The phrase Lion of Vienna will be forever associated with Lofthouse. Lion Of Vienna Suite, a Bolton Wanderers community. 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. Lofthouse wasn't just a career Bolton man, he was a lifetime Bolton man. Of all those conscripted into service between the ages of 18 and 25, around 10% went to work in the mines. For Nat, the expectations were even greater. Nat Lofthouse scored his last goal for the Three Lions on Oct. 22, 1958 in a 5-1 win over the USSR. The total number of free kicks might seem insignificant today, but for soccer in the 1950s was significant. In the 11th minute, Melchior hit Eckersley with a shot that struck his arm. Nat joined Burnden Parks backroom staff several years ago, eventually becoming the clubs manager in August 1968. 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 22 March 1941, he made his debut for Bolton, scoring two goals in a 5-1 victory over Bury. All the while, he kept scoring for his country as well as for his club, finishing on an incredible 30 goals in 33 caps and taking the record as the national teams all-time top goalscorer jointly with Finney. Now they faced Austria, one of the worlds best teams, and one who had seriously threatened Englands precious unbeaten record at home to continental teams just one year before. On 2 December 1989, he was made a Freeman of Bolton. There is no doubt he gave everything to his club, and to the game. Nat Lofthouse, the battering ram with a shrewd brain and heart of lion Indeed, he did little to dissuade attention from Spurs early on in his career, and readily admitted that had Fiorentina made good on their interest in the early 1950s, the money they were offering would have been too good to turn down. Sun 16 Jan 2011 13.15 EST The footballer Nat Lofthouse, who has died aged 85, won 33 England caps during a career spent entirely with one club, Bolton Wanderers. The Reds came close several times, including a shot that went off the post, but it was Bolton's day, and in the 50th minute Nat Lofthouse sealed that with his infamous second goal. Three months earlier, United had been involved in the Munich air disaster. In 195253, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. [8] Nat Lofthouse was an Inaugural Inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. We will normally only contact you via e-newsletter. Playing at number 9 for Castle Hill, a position once occupied by Tommy Lawton at that point an England star young Nat firmly establishing himself as a school hero and, unbeknownst to him, earned a reputation among local scouts as the boy with such incredible heading ability that it was like he could kick with his head. Having seen off Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Middlesbrough, Bolton were drawn to play Stoke City Stanley Matthews and all in the two-legged quarter final. by ReadTheLeague | May 24, 2021 | The Big Feature. After receiving a congratulatory telegram from hero Lawton he had a debut to remember grabbing both goals in a 2-2 draw, beating former ballet dancer Vladimir Beara with a close-range shot from a cross from Les Medley and Johnny Hancocks then provided a pinpoint centre which Nat converted with a diving header. He was made the club's Vice President for life in 1969. Lofthouse soon played for the Bolton Schools XI and made his debut in a 7-1 win over Bury Schools. Lofthouse was in. Tensions between the two countries were still high politically, and this showed in the stands and on the pitch. In what was only his seventh cap, he was already well accustomed to the no-holds-barred criticism that came with being Englands centre forward. 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. Lofthouse wasn't very good in goal though, conceding seven goals in his first outing. There are many stories about footballers of the day who started developing at a later age simply because they were not able to afford even basic footwear and it was a gift of shoes by a family member or friend that really allowed them to get going. He netted in every round of the FA Cup in 1953, including the final, only to be thwarted by the wizardry of Stanley Matthews and a hat-trick from Stan Mortensen in one of the most famous finals of all time. He continued playing for Bolton throughout the war and on Saturdays would wake at 3:30 a.m. go to his mining job at 4:30 a.m and work for eight hours before going on to play for his club. Around 200 fans stormed the pitch after the final whistle sounded, creating a fantastic scene. [3], On 26 November 1958, Lofthouse made his final England appearance, against Wales, at the age of 33, and he officially retired from the game in January 1960 because of an ankle injury, although his final league game was not until 17 December of that year, when he suffered a knee injury against Birmingham City. Bolton Wanderers Beat Manchester United at Wembley: Bolton players chair their Captain and hero Nat Lofthouse with the cup, at the end of the match. "The banks had called time on us. Be in no doubt, the greatest number 9 and Bolton's finest son is of course Sir Nat Lofthouse. After a brief stint as the caretaker, Nat Lofthouse was named the full-time manager of Bolton Wanderers and stayed in the post until 1970. Inducted: 2002, National Football Museum And, by today's standards, Nat Lofthouse would make his modern day equivalents look like little kittens. Two goals in a win against Bury immediately had the few hardy souls willing to brave the football during the Blitz abuzz with excitement. [18], list of English football's top division all time goalscorers, "Nathaniel Lofthouse - Goals in International Matches", "Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse dies aged 85", "This is Your Life (1969 - 1993) @ EOFFTV", "11 football greats who have suffered with dementia", "Bolton Wanderers 0 Chelsea 4: match report", "Mourners hail Nat Lofthouse as 'credit to Bolton', "1953 - The Matthews. Soon after Lofthouse's death a swell of support for a statue to be built in his memory started. Lofthouse would go on to play 33 games for England, but his debut on 22 November 1950 made him 25 when he finally broke into the team. This came at the end of another fine season for Wanderers in which he scored 17 goals in 31 league matches and finally won a major domestic honour, bagging the two goals that saw Wanderers capture the FA Cup, seeing off a Manchester United team decimated by Munich 2-0 to give Lofthouse his winners medal having scored in every round of the competition. Boltons top-flight status stabilised as Lofthouse began to find his feet, and in 1950/51 he enjoyed a true breakthrough season, netting 17 times and being granted his first opportunity to prove his mettle on the international stage. The plan was for the statue to be funded by public donations, with help from the club. The plaudits for the Lion of Vienna didn't stop after he hung up his boots though. [10] He married Alma Foster in 1947 and they remained married until her death in 1985. 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. It was no more than Nat Lofthouse deserved. My legs became stronger and when I played football I felt I was shooting with greater power.". A few years later, on Sept. 4, 1939, the day after World War II broke out in Europe, as nearly all of the Bolton first team went off to war, Lofthouse went to Burnden Park, put pen to paper and signed for Bolton Wanderers as a youth player. NAT LOFTHOUSE is a name that rings through the annals of English football history like few others. In his 14 years at Bolton between . English lion Nat Lofthouse dies aged 85 | Reuters . Why was Nat Lofthouse called the Lion of Vienna? Eulogies were offered by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside and Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, a boyhood Bolton fan and former Wanderers player. Nat Lofthouse captained Bolton against Manchester United in the 1958 FA Cup Final. Throughout the opening 20 minutes, Austria dominated, but England responded. This win made for up defeat in the 1953 FA Cup Final, the same year he was selected as the Footballer of the Year by the FWA. Who was known as the Lion of Vienna? - idswater.com As a result, Nat Lofthouse was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. A forceful player, he combined physical strength with a powerful shot in either foot or a strong header. After that, Musil crashed into me, and we both fell to the ground. The two co-founded the Lion of Vienna Suite community and write about Bolton Wanderers because someone has to. The statue's pose was chosen by the club's fans as well as Nat Lofthouse's surviving family. Many would travel more than a mile down into the earth for around eight hours per day of very hard, physical work. If that wasnt pressure enough, thousands of Tommies stationed in Vienna had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of their heroes for months, with many staking weeks of wages on the dim chance of an England win. He hesitated before he emerged at my side. Not long after his retirement from football, Nat took control of the Castle Pub on Tonge Moor Road in Bolton. Had Lofthouse not been a Bolton Wanderers player, life would have been extremely difficult for him. Accepting his award from a local councilman, he was unaware that the man in front of him sat on the board of Bolton Wanderers, until he asked if Lofthouse would like to play for them. On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 3-2 victory over Austria . He would later serve as the Chairman of the Board on two occasions: in 1952-1953 and again from 1961-1963. He won 33 caps for England between 1950 and 1958, scoring 30 goals, with one of the highest goals-per-game ratios of any England player. After gaining eight corners to Englands none, the Austrians dominated for most of the game. It would have certainly resulted in a straight red card by today's standards, but was adjudged to be fair at the time. [9], Already a Bolton Wanderers player having joined them in 1939 Lofthouse was conscripted in 1943 and worked in Mosley Common colliery as a Bevin Boy. Nat Lofthouse scored a brace in Boltons 2-0 win. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. All Rights Reserved. I wasn't cut out to be a manager.". I hit it when he was right on top of me. 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. The 285 goals he scored between 1946 and 1961 still make him Boltons top goalscorer. Nat Lofthouse Hall of Fame Profile - National Football Museum In that game, Blackpool came back from 3-1 down to win 4-3, largely thanks to the heroics of Matthews, although he was no doubt helped by the fact that the Wanderers were effectively down to 10 men throughout much of the second half as Eric Bell was playing through a torn hamstring. Nat Lofthouse: the Lion of Vienna and the gent of Bolton The Austrians went on the offensive to boot every English player on the pitch. [11] They had two children, a son, Jeff, and a daughter, Vivien. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. In 1958, he achieved his crowning glory, scoring twice including a controversial bundled second which sent the ball and goalkeeper Harry Gregg into the net as Bolton overcame a Manchester United side ravaged by the Munich Air Disaster to win the FA Cup. During the Second World War, both countries were major allies of Nazi Germany. Although the England players have not yet abandoned hope, the home team was 2-1 favorites to win this match. Sources: Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Daily Herald; Nat Lofthouse, Goals Galore, Nat Lofthouse. Playing career [ edit] With no club having shown an interest and his days of regular organised football coming to an end, it appeared that any chance he had of making it as a professional was over, before one of his final days at school where he was to be commended at the annual prize-giving ceremony. Nat Lofthouse obituary | Soccer | The Guardian People like Tom Finney and myself, people like that. He had been clattered by a defender as he shot and was carried from the field. He hit the ground before the ball went over the line, knocked out cold for one of the most famous goals of his career. It was an unexpected win against all odds. By 1942, all males in the United Kingdom aged 18-51 (with a few exceptions) were eligible to be conscripted by the government into wartime service. [17] It was unveiled on 24 August 2013, three days before what would have been Lofthouse's 88th birthday. Born and bred in Bolton, Lofthouse earned his. I could only nod like a dim-wit. 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. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. We were introduced and I stood there tongue-tied, Nat would later recall. The next season, on Dec. 6, 1947 Nat Lofthouse married the love of his life, Alma Foster, to whom he would remain married until her death in 1986. That didn't last long though, as soon as Lofthouse was placed up front and the goals flowed. Mr Lofthouse, known as the Lion of Vienna, died on 15 January aged 85. And in an ironic twist, for all his on-field exploits, all his goals, all his charging, bulldozing, irresistible runs forward, arguably his greatest contribution to the club came long after hed retired and after his ill-fated spells as manager, when his tireless fundraising helped rescue Bolton from financial oblivion. Nat was the youngest of four boys. The main target was Nat Lofthouse, who was struck in the neck, while Elliott and Sewell required treatment from England trainer Jimmy Trotter. This was touched on to Lofthouse on the halfway line by Finney. Friendly internationals then held an importance that has now all but vanished, and Lofthouse's winning goal, in a 3-2 victory against a powerful team, was lauded to the . The team nearly went back up at the first time of asking but a third-place position would not be enough for them. Times during and just after the war were hard for Bolton, especially after the "golden age", and Bevin Boys were commonly seen as cowards or unpatriotic men seeking to avoid the dangers of active combat. [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. In his autobiography Goals Galore Lofthouse was fulsome in his praise of Hunt, whose nickname was The Chesterfield Tough. [3] Lofthouse went into a challenge with the United keeper Harry Gregg and barged him into the net to score. In the next two seasons he continued scoring regularly with the 1955-56 campaign particularly notable. 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, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Nat Lofthouse: the Lion of Vienna and the gent of Bolton, Remembering the disaster of 1991/92, Bayern Munichs worst season in modern history, Rio, 1989: Chilean skullduggery, hidden razor blades and Brazilian flares, Brighton and Crystal Palace: the rise of a rivalry separated by 39 miles, The madness of Liverpools first foray into European competition, The tale of Queens Park: the early innovators who became last of the amateurs, Bobby Robson, Ipswich Town and a brutal quest for the 1981 treble. 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. Once again, Nat Lofthouse made his intent known early on, scoring his first goal 3 minutes in, bounding onto the ball inside the 6-yard box and poking it in. In 1985, at the age of 60, Lofthouse became caretaker manager at the club again and became president in 1986. Lofthouse found the step up in quality in First Division defences hard to cope with, and he briefly considered leaving the game, as well as entertaining an offer from Tottenham, then of the Second Division. Over the next few years, Lofthouse set about exhausting the superlatives available with his goalscoring. According to Bolton Wanderers, the statue proposal has received a phenomenal reception and is well on target for the scheduled due date. George Hunt, who was a very fine centre forward himself, [He won 3 England caps scoring once and netted 169 times in 294 games in a war-interrupted playing career] and he possesses the rare ability to pass on to youngsters his own deep knowledge of the game. A one-club man, he played over 400 games for Bolton Wanderers and earned 33 caps for England (as well as his famous nickname). It made me fitter than ever I had been before. Nat Lofthouse - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia HE was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. In the Daily Herald, Clifford Webb wrote; Every man-jack did a heros job, but the player who provided the really tremendous thrill for the frantically cheering English colony was Nat Lofthouse. By the end of the match, he had done just that, and earned the title of The Lion of Vienna in the process. As it transpired, Nats first day reporting to Burnden Park in 1939 was also Britains first full day at war with Germany. In 1978, he became the club's executive manager. Bolton Wanderers On the Trot: Internationals, The Nat Lofthouse Stand - Bolton Blogroll. Lofthouse, chased by the Austrian defence, carried the ball into the area and placed it past goalie Musil for the winner. Even his nickname, the Lion of Vienna, is something you wouldn't dream of bestowing upon the modern player. When they won a late corner, they flooded forward, leaving Lofthouse alone with a single marker on the halfway line. Lofthouse stood unmarked on the right side of the penalty area when Sewell crossed the ball. Indeed, many of the stereotypes we now associate with players from the sepia-tinged era of the 1950s have their roots in Lofthouses own story. Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. 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 the game at the Praterstadion in Viennas Soviet Zone, as evidenced by the Path film of the game. [15] The youngest of four sons, Nathaniel Lofthouse was born in Bolton on 27 August 1925. My body became firmer and harder. Honours:1 FA Cup Lofthouse scored all seven goals for Bolton. That changed in the 1952-53 season. Stanley Mathewshad his last chance to earn a winners medal. As it turned out, the England team ended up on the receiving end of a brutal match. He was forced to retire at the age of 35 because of his persistent injuries. . The view was clearly shared by the selectors as it was back in reserve with Newcastles Jackie Milburn at the head of Englands attack. He featured in the 1954 World Cup side. For England he scored a phenomenal 30 goals in 33 games. The piratical, practical genius of Nat Lofthouse | FourFourTwo After the game for Castle Hill, Nat asked the school side's manager for more games. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-leader-1','ezslot_12',186,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-leader-1-0');White shirts were worn by Austria and red by England. Nat Lofthouse began playing football as a very young boy. Retiring from playing in 1960, he was made a President of Bolton Wanderers in 1986, a post he held until his death in 2011. 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. A typical Saturday for Lofthouse involved getting up at 3.30am, catching the 4.30am tram to work, and working down the pit for 8 hours before the team bus took him to the match. Thread starter leefer; Start date 16 January 2011; leefer Loyal Member. His father was a coal-bagger for the community's co-operative before becoming the head horse keeper for Bolton Corporation. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Lofthouse would later say; The miners of Britain are the finest fellows in the world. Having failed to find the net in his past two internationals, a run which had scuppered more than a few promising youngsters England careers, Boltons star was aware of a concerted campaign in the press to have him replaced by Newcastles brilliant Jackie Milburn. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. Out on the pitch at Burnden Park I learned more from George in an hour than I could from most people in a year. Bill Ridding, the man that had managed Wanderers for 18 seasons, had left the club just before the start of the 1968-1969 season. [6], Tributes were paid to Lofthouse as he celebrated his 80th birthday, including a party at the Reebok. Bolton were then beaten in the semi-final by Derby County. Hurt scoring the winner against Ireland, Lofthouse missed the November 1953 match against Hungary at Wembley where the home team were hammered 6-3 and also suffered a wrist injury causing him to withdrew from the squad that went on a short tour in 1954 which included a 7-1 humbling at the hands of the same Hungarian team in Budapest. Thanks to his size, a healthy 12 stone (168 pounds) by age 15, he was played up front in a center forward position and it was there that Nat thrived. The United lost emotion on the whole game at the end. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. Find him, you got a winner. In July 1961, Lofthouse accepted a boot cleaner and assistant trainer position at Burnden Park. On 24 August 2013, a statue was dedicated. Unfortunately, Bolton were not able to right their sinking ship under the Lion of Vienna and at the end of the 1970-71 season (after Lofthouse had left the post), Bolton were in 22nd place and relegated to the Third Division (an all-time low until the 1987-1988 season). Prior to Lofthouses arrival on the scene Wanderers had relied on former Spurs star George Hunt for the majority of their goals. Instead, Lofthouse honed his skills on the empty lots and wasteland that were more than common around the northwest during the day. However, theres little doubt that financial pragmatism aside, his heart was always in Bolton and with Wanderers. Nat Lefthouse Biography, Career Info, Records & Achievements - Sportskeeda In 1968, he spent a brief time as caretaker manager of the club and took over the job full-time on 18 December. 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. How many goals in total did Lofthouse score in the 33 matches he played for England? The climax of the match led Peskett to show his joy: This was more than any other British triumph to have befallen a side abroad this was an ending to a schoolboys story., The Daily Express Desmond Hackett writes, For Austria, it was the win they never saw coming.. NAT THE LION | Read The League Urbis Building For the Daily Mail, Roy Peskett described the events clearly. As the decade wore on, the clouds began to disperse. He was a pivotal figure in one of the true golden ages of the beautiful game, ending his career as the leading goal scorer for both his club and his country, with a reputation as one of the game's true greats. That was the last moment of real glory for Lofthouse's playing career, and for Bolton as well. Bolton finished in the top half of the table for 6 of those 13 seasons.
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