the Wolves player and effectively ended the contest.

There was only one other noteworthy moment when Switzerland almost set up a grandstand finish. With 15 minutes to go Ballaman flicked his shot past Gil Merrick, only to see Ron Staniforth save a certain goal by running back to clear off the line to safety.

So England moved into the next round as Britain's only survivors but they would have to improve on this performance to have any chance of progressing any further.
   

              Match Report by Norman Giller

Wolves left wing partners Dennis Wilshaw and Jimmy Mullen scored the goals, and their club captain Billy Wright started his first match as England's centre-half. Bill McGarry gave a solid debut performance in Wright's old position at right-half against the host nation and in searing-hot conditions that sapped the energy of the players. Mullen scored the first goal three minutes before half-time to silence a capacity 60,000 crowd. Wilshaw clinched the victory with a superb individual goal midway through the second-half, cleverly evading three Swiss defenders before steering a firm shot into the net. Syd Owen's injury had accidentally solved England's on-going centre-half crisis. Billy Wright slotted into the position as naturally as if born to the job, and the Swiss centre-forward was not allowed a sniff at goal.

Other World Cup Results
Pool 2:
 
Hungary 8 West Germany 3
   Sankt Jakob Stadion, Basel
(56,000)
Kocsis 3, 21, 69, 78, Puskás 17, Hidegkuti 52, 54, Tóth 75 ~ Pfaff 25, Rahn 77, Herrmann 84
Korea Republic 0 Turkey 7
  
Stade des Charmilles, Genève (3,541)
Mamat 10, 30, Küçükandonyadis
24, Sargun 37, 64, 70, Keskin 76



West Germany made seven changes, resting players for the expected play-off with Turkey in Zürich, three days later, which they won 7-2. The favourites, Hungary, meanwhile, were lulled into thinking that the Germans would not be a threat to them, but Puskás suffered a hairline fracture of his ankle and did not play again until the final which turned out to be a rematch with the Germans.
Pool Two Table
Team P W D L F A Pts
Hungary 2 2 0 0 17 3 4
Turkey 2 1 0 1 8 4 2
               
West Germany 2 1 0 1 7 9 2
Korea Republic 2 0 0 2 0 16 0
     
Pool 4: 
     
         
Belgium 1 Italy 4
   Stadio di Cornaredo
, Lugano (24,000)
Anoul
81
~ Pandolfini 41 (pen), Galli 48, Frignani 58, Lorenzi 78
England's victory put them into the quarter-finals, but left the Swiss needing to beat Italy again to join them. This they achieved by a more convincing 4-1 scoreline, in Basel, three days later.
Pool Four Table
Team P W D L F A Pts
England 2 1 1 0 6 4 3
Italy 2 1 0 1 5 3 2
               
Switzerland 2 1 0 1 2 3 2
Belgium 2 0 1 1 5 8 1
On the previous day, Brazil and Yugoslavia had qualified for the quarter-finals from Pool One, whilst Austria and Uruguay topped Pool Three to join them in the last eight.
 

       In Other News....
It was on 19 June 1954 that a Swissair passenger plane came down in the English Channel a mile and a half off the coast of Folkestone after inexplicably running out of fuel. There were no lifejackets onboard, but six of the nine people on the plane, including the captain and three other crew members, survived in the water until they were rescued, whilst the other three could not swim. They included a nine-year-old boy and his mother, who clung to the tail of the plane until it sank, and they then drowned. It had left Geneva without the pilot and co-pilot checking that it had been re-fuelled. They were both dismissed, nine days later.
              Source Notes
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
FIFA match report
Football.ch
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record

Norman Giller, Football Author
The Complete Book of the British Charts
British Pathé
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