There may have been no better example of this than in 1954 when Serie A side Fiorentina put in a lucrative offer for Lofthouse (one that would have allowed him to live very comfortably after retirement) but the club turned it down. Nathaniel Lofthouse OBE (27 August 1925 15 January 2011) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Bolton Wanderers for his entire career. Even his nickname, the Lion of Vienna, is something you wouldn't dream of bestowing upon the modern player. Never again will you say that England has lost the will to fight. It would have certainly resulted in a straight red card by today's standards, but was adjudged to be fair at the time. The Bolton boys launched another attack, ending with a Ray Parry shot on goal. He was the club's top scorer in 11 out of the 13 seasons between 1946-47 and 1958-59, with his highest tally in a season resting at 35 goals, attained in that final season of 1958-59. We will normally only contact you via e-newsletter. When he was in the team, we played to him. You just say Nat. Lofthouse saw his chance and took it, barging both Gregg and the ball into the back of the net. Josef Musil, Rudolf, Rockl, Ernst Happel, Walter Schleger, Ernst Ocwirk, Theodor Brinek, Ernst Melchior, Gerhard Hanappi, Robert Dienst, Adolf Huber, Walter Haummer. That season he topped the First Division goalscoring charts with 30 goals. He grew up without much in the way of material comforts; his first sight of Bolton Wanderers came after shinning up a drain pipe at the clubs Burnden Park home rather than paying the threepence for schoolboy admission. Disappointing loss aside, Lofthouse scored the first goal of the match just 75 seconds in, meaning he scored in every round of the competition that season. Read |Duncan Edwards: the original, greatest boy wonder. Lofthouse, battered and semi-conscious, was taken from the field but returned as a passenger minutes later, still proving fit enough to shoot an effort 30 yards into the goal. [5], On 7 April 1993, he appeared as a special guest on the TV guest show This Is Your Life, in which the on-screen guests included Tom Finney and Harry Gregg, while others including Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Ian Rush appeared on screen to pay tribute to Lofthouse as they were unable to appear alongside Lofthouse due to other commitments. Nat Lofthouse began playing football as a very young boy. The ball came in and fell to Tom Finney, Lofthouses long-time England cohort and close personal friend, who expertly set his centre-forward away. There was a tense atmosphere in both countries in 1952 when memories of recent misfortunes were mixed with a present sense of injustice and a zeal for spiritual and national renewal. Bolton's new number 9, Eoin Doyle, whilst playing for League Two side Swindon last season. The players were taken off the pitch but, amazingly returned half an hour later to play out a goalless draw with bodies laid out along the touchline covered by coats. He is third in the Premier League (old Division 1) list behind Jimmy Greaves (357) and Alan Shearer (283). Towards the end of the 1956-57 season there was some doubt over whether Lofthouse would remain at Bolton and it was all because of a pub. Read |Dixie Dean: footballs first great number nine. Additionally, he and Tom Finney had the England scoring record together until Jimmy Greaves came along. He featured in the 1954 World Cup side. Outside the church, it was former Bolton manager Jimmy Armfield (1971-1974) who perhaps summed it all up best: "It's the fact that he was a one-club man. He later admitted that the experience in the mines helped his football career saying that his stint; helped toughen me both physically and mentally. Nat Lofthouse was a 'Bevin Boy', one of thousands of young men conscripted to work in Britain's mines by Ernest Bevin, the coalition government's Minister of Labour and National Service during. During the Second World War, both countries were major allies of Nazi Germany. Cathedral Gardens Nonetheless Lawtons legend was cemented locally and Nat became a huge fan, often travelling to Goodison Park to watch him play for Everton. It was taken from 40 yards and swerved like a mad thing past the astonished Robertson in the Chelsea goal.. He also led his side to the FA Cup final, giving them a 2nd minute lead against Blackpool to compete a record of scoring in every round. What made Lofthouses feats all the more remarkable was the manner in which he shrugged them off. His most memorable performance,. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. On top of running the Castle Pub after his retirement, Lofthouse maintained a number of different positions with Bolton Wanderers. Lofthouse wasn't very good in goal though, conceding seven goals in his first outing. Nathaniel Nat Lofthouse, OBE (27 August 1925 15 January 2011) was an English professional footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers for his whole career. Born and bred in Bolton, Lofthouse earned his. Lofthouse wasn't just a career Bolton man, he was a lifetime Bolton man. A forceful player, he combined physical strength with a powerful shot in either foot or a strong header. Injured for the next match, in the quarter final game against Uruguay he equalized in the 16th minute, after receiving the ball in the 18-yard box.[which? Nat Lofthouse was born on 27 August, 1925 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK, is an Actor. In 195253, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. These cookies do not store any personal information. The tour began with a 1-1 draw between England and Italy in Florence. Club Chaplain Phil Mason added: "We are absolutely delighted with the work Sean has done; the image captures Nat perfectly - his strength both physical and mental and his great sense of purpose on and off the field. Even at that time, Bolton was an unfashionable club that hadn't exactly been lighting up the league for 10 years, and Nat felt this was slowing down his career. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. Lofthouse had made his Wanderers debut back in 1941 aged 15, scoring. In a football match bearing the weight of sport, politics, and differing ideologies, Lofthouse approached the pitch as though it were a battlefield, sacrificing his body (and probably a few brain cells) to win an important, poignant, and unexpected, victory for England. The team was struggling, the club was struggling. [14] He ran a pub for a while, whilst still coaching at his one and only club but the lure of football proved too great. A) 20 B) 30 C) 40 This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Having served his apprenticeship in wartime football, Lofthouse went on to become a star of peacetime football. His last appearance for Bolton came on Nov. 17, 1960, a draw against Birmingham, after missing all of the 1959-60 season due to an ankle injury sustained in a pre-season tour of South Africa. This evening, the Prater Stadium in the Soviet sector was crowded by cheering, khaki-clad British soldiers waving Union Jacks. Lofthouse received a 10 signing-on fee and put pen to paper for Bolton on 4 September 1939 the day after Britain had declared war on Germany causing the abandonment of the Football League season. Two goals in a 5-1 win gave a taste of what was the come. There have been many claims that Lofthouse and Tommy Lawton went to the same school but in fact Lawton went to nearby Folds Road. The total number of free kicks might seem insignificant today, but for soccer in the 1950s was significant. Charity No: 1050792, Open every day 10am 5pm (last admission 4pm), Email: info@nationalfootballmuseum.com Lofthouse was battered on the field and left the field. Richard Lofthouse brought up his family on a weekly wage of just 2 10s. Mr Davies recalled the significant efforts Nat had made during the early eighties to raise money to help Wanderers avoid bankruptcy. He said: I would have an hour or two off to receive coaching from George and firmly believe that these private coaching sessions played a big part in my advancement. Two goals on his England debut against Yugoslavia wasnt enough to convince the notoriously finicky and often mystifying FA selection committee, but when he was recalled a year later, he took an iron grip on Englands number 9 shirt, one he wouldnt fully relinquish for another five years. In front of 65,500 fans at the Prater Stadium, including hordes of British soldiers, Lofthouse gave England the lead when he smacked home a half-volley from 12 yards after being set up by Jackie Sewell. Merrick plucked a corner cross from the air, who threw a long, swerving ball down the middle of the field. Writing in his 1954 autobiography Goals Galore, Lofthouse discussed his time in the mines: "The job proved to be the best I could possibly have had. That game launched one of the best periods of his career, which previously Lofthouse had been decidedly unsatisfied with, receiving little praise for his international efforts, and little respect from anyone barring Bolton fans. Of all those conscripted into service between the ages of 18 and 25, around 10% went to work in the mines. We don't charge goalkeepers around here.". After Jackie Sewell restored the lead, Nat Lofthouse headed against the crossbar. Soon after Lofthouse's death a swell of support for a statue to be built in his memory started. Somehow, he managed to get the shot off before colliding with the Austrian keeper. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service during World War II, lent his name to the conscripted miners. Lofthouses early life was typical of many of those who played in the final era before wages exploded, when the sport was still very much a working mans game. Nat Lofthouse was one of the post-war giants of football who had a glittering career with Bolton Wanderers, his only club, and England. The performance certainly cemented Nats place as Englands number nine and six goals for the Football League against the Irish League further underlined it. With the extensive scouting networks and multi-tiered academies of nowadays simply not existing in the 1930s, Lofthouse was staring into the footballing abyss as he left school at 14. A single man did not give up. The goal he scored when coming on as substitute for the injured Tommy Taylor against Finland in Helsinki was the 29th for his country taking him past Steve Bloomer as Englands all-time leading scorer. Yet, Lofthouse loved being on the field and was going to take every opportunity he had. Lofthouse opened the scoring but Austria came back, and with the game deadlocked at 2-2, began to exert significant pressure. Instead of scarring him, the experience seemed to instill a sense of purpose when it came to scoring goals which was reflected throughout his career. Thousands of England fans attended it. His signing may well have been precipitated by Boltons stately long-time manager, Charles Foweraker, anticipating losing many of his players to the war effort. Still, the Lion of Vienna's time with the Trotters was nowhere near done as just a few years later, he became the club's Executive Manager. The stands were filled with British troops, who had remained stationed throughout Austria in the aftermath of the war. With essentially all of the first-teamers away at the war, it was comparatively easy for Nat to work his way into a regular starting spot, and by the time the regular league resumed in 1946, that spot was effectively sealed for the next 14 years. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'historyofsoccer_info-leader-2','ezslot_15',169,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-leader-2-0');In 452 Football League appearances for Bolton, he scored 255 goals. The view was clearly shared by the selectors as it was back in reserve with Newcastles Jackie Milburn at the head of Englands attack. 16 January 2011 #1. Nathaniel Lofthouse OBE (27 August 1925 - 15 January 2011) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Bolton Wanderers for his entire career. He later served as chief scout, caretaker manager, executive manager and as the clubs president from 1986. Speaking During his "Nat Lofthouse: This Is Your Life" show, Lofthouse had said of his time as manager: "I think the worst thing Bolton Wanderers' directors ever did was ask me to be manager. Manchester Before becoming Bolton's chief scout, he became an administrative manager at Burnden. The crowd in the stands cheered Lofthouse on.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_14',187,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); As Lofthouse recalls, I heard the hounds running after me. Musil began running but stopped before he reached me. He was born on March 24, 1919, in Blyth, Northumberland, England. Needless to say, the whole country and a good portion of the 100,000 fans packed into Wembley that day were behind the battered and bruised Manchester side. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The main target was Nat Lofthouse, who was struck in the neck, while Elliott and Sewell required treatment from England trainer Jimmy Trotter. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The new forward scored twice but Lawton matched his feat and Chelsea scraped to a 4-3 win. In 1956, he finished as the First Divisions top scorer with 33 goals. Bolton were 3-1 up with just 22 minutes to go but their opponents, inspired by Stanley Matthews, stormed back to win 4-3. In the spring, he was awarded the Football Writers Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year title, a clear indication that he had achieved the status of a model professional. A one-club man, he played over 400 games for Bolton Wanderers and earned 33 caps for England (as well as his famous nickname). A forward for Bolton Wanderers for the entirety of his career, Nat Lofthouse was an English professional footballer. The title came from a prestigious match against Austria in 1952. There were England Soccer players dotted among them, their red shirts feeling like poppies in a field of corn as they were carried high in triumph to their dressing-room on the shoulders of the Dorsets, the Warwicks, the Signalmen, and the Gunners. In his 1999 book, Bolton Wanderers, Dean Hayes illustrated what a typical day looked like for Lofthouse: "Bevin Boy Lofthouse's Saturdays went like this: up at 3.30 a.m., catching the 4.30 tram to work; eight hours down the pit pushing tubs; collected by the team coach; playing for Bolton. Thousands more stood outside in the streets with speakers erected so that the public could hear the service. Harry says to Nat: "that's very nice of you." The words so often used to describe how he acted in public fearless, brave, lionheart in the words of Stanley Matthews reflected a reputation as a player of almost biblical determination, but one who was privately beset by worry at various points throughout his career. A one-club man with a passionate love for his hometown and his club, his decision to remain at Burnden Park for his entire career was never truly in his hands, with no freedom of contract meaning the club had absolute power over their player. There was a light breeze and intermittent rain during the game. For England he scored a phenomenal 30 goals in 33 games. [3] Shoulder charging the goalkeeper was a legitimate tactic at the time, but Lofthouse later admitted that his challenge was a foul. 16 January 2011 #1. Next in line was a trial for Lancashire schools. Two goals in a win against Bury immediately had the few hardy souls willing to brave the football during the Blitz abuzz with excitement. On the morning of Saturday 6 December 1947 he married Alma Foster and in the afternoon scored twice as Wanderers beat Wolves 3-2. He scored both goals in the 1958 FA Cup Final, the second seeing him charge both keeper and ball over the line. We had to do something quickly and we had no identity at that time. Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse ( 'The Lion of Vienna' ) dies aged 85Nat Lofthouse epitomised the kind of English centre forward that has . Speaking as a Bolton Wanderers player, I must say we get the best of everything. Lofthouse would later say; The miners of Britain are the finest fellows in the world. In the next two seasons he continued scoring regularly with the 1955-56 campaign particularly notable. Retiring from playing in 1960, he was made a President of Bolton Wanderers in 1986, a post he held until his death in 2011. Foweraker was the club's most successful manager ever, bring the FA Cup trophy to Bolton on three occasions in a span of seven seasons (1923, 1926, and 1929). As always, football matches were symbolic.. Any hopes of the Three Lions traditional end-of-season tour being a relatively sedate one had been dashed in their opening game, a frustrating 1-1 draw in Florence in which Englands Italian opponents had resorted to the dark arts on more than one occasion. On 1 January 1994, he was appointed an OBE and on 18 January 1997, Bolton decided to name their East Stand at their new Reebok Stadium after him. He scored a goal but was on the losing side in the famous 1953 FA Cup Final (aka 'The Matthews Final'), having previously scored in each round. That's the two words that go together and the thing about Nat was, as well, that you don't need to put his surname there, do you?
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