|
 Match
Summary |
Officials
from Scotland |
Northern Ireland Party |
|
England
Party |
Referee
Charles Edward Faultless
x (-), Glasgow. |
|
Linesmen |
James Fenton Paisley |
Alexander C.
Brown Glasgow |
|
|
Northern
Ireland
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 46th |
Colours: |
Green continental jerseys with white v-neck collar/cuffs, white shorts, blue socks
with white tops. |
Capt: |
Alf McMichael |
Manager:
Trainer: G.Morgan (Linfield FAC) |
Peter Dermot Doherty, 41 (5 June 1913),
appointed October 1951, also manager at Doncaster Rovers FC since June 1949.
eleventh match, W 1 - D - 2 - L 8 - F 10 - A 29.
Team selected on Tuesday, 21 September 1954. |
Northern
Ireland
Lineup |
|
Uprichard, W.
Norman M. |
26 |
20 April 1928 |
G |
Portsmouth FC, England |
8 |
19ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Montgomery, Frank J. |
nk |
not known |
RB |
Coleraine FC |
1 |
0 |
3 |
McMichael, Alfred |
27 |
1 October 1927 |
LB |
Newcastle United FC, England |
16 |
0 |
4 |
Blanchflower, R.
Dennis |
28 |
10 February 1926 |
RHB |
Aston Villa FC, England |
14 |
0 |
5 |
Dickson, William |
31 |
15 March 1923 |
CHB |
Arsenal FC, England |
12 |
0 |
6 |
Peacock, Robert |
26 |
29 September 1928 |
LHB |
The
Celtic, Scotland |
4 |
0 |
7 |
Bingham, William L. |
23 |
5 August 1931 |
OR |
Sunderland AFC, England |
12 |
0 |
8 |
Blanchflower, John |
21 |
7 March 1933 |
IR |
Manchester United FC, England |
2 |
0 |
9 |
Simpson, William J. |
24 |
12 December 1929 |
CF |
Rangers FC, Scotland |
5 |
2 |
10 |
McIlroy, James |
22 |
25 October 1931 |
IL |
Burnley FC, England |
10 |
0 |
11 |
McParland, Peter J. |
20 |
25 April 1934 |
OL |
Aston Villa FC, England |
2 |
2 |
reserve: |
Terry McCavana (Coleraine FC). |
team notes: |
Due to an ankle injury, right-back Len Graham (Doncaster Rovers FC)
was replaced by Montgomery on Tuesday, 28 September. Billy McAdam
(Manchester City FC) was the original named centre-forward was
hospitalised, his place going to Simpson on Wednesday, 29. Prior to
the match, the Irish team were set up in Newcastle. Manager Peter Doherty played for Ireland against England on seven
separate occasions from 1935 until 1947, scoring one in 1947. Danny
and Jackie Blanchflower are brothers. |
|
2-3-5 |
Uprichard - Montgomery, McMichael - D.Blanchflower,
Dickson, Peacock - Bingham, J.Blanchflower,
Simpson, McIlroy, McParland. |
Averages: |
Age |
24.8 |
Appearances/Goals |
7.8 |
0.3 |
|
|
England
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 7th to 5th |
Colours: |
The 1949 home
uniform -
White collared short-sleeved jerseys, blue shorts, red socks. |
Capt: |
Billy Wright, 47th 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;
65th match, W 40 - D 13 - L 12 - F 189 - A 95,
one abandoned. Team chosen by Selection Committee, headed by Harold
Shentall, on Sunday, 26 September 1954. |
England
Lineup |
74 |
|
Wood, Raymond E. |
23 |
11 June 1931 |
G |
Manchester United FC |
1 |
0ᵍᵃ |
734 |
735 |
2 |
Foulkes, William A. |
22 |
5 January 1932 |
RB |
Manchester United FC |
1 |
0 |
3 |
Byrne, Roger W. |
25 |
8 September 1929 |
LB |
Manchester United FC |
7 |
0 |
736 |
3 |
Wheeler, John E. |
26 |
26 July 1928 |
RHB |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
1 |
0 |
5 |
Wright, William A. |
30 |
6 February 1924 |
CHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
62 |
3 |
737 |
6 |
Barlow, Raymond J. |
28 |
17 August 1926 |
LHB |
West Bromwich Albion FC |
1 |
0 |
7 |
Matthews, Stanley |
39 |
1 February 1915 |
OR |
Blackpool FC |
39 |
10 |
738 |
8 |
Revie, Donald G. |
27 |
10 July 1927 |
IR |
Manchester City FC |
1 |
1 |
9 |
Lofthouse, Nathaniel |
29 |
27 August 1925 |
CF |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
22 |
23 |
739 |
10 |
Haynes, John N. |
19 |
17 October 1934 |
IL |
Fulham FC |
1 |
1 |
740 |
11 |
Pilkington, Brian |
21 |
12 February 1933 |
OL |
Burnley FC |
1 |
0 |
reserve: |
Bill Slater (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC) |
team notes: |
Prior to the match, the England party had practice matches at Maine Road and
Anfield (see below), before leaving for Ireland on Wednesday, 29 September.
