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379 vs. United States
  Thursday, 28 May 1959
End of season Summer Tour of North America Match


United States 1 England 8
[1-1]
 
originally scheduled for Wednesday, 27 May
Wrigley Field (Baseball Stadium), East 42nd Place, South Park, Los Angeles, California
Kick-off (local): 8.30pm 4.30am BST, 29 May
(delayed thirty minutes because of traffic congestion)
Attendance: '13,000'; '15,000'.
 
Billy Wright won the toss
according to the LA times "After Patricia Cutts, the film actress, kicked off."
confirmed by Sam Leitch at the Daily Herald - however, video footage suggests otherwise!
 
[0-0] Ed Murphy scores disallowed:offside 13
[1-0] Ed Murphy 18
 'Willie Carson beat Wright to send Murphy away on the right, streaking past Armfield to score'


[1-1] Warren Bradley header 35
nipped in to head in from 4yds a Ron Flowers throw-in
"England's dominance in the second half was due to the big difference in the halves of the pitch. One end, which had been converted from a baseball mound, was rough and bare of grass, and the other was smooth and green."
    [1-2] Ron Flowers 52
left-footed 30-yard 'cracking shot'
[1-3] Bobby Charlton 54
left-footed 20-yard drive in off the post following a return pass with Warren Bradley
[1-4] Ron Flowers 68
another shot from long-distance

[1-5] Derek Kevan 73
30-yard drive

[1-6] Bobby Charlton penalty 82
trickled through the long grass into the net (handball)

[1-7] Bobby Charlton 85
'with a streaky one from far out on the right wing'

[1-8] Johnny Haynes 87
'Warren Bradley slips through a pass from the right wing and Haynes snaps it up brilliantly'
This week's Music Charts

No T.V. or Radio coverage
 
"STEALING CANDY..." Daily Mirror
Officials United States FIFA ruling on substitutes England Party
Referee
Ray Morgan
Toronto, Canada
Both teams could make two substitutions (one goalkeeper) before the 44th min.
Linesmen
tbc
tbc
     
United States Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 66th to 68th
Colours Dark blue short sleeved jerseys with USSFA emblazoned across the front, white shorts, blue socks with white calf hoops.
Captain Ed Murphy Team Manager Johnny Smith
Party of twelve announced on 14 May
Member-in-charge: James Reed
United States Lineup
  Ottoboni, Vittorio 25
53 days
5 April 1934 G San Francisco Vikings 1 8ᵍᵃ
only app 1959
2 Farquhar, Douglas Methven 37
351 days
11 June 1921
in Methil, Scotland
RB New York Hakoah 1 0
only app 1959
3 Cynowicz, Ben Tzion 22
37 days
21 April 1937
in Tel Aviv, Palestine
LB New York Hakoah 1 0
only app 1959
4 Bachmeier, Adolp, off 21
227 days
13 October 1937
in Caramurat, Romania
RHB Chicago Kickers 1 0
5 Evans, Hubert William Richard 36
291 days
10 August 1922
in Swansea, Wales
CHB San Pedro McIlvaine Canvasbacks 1 0
only app 1959
6 Traina, John nk not known LHB St. Louis Kitis SC 2 0
7
Murphy, Edward John 28
203 days
6 November 1930
in Inchinnan, Scotland
OR Chicago Slovaks 3 1
8 Cameron, Fred nk not known IR Los Angeles Kickers SC 1 0
9
Carson, William nk not known
in Scotland
CF Los Angeles Kickers SC 1 0
only app 1959
10 Looby, William Edward 27
189 days
20 November 1931 IL St. Louis Kitis SC 9 6
final app 1954-59
11 Zerhusen, Albert Ferdinand 27
175 days
4 December 1931 OL Los Angeles Kickers SC 3 0
United States Substitutes
  Kulitschenko, P., on for Bachmeier nk not known ? Philadelphia Ukrainians 1 0
reserves: Jacob Ruscheinski (Chicago Kickers), Eddie Davies (San Pedro McIlvaine Canvasbacks)
team notes: This is the United States' first match since July 1957. The party have been together since 10 May.
 
