He later served as chief scout, caretaker manager, executive manager and as the clubs president from 1986. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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). Charity No: 1050792, Open every day 10am 5pm (last admission 4pm), Email: info@nationalfootballmuseum.com The team was struggling, the club was struggling. Lofthouse was the recipient of various honours after retiring from the game. Instead, Lofthouse honed his skills on the empty lots and wasteland that were more than common around the northwest during the day. Josef Musil, Rudolf, Rockl, Ernst Happel, Walter Schleger, Ernst Ocwirk, Theodor Brinek, Ernst Melchior, Gerhard Hanappi, Robert Dienst, Adolf Huber, Walter Haummer. When he awoke several moments later, groggy and with a good deal more pain than even he was used to, he was informed that he had just scored one of the defining goals of his career. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. As a result, Nat Lofthouse was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. We may also very occasionally send you information about the museum via Facebook. Despite this disappointment the player ended the season on a high when he was named Footballer of the Year. BBC News - Nat Lofthouse: Life of football legend 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. Lofthouse stood unmarked on the right side of the penalty area when Sewell crossed the ball. 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. 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. I could hear the hounds setting off after me but I knew it was basically down to me and [Austrian goalkeeper Josef] Musil. The sickening collision between striker and keeper left Lofthouse knocked out cold. The former Bolton Wanderers and England centre forward . Lofthouse saw his chance and took it, barging both Gregg and the ball into the back of the net. Even after he was conscripted to work in the nightmarish Lancashire coal pits as part of the war effort (many miners volunteered for the Armed Forces in large part to escape the agonising, doom-laden drudgery of their vocation), he could still consistently put opposition defences to the sword with a combination of rugged, raw power, superb aerial ability and a remarkable fearlessness. There were a number of football legends and people that the Bolton Wanderers faithful hold dear on hand to pay their respects to the legendary Nat Lofthouse. 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. Nat Lofthouse began playing football as a very young boy. Austria equalised just two minutes after Nat Lofthouses opening goal in the 25th minute, and while England once again gained the advantage shortly after, the teams went into halftime level at 2-2. Nat Lofthouse was everything you will not find in a footballer today. . Playing career [ edit] It was then more than five years until he made his league debut for the club, but he eventually played against Chelsea on 31 August 1946, when he scored twice in a 43 defeat. 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. All in all, he tallied up 255 goals in 452 league games, and 30 goals in 51 cup matches. For the recognition of club and country, a statue stands outside Boltons stadium.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'historyofsoccer_info-box-3','ezslot_4',180,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-box-3-0'); England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria. Nat Lofthouse - Wikipedia Due to hostilities, Lofthouse didnt make his league debut for Wanderers until the 1946-47 season. Nat had the opportunity to take over as the licensee of the Castle Hill Hotel in the town and was keen to do so. 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. This was a one-off and Bolton came from behind to get the better of Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Hunt and Lol Hamlett. Lofthouse once said of the Preston Plumber; He was that good he could cross the ball making sure the laces were facing away from my head.. It was no more than Nat Lofthouse deserved. It was there that the conversation that would change his life forever took place. A one-club man, he played over 400 games for Bolton Wanderers and earned 33 caps for England (as well as his famous nickname). Phillips, a 78-year-old Minden resident, was Lofthouse's cousin (their mothers Lily and Jane were sisters) and said the man dubbed the "Lion of Vienna" would be shocked at all the fuss. For the Daily Mail, Roy Peskett described the events clearly. Too young for military service, Nat was determined to work hard on and off the field. Sources: Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Daily Herald; Nat Lofthouse, Goals Galore, Nat Lofthouse. Lion Of Vienna Suite, a Bolton Wanderers community. Who Was Known as the "Lion of Vienna"? - Sportsmanist His devotion to Alma was matched only by his love of Bolton, and true to form, that Saturday Nat got married in the morning then played football in the afternoon at Burnden Park. Matilda is a Texan in Paris and Mark is a Georgian (the country) in New York. But work down the mine toughened him physically and the caustic humour of his fellow miners made sure he never became arrogant about his success on the field.". Because the move came before the age of player power and agents controlling moves, Nat didn't have any say in the matter. 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? Bolton as a team were struggling to reassert themselves with their pre-war team dismantled and Foweraker retiring, and that process was made considerably more difficult by the shadow both psychological and financial cast by the Burnden Disaster, a crush that killed 33, in 1946. 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. Lofthouse was a one-club centre-forward who dedicated his life to Bolton Wanderers. Additionally, he and Tom Finney had the England scoring record together until Jimmy Greaves came along. Despite Ocwirks efforts, Lofthouse was able to slip past him. 