Tom Finney (Preston North End FC) was the original named
outside-left, because of fibrositis, his place went to Pilkington on
Monday, 27 September. Billy Wright extends his record appearance
tally, but this is still the most inexperienced side that has been
fielded since
against
Austria in November 1951. Seven debutants is the most since
the nine
started the first post-war match, against Ireland. Not since
the match against
Switzerland in December 1948 have two players scored on their
debut. |
|
2-3-5 |
Wood - Foulkes, Byrne - Wheeler, Wright, Barlow -
Matthews, Revie, Lofthouse, Haynes, Pilkington. |
Averages: |
Age |
26.3 |
Appearances/Goals |
12.5 |
3.3 |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
England,
home from a crushing defeat by Hungary and failure in the World Cup,
travelled across the Irish Sea for their match against Northern Ireland.
The result followed the usual pattern of previous clashes between the two
sides with England, once again, coming out on top. Every game they have
played in Ireland since 1927, apart from a solitary draw in 1952, had
ended the same way and the fixture now had a monotonous ring about it.
With all the problems of the summer now hopefully behind them, England were now looking to begin a new era.
With seven new caps in the side they were
hoping to open their season with an encouraging performance. Alas, what
followed proved to be an anti-climax as England produced a mediocre
display.
There had been lots of
words both written and spoken since the summer all suggesting ideas and
tactics that England could use to climb back up the football tree. Indeed,
get-togethers had been arranged in both Manchester and Liverpool during
last week to emphasise the concern everyone felt for
improving the side.
But all the talking came to nothing as Northern
Ireland pinned England back for long periods. It, in fact, took England 75
minutes to produce a worthwhile moment.
Ireland were not convincing
or strong enough and despite all their possession they showed little up
front. They missed their chance of victory mainly in the 20-minute spell
leading up to half-time. Simpson was put through by Jackie Blanchflower
and, with England standing vainly appealing for offside, the
centre-forward missed a golden chance, shooting tamely at Ray Wood.
Then, two minutes before the break, Simpson missed another opening
when he headed Bingham's centre straight at Wood's body when it seemed
easier to score. Surely, Ireland would have gone on to win had they taken
either of those two fine chances?
Immediately after half-time, Ray
Wood became the hero for England when he did well to save efforts from
McIlroy, Jackie Blanchflower and McParland. Showing anticipation and
agility, the goalkeeper did all that was asked of him on his debut.
Billy Wright, Ray Barlow and Wood all showed up well in this period
with Wright outstanding in his new role of centre-half. He was rarely
beaten, both in the air and on the ground and showed true world class. He
was the shining beacon in the dullest of dull games.
 The other new
players all struggled for England, Johnny Wheeler, Bill Foulkes and Roger
Byrne all looked vulnerable and Don Revie and Johnny Haynes often failed
in their passing.
Despite the criticism of this England performance
they did have the satisfaction of the win. This came thanks to a couple of
minutes of inspired play a quarter of an hour from the end.