2-3-5 Ottobini -
Farquhar, Cynowicz -
Bachmeier
(Kulitschenko), Evans, Traina -
Murphy, Cameron, Carson, Looby, Zerhusen.
Averages: Age 28 years 147 days Appearances/Goals 2.2 0.5
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 6th
Colours The 1959 Bukta home uniform - White v-necked short-sleeved continental jerseys, black shorts, blue socks with white calf hoop.
P second of 38, W 2 - D 0 - L 0 - F 9 - A 1.
Captain Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 46 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
rec. 90th of 90, W 49 - D 21 - L 20 - F 224 - A 132. Trainer: Harold Shepherdson P 108th of 139, W 62 - D 25 - L 21 - F 298 - A 153, one abandoned.
  ³   Team chosen by Selection Committee, headed by Joe Mears on Wednesday, 27 May.
England Lineup
  two changes to the previous match (Flowers & Bradley>McGuinness & Holden) league position (20 April)  
  Hopkinson, Edward 23
211 days
29 October 1935 G Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 4th) 12 20ᵍᵃ
2 Howe, Donald 23
228 days
12 October 1935 RB West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 8th) 20 0
the 32nd player to reach the 20-app milestone
3 Armfield, James C. 23
249 days
21 September 1935 LB Blackpool FC (FL 6th) 4 0
4 Clayton, Ronald 24
297 days
5 August 1934 RHB Blackburn Rovers FC (FL 9th) 30 0
the eleventh player to reach the 30-app milestone
5
 
Wright, William A.
 
35
111 days
6 February 1924
 
CHB
 
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL TOP)
 
105 3
most apps 1952-59
final app 1946-59
6
Flowers, Ronald 24
304 days
28 July 1934 LHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL TOP) 8 2
the 197th (64th post-war) brace scored
7
Bradley, Warren 25
342 days
20 June 1933 OR Manchester United FC (FL 2nd) 3 2
final app 1959
8 Greaves, James P. 19
97 days
20 February 1940 IR Chelsea FC (FL 13th) 3 1
9
Kevan, Derek T. 24
82 days
6 March 1935 CF West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 8th) 13 8
10
Haynes, John N. 24
223 days
17 October 1934 IL Fulham FC (FL2 2nd) 32 13
11
Charlton, Robert 21
229 days
11 October 1937  OL
 
 
Manchester United FC (FL 2nd)
 
 
12
 
 
11
²

 
the 198th (65th post-war) brace, the 52nd (fifteenth post-war) hattrick scored
20th successful penalty kick (36th overall)    
     
reserves: Ron Baynham (Luton Town FC (FL 18th)), Graham Shaw (Sheffield United FC (FL2 3rd)), Roy Gratrix (Blackpool FC (FL 6th)), Wilf McGuinness (Manchester United FC (FL 2nd)), Norman Deeley & Peter Broadbent (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL TOP)), Doug Holden (Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 4th))
team notes: Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally, in his record seventieth consecutive match, in this, his final outing.
Ronnie Clayton is the ninth player to make thirty or more appearances under Walter Winterbottom/ISC/post-war. Don Howe is the fifteenth to reach twenty or more in the same period. Eddie Hopkinson & Bobby Charlton are the 35th to make twelve or more appearances.
goalscoring records: Thanks to a last-match goalfest, England avoided ending the season with a deficit for the first time since 1935-36. As it was, their 23 goals this season was scored by nine different players, led by Bobby Charlton's eight goals in his nine matches, topping the goalscoring seasonal chart for the first time.
Ron Flowers is the first defender to score a brace for his country.
Billy Wright records: Although at the time of this match, Wright had not yet decided about his retirement. He had queried it, but never reasoned it. As it was, it would be 7 August when his decision was made, so in retrospect, this will be Wright's last outing in an England shirt. No other player in the world had made more appearances or captained his side more than Wright. During his time with England, he has played with another 128 players. His leading team-mates were Tom Finney (76), Jimmy Dickinson (48) and Stan Matthews (37).
 