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. An England international, Nat Lofthouse played his entire club career for his hometown club, Bolton Wanderers, scoring 255 goals in 452 league appearances. The first game finished 1-1 in Italy where Ivor Broadis got Englands goal and then came the match which earned that Lion of Vienna nickname. 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. Lofthouse, chased by the Austrian defence, carried the ball into the area and placed it past goalie Musil for the winner. 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. On Jan. 15, 2011, Nat Lofthouse passed away quietly in his sleep in a Bolton nursing home at the age of 85. In the 11th minute, Melchior hit Eckersley with a shot that struck his arm. Pic courtesy of Mirrorpix. The Lion of Vienna sleeps. Eulogies were offered by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside and Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, a boyhood Bolton fan and former Wanderers player. . 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. Long after his star had ascended, he could still be found riding the bus from his nearby home to Burnden Park, delighting in surprising fans who were discussing his performances on the pitch unbeknownst of his presence. Bolton born and bred, Lofthouse was signed by Bolton Wanderers as a 14 year old apprentice in 1939. For England, the Austria game provided two firsts. 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. That season he topped the First Division goalscoring charts with 30 goals. Lofthouse Lofthouse was dubbed the "Lion of Vienna" after scoring the second goal in England's 3-2 triumph over Austria on May 25, 1952. My body became firmer and harder, I learned to take hard knocks without feeling them. Lofthouse stands eighth in the list of English football's top division all time goalscorers.[4]. 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. Bolton's new number 9, Eoin Doyle, whilst playing for League Two side Swindon last season. The Lion of Vienna With the war over, the legendary Nat Lofthouse was finally able to start his career officially. 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. 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. Former Bolton captain Kevin Davies and then manager Owen Coyle were among the pallbearers.[16]. In the first match of that campaign they travelled to London to play Chelsea matching him up against hero Tommy Lawton. From an early age, however, it was clear that as long as he or one of the neighbouring children had something approximating a ball, he felt natural and content. 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. Ultimately, the Hungarians cruelly exposed Englands insecurities in May 1954 and November 1953 against Continental opposition. The evening of Saturday, 15 January 2011, Nat Lofthouse passed away at the Bolton nursing home. Only two players from Manchester United's side that lost to Aston Villa in the previous year's final took the field on May 3, 1958, Bill Foulkes and Bobby Charlton, and a further two were survivors of the disaster. The team nearly went back up at the first time of asking but a third-place position would not be enough for them. Alchetron Posts 7,107 Likes 2 Location swindon wilts. But the Wanderers policy was that if you played for them you couldnt run a pub. His most memorable performance, which won him the nickname the "Lion of Vienna", was for England against Austria in May 1952. We had to do something quickly and we had no identity at that time. 32 goals in 36 games for his club and four in five international matches seemed to cement his place as the countrys leading marksman. 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. [7] A campaign, backed by Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association and former Bolton player, was started, aiming to get Lofthouse knighted. Bolton were then beaten in the semi-final by Derby County. There was nowhere left to. On 24 August 2013, a statue was dedicated. Wanderers gave the then 15-year-old his debut on 14 March 1941 in a wartime match with Bury again providing the opposition. [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. In July 1961, Lofthouse accepted a boot cleaner and assistant trainer position at Burnden Park. NAT Lofthouse, one of the most famous of all Boltonians and the town's best-loved sporting son, has died at the age of 85. If he fails again to accept changes from the clean breakaways against Italy, England will be doomed. Lofthouse was well aware of his uncertain status, saying later, I knew I played poorly in Florence [but] I wasnt prepared for the reception I received in the press.. The 1958-59 campaign provided a final high point in Lofthouses international career. As a result of the United States defeat in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, the national team lost its confidence when playing outside their comfort zone of the Home International Championships. He said of his career; For me Football is pleasure with pay. 