Stanley
Matthews, who had began to wander in search of the ball, set up the first
goal. Picking it up in the inside-left channel, he found Brian Pilkington
with a good pass. The winger's touch gave Haynes the chance to at last get
in a defence-splitting pass which found Revie. Haynes then did well to
move into a position to receive Revie's return pass before side-stepping a
defender and shooting past Uprichard.
Within seconds it was 2-0.
Wright again sent Matthews free and swift passing between Matthews, Revie,
Lofthouse and Haynes ended with Revie firmly shooting the second goal.
So, amazingly, England had transformed the match with their only
moments of worthwhile football. It failed, however, to hide all the
problems that the team must face up to. The referee was Mr Faultless of
Scotland! Oh for an England performance of the same name.
|
Match Report
by Norman Giller |
Don Revie and Johnny Haynes got their first
taste of international football together and scored a goal each. There
were five other new caps in a team that had been completely re-modelled
following the quarter-final exit from the World Cup finals: Ray Wood, Bill
Foulkes, Johnny Wheeler, Ray Barlow and Brian Pilkington, who played in
place of the injured Tom Finney. Foulkes, Wheeler, Barlow and Pilkington
were not capped again after this victory.
The Irish worked desperately hard in a bid for their first victory over
England since 1927, but the wind was knocked out of them by two goals inside
two minutes late in the second half. Haynes exchanged a one-two pass with
Revie before shooting wide of Portsmouth goalkeeper Norman Uprichard. Within a
minute it was 2-0, Revie running on to a pass from Haynes and steering the
ball low into the net. Haynes was just nineteen, and he already looked an
assured and confident player who could hit accurate forty yard passes with
either foot.
But the
powers-that-be decided he was too young to trust with the role of midfield
general, and he was dropped along with Don Revie and six other players.
|
....elsewhere on this day |
Football League Division One:
Aston
Villa 0 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 2 Sheffield
United 1 Cardiff City 4 Newcastle United 2
Chelsea 3 West Bromwich
Albion 3
Leicester City 3 Arsenal
3
Manchester City 1 Everton 0
Preston North End 1
Portsmouth 1
Sheffield Wednesday 2
Blackpool 1
Sunderland 1 Bolton
Wanderers 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1 Charlton Athletic
4
Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 Manchester United 2 |
Football League
Division One table: |
West Bromwich Albion |
P 11 |
16pts |
Manchester City |
P 11 |
16pts |
Sunderland |
P 11 |
15pts |
Chelsea |
P 12 |
15pts |
Preston North End |
P 11 |
14pts |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
P 11 |
14pts |
Manchester United |
P 11 |
14pts |
Everton |
P 11 |
13pts |
Bolton Wanderers |
P 11 |
13pts |
Portsmouth |
P 11 |
12pts |
Cardiff City |
P 11 |
12pts |
Newcastle United |
P 11 |
11pts |
Huddersfield Town |
P 11 |
11pts |
Charlton Athletic |
P 11 |
10pts |
Arsenal |
P 11 |
9pts |
Burnley |
P 11 |
9pts |
Leicester City |
P 11 |
8pts |
Aston
Villa |
P 11 |
8pts |
Sheffield Wednesday |
P 11 |
7pts |
Blackpool |
P 11 |
6pts |
Tottenham Hotspur |
P 11 |
6pts |
Sheffield United |
P 12 |
5pts |
|
The
Top Twenty 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,
nearly two years later,
when England beat Northern Ireland,
Frank Sinatra's Three Coins In The Fountain
was the best selling single. When the chart of Friday, 1 October 1954 was published,
the first to contain twenty records, there were three surviving songs from the last chart
when England played:-
1. |
(=) |
Three Coins In A Fountain - Frank
Sinatra (Capitol) |
10. |
The Story Of Tina - Al Martino
(Capitol) |
2. |
(6) |
Smile - Nat 'King' Cole (Capitol) |
12. |
(=) |
The Story Of Tina - Ronnie Harris
(Capitol) |
3. |
(2) |
Cara Mia - David Whitfield with
Mantovani & His Orchestra (Decca) |
13. |
(11) |
West Of Zanzibar - Anthony Steel &
The Radio Revellers (Polygon) |
4. |
(3) |
My Friend - Frankie Laine (Philips) |
14. |
(8) |
Idle Gossip - Perry Como (HMV) |
5. |
(4) |
Hold My Hand - Don Cornell (Vogue) |
15. |