2-3-5 Hopkinson -
Howe, Armfield -
Clayton, Wright, Flowers
-
Bradley, Greaves, Kevan, Haynes, Charlton
.
Averages: Age 24 years 250 days Appearances/Goals 22.0 2.9
 
              Match Report by Mike Payne

ENGLAND'S disastrous summer tour of the America's finally came to an end in Los Angeles where a victory over the USA gave them some consolation for the earlier disappointment in South America. Even in this match, though, their poor form made them struggle for a long spell before finally coming to terms with the opposition and then overpowering them.

All the vivid memories of that infamous 1950 World Cup humiliation came flooding back when in the 18th minute the USA took a shock lead. They had already had a goal disallowed five minutes earlier, but this time Murphy's effort counted. Needless to say the 13,000 crowd went wild with delight and they grew even more confident as the half wore on with England seemingly unable to string any worthwhile attacks together. It was a real struggle but gradually the American challenge wilted and before half-time England at last found a goal.

A long, curling throw-in by Ron Flowers landed in the home goalmouth and as the USA defenders hesitated Warren Bradley nipped in to head home from four yards. There was almost tangible relief coming from the England team and at last they began to settle down to the job in hand. By half-time the American attacks had dwindled down to nothing and after the break it was one-way traffic from start to finish.

On 52 minutes, Flowers gave England the lead with a tremendous left-foot drive from fully 30 yards. Twelve minutes later, Bobby Charlton increased the total with another thunderbolt from 20 yards. His left-foot shot whizzed in off the post.

Long-range shooting now seemed to be the order of the day as Ottobini was beaten all ends up by another long-distance shot by Flowers. That goal came in the 69th minute and five minutes later, Derek Kevan added number five with a glorious 30 yarder. With eight minutes to go, England were awarded a penalty which Charlton duly hammered home and then three minutes later the Manchester United man completed his hat-trick with goal number seven.

Johnny Haynes had the final say in the scoring when his goal in the 87th minute made it 8-1 much to the dismay of the exhausted Americans. The England team manager Walter Winterbottom said afterwards that the first half had been almost a replica of that 1950 game, but added that he thought the Americans had improved considerably.

The match marked the end of an era too, as Billy Wright left the international arena for the last time, having announced his intention to retire. He had been a magnificent servant to English football and would be sadly missed.

  