If I Give My Heart To You - Doris
Day With The Mellomen (Philips) |
6. |
(5) |
Little Things Mean A Lot
- Kity Kallen (Brunswick) |
16. |
Sh-Boom - Crew Cuts (Mercury) |
7. |
(=) |
Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen
Bogen By The Sea
- Max Bygraves (HMV) |
17. |
(re) |
Wanted - Al Martino (Capitol) |
8. |
(10) |
Secret Love - Doris Day (Philips) |
18. |
(re) |
Wanted - Perry Como (HMV) |
9. |
(9) |
The Black Hills Of Dakota
- Doris Day (Philips) |
19. |
(re) |
Rachmaninoff's 18th Variation
On A Theme By Paganini
- Winifred Atwell (Philips) |
10. |
Sway - Dean Martin (Capitol) |
20. |
If I Give My Heart To You - Joan
Regan (Decca) |
♪Most weeks at number one when
England played:
Doris Day and
Frankie Laine five, Guy Mitchell two, Al Martino, Lita Roza,
Stargazers and
David Whitfield one each |
|
Source Notes |
"ENGLAND TEAM TO GET
WEEK'S LEAGUE OPPOSITION. "Manchester City and Liverpool have been
chosen as the guinea-pigs to test England's team before the first
international of the season—Ireland v. England in Belfast on October 2.
So begins a new era in our approach to international football. The
selected players will be together for a whole week before the game; and
there will be four practice sessions, with the two League clubs supplying
the opposition at Maine-road and Anfield. That, at least, will be an
improvement on the old business of rushing boys over to Ireland on the
Thursday night for one brief get-together—with no opposition—on the
Friday. The practice games will not necessarily be straightforward
90-minute affairs. But the opportunity to try out a variety of moves will
be fully utilised."
- Clifford Webb, The Daily
Herald, Monday, 6 September 1954.
"MATTHEWS MISSES
FIRST PRACTICE "Stanley Matthews, the Blackpool outside-right, was
absent from the England team's practice at Maine-road, Manchester,
to-day―the first of two training spells in preparation for the
international against Ireland on Saturday. Mr. Walter Winterbottom, the
F.A. team manager, said that Matthews was having treatment for a slight
injury, but would definitely take part in the second practice, against
Liverpool at Anfield to-morrow. To-day, a team of Manchester City players
provided the opposition to the England side. The practice was divided into
two periods of 20 minutes each, the first a warming-up spell, and the
second an all-out effort. The England backs tried out a defensive plan
against corner kicks, in which the understanding between the Manchester
United trio, Wood, Foulkes and Byrne was clearly evident." -
Lancashire Evening Post, Tuesday, 28 September 1954.
"The England team were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool in a 35-minute practice
match at Anfield yesterday. On Tuesday the national side were held to a
2-2 draw by Manchester City at Maine-road. The result of the trial, which
began in heavy rain, could not have worried Walter Winterbottom however.
Before it began he replied to criticisms of the side's performance on
Tuesday, saying: 'It is nonsense to judge the potential of a side, or even
individual players, on a training game. I must emphasise that these are
games to enable players to get the feel of each other's ways. It gives
them an opportunity to play as a team against different opposition, to
work out moves and devise ways of overcoming weaknesses. The result hardly
has any bearing on the matter. Players, far from impressive at practice
often play fine games under the stimulus of match conditions.'
Matthews, who missed Tuesday's training because of a slight thigh injury
played in the eleven, which was:—Wood; Slater, Byrne; Wheeler, Wright,
Barlow; Matthews, Revie, Lofthouse, Haynes, Pilkington. Foulkes, the
Manchester United full-back, was originally selected to play in the
practice but he received a slight knock at Maine Road, and it was decided
not to risk him yesterday. Salter came into the side. Winterbottom said
that Foulkes was certain to be fit to play in Belfast." - The
Birmingham Post, Thursday, 30 September 1954.
TheFA.com Original newspaper reports British Path� 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
Drew Herbertson, Scottish FA historian
____________________
CG
|