              Match Report by an American Football Correspondent

NO FAKING, NO SHELL GAME, OR ANY OF THAT STUFF
   There was no kind of huddle, like there is in American football, at the start of the international Association game in which England beat America by eight goals to one last night at Wrigley Field, where they usually pay baseball. After Patricia Cutts, the film actress, showing the shapeliest leg on the field all evening, kicked off, England soon got possession and raced the ball down the field. They were not playing to signals, or anything, like in the United States game. Just booting the ball around spontaneously.
   And you could see just where it was all the time, no faking, no shell game, or any of that stuff. And the yardage they covered! Nobody came out with poles to measure, but it was plenty. Why, in the time it takes an American football player to spell 'touch-down' the English players had moved the ball all the way from midfield to across the American goal-line. Only it didn't do them any good, since in soccer, to score points you have to get it past the goalkeeper into the net.
   That the English players just couldn't do. They kept booting the ball over the crossbar, like they were going for extra points. But they didn't have a basic score to tag it to, so it was all strictly for the birds. About the only time the Americans got the ball was well down in the English half. Ed Murphy, their outside-right, slapped it into the net without any nonsense and the home team had scored the first point, or goal. They did it all by themselves, too.
   There wasn't a single cheerleader, acrobat, weathergirl, not even a small band of rooting section to lend a hand. The players even looked different. No shoulder padding, no kidney protection, no plastic helmets. Just ordinary jerseys and brief shorts, and they bounced the ball of their bare heads all the time. They didn't shove each other with their hands or block them with their bodies. But they knocked each other around with their shoulders, and pretty roughly too, but everybody was quite polite about it.
   The thing that most reminded you of American football in this soccer international was the throwing of the English goalie, Eddie Hopkinson. He threw the ball with the power and dexterity of the star passer of an American professional team, both long throws out to the wing half-backs, and deft, short ones to his back. For about 15 minutes, while England was getting over the jitters, Hopkinson put on an all-American performance, blocking the attacks of the American forwards, retrieving the fumbles of the English defenders—twice they almost put the ball in their own goal—relieving the pressure with his long throws upfield.
   In fact, it wasn't until Ron Flowers, the English left half-back, caught on to this throwing technique that the visitors came into the picture at all. Ron had the ball for a throw-in, at about the American 15-yard line; in soccer they throw the ball in from the sideline when it goes out of bounds. Well, Ron reared up on his toes and flung that ball right among the crowd of players in the goalmouth. It was a tremendous forward pass, and it was completed, too, right to the head of the English right winger, Warren Bradley, who just nodded it into the net.
   So the score, when the usual break came at the end of the first period (or, as the the English say, half-time) was one-up or, if you prefer the English version, one-all. During the interval something must have happened in the English dressing room. Either coach Winterbottom must have threatened to send the whole team to the showers and recruit another from the many British expatriates in the crowd, or Sir Stanley Rouse must have shown them the Union Jack, or something.
   Anyway, they came alive. They kept covering the yardage down to the American goal-line, and this half they forgot all about the extra points nonsense, and banged the ball low into the net all the time. Seven times in all. England's 8 to 1 victory sounds like the result of an American football game. Some of those goals must have been meant for Brazil, Peru and Mexico.
   America was utterly routed, but England had better watch out, for Eddie Hopkinson and Ron Flowers will be signed up by the Los Angeles Rams or some other top American professional team that could use fine throwing. Especially that Flowers. He can kick, too.

   

              Match Report by Norman Giller

This runaway victory in Billy Wright's 105th and final match helped wipe out the memory of the 1-0 defeat by the United States in the 1950 World Cup finals, but at one stage it looked as if another embarrassment was on its way. The Americans had an early goal disallowed and then took the lead, and at 1-1 at half-time the football writers were preparing head-chopping stories that were hurriedly rewritten as Bobby Charlton led a second-half goal rush with a hat-trick. The pitch, rarely used for soccer, was gravel at one end and grass at the other. England scored seven of their goals while attacking the grassy end. Charlton's first hat-trick for England on the way to an all-time record forty-nine goals included a penalty. The suspect American goalkeeper was beaten by four shots from outside the penalty area. The only forward who did not get his name on the scoresheet was one Jimmy Greaves! It was Billy Wright's farewell game. His England career had started in front of a 57,000 crowd in Belfast in 1946. The finish came in front of just 13,000 fans at the Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. But what a journey he had between the two games, setting a then world record of 105 international appearances. He captained England 90 times and played 70 successive games, a record that still stands.
   

              Match Report as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1959-60 page 36

England made no changes from the side against Mexico for the match against the United States in Los Angeles. In the opening stages England were hesitant and Murphy gave the U.S. the lead in the 8th minute. But before half-time Bradley had headed an equaliser from a long throw-in by Flowers, and in the second half it was all England. The U.S. were penned in their own half for long periods and Charlton scored three times, once from a penalty, and Flowers twice with long shots from 30 yards range. Kevan and Haynes headed another two goals to make the England total 8 and the U.S. were unable to add another one. Charlton was England's best forward and Flowers played very well throughout.
  

     In Other News....
It was on 28 May 1959 that a squirrel monkey and a rhesus monkey became the first primates to survive a space flight. They were launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida in the nose-cone of a rocket, and came down 16 minutes later. The smaller rhesus monkey (named Able) died from an anaesthetic reaction during surgery to remove an infected electrode, four days later, but the squirrel monkey, known as Miss Baker, became a celebrity and died at the age of 27 in 1984, as the oldest known squirrel monkey.
              Source Notes
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
The Complete Book of the British Charts
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
Norman Giller, Football Author
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