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. To open the scoring, he swiveled on his right foot and hit a volley with his left foot. The match in question was a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nat scored 2 of Bolton's goals. The funeral was held 11 days later with 500 invited guests and members of the public inside Bolton Parish Church. He slid the ball past the keeper but was knocked cold in the challenge as he did. The Bevin Boy program came to an end in 1948. Austria and England played a classic international match in Vienna, combining physical, influential English players with a technically proficient Austrian team to display steel and brute strength when needed. Having played his first organised game as an emergency goalkeeper for his older brothers school team, conceding seven times and upsetting his Mum by playing in a new pair of shoes (he would later redeem himself by cleaning them as good as new), he quickly moved into attack his more natural position, due to his size, and established himself as the star centre forward for Castle Hill school. Nats prolific strike rate in the war leagues left Wanderers in little doubt as to his abilities, but the cessation of the conflict and resumption of the football league ushered in a tough period of acclimatisation for club and player. Many would travel more than a mile down into the earth for around eight hours per day of very hard, physical work. Owning the public house was not the most rewarding career choice to the man who only wanted to see his boyhood club do well. It made me fitter than ever I had been before. 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. 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. Not long after his retirement from football, Nat took control of the Castle Pub on Tonge Moor Road in Bolton. Despite this, England won the game in a hostile country despite suffering physical battering. Speaking at Nat's "This Is Your Life" show, Bolton Wanderers' commercial manager at the time, Alf Davies shared just how crucial Nat Lofthouse's presence at the club was: "In 1982, we hit on some hard times and in 1982, we had just six weeks to live before the bank called time on our activities. As he regretted later, I never saw the ball enter the Austrian net for the goal of my life.. Lofthouse is rightly remembered as the archetypal one-club man, but to call him that is to do him a disservice. He was famous for entertaining the clientele with some of the many stories about his time as a professional footballer. Lofthouse wasn't very good in goal though, conceding seven goals in his first outing. 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. 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. During World War II, nearly 48,000 men served in the coal mines, the majority of which were chosen at random during the conscription process, with that number including volunteers. Lofthouse was one of the inaugural inductees to the National Football Museum Hall Of Fame in 2002, attending the event to collect his award alongside other greats of the game, including his friend and former England team-mate Sir Tom Finney. After retiring from playing football, Lofthouse became the assistant trainer at Burnden Park on 10 July 1961 and was then appointed chief coach at the club in 1967. Italy had already won the World Cup twice, and football had returned to its former glory following the war. But after Taylors tragic death at Munich he was included in the 40-man squad for the 1958 World Cup but failed to make the final 22. Why was Nat Lofthouse called Lion of Vienna? You just say Nat. A vote of the Football Writers Association members, which functions like a jury, selected the professional player who best exemplified footballers precepts and examples as the player of the year. The Lion Of Vienna | Family History UK Forum - Free UK Genealogy He was probably the last of the old fashioned centre forwards, leading the line with toughness, taking plenty of knocks and giving them out too. Overcrowding resulted in spectators spilling over onto the touchline. Lofty: Nat Lofthouse, England's Lion of Vienna - Google Books Nat Lofthouse: the Lion of Vienna and the gent of Bolton In a rare show of off-field bullishness, Lofthouse later remembered that he made it his sole purpose to make one particular writer eat his words even if he choked. His father, Robert, was a coal bagger and head horse keeper for the Bolton Corporation but once his footballing skills come to the fore it was quickly apparent that there was no way Nat would be following in Dads footsteps full time. Even when things were not in his favor, Lofthouse was not one to complain or pity himself. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Nat Lofthouse - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia In addition to their colorful rosettes, red, white, and blue rattles, and chants of England, they instilled a carnival atmosphere around the stadium, evoking the atmosphere associated with an FA Cup match. 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. Nat was always a big boy and because of that, often found himself in goal, acting as the last line of defense for whatever ragtag side he found himself playing on. The paradigm that would come to define a golden era in the history of one of Englands oldest clubs was now set in stone. Between 1950 and 1958, he played 33 times for the England national football team. After that, Musil crashed into me, and we both fell to the ground. The number 9 shirt is traditionally for the club's top goal scorer, a shirt that has been cursed at Bolton for years. As far as the future was concerned, these results were not isolated, and these signs were already in evidence. 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. Nat Lofthouse was born on 27 August, 1925 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK, is an Actor. The stands were filled with British troops, who had remained stationed throughout Austria in the aftermath of the war. Nat Lofthouse funeral in Bolton attracts thousands - BBC News It would have certainly resulted in a straight red card by today's standards, but was adjudged to be fair at the time. Whilst there was no official league football in 1945-46 (Wanderers finished 3rd in the Football League North) the FA Cup was restarted. Several players in the match played below their level, with Nat Lofthouse one of those.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-banner-1','ezslot_10',184,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-banner-1-0'); In the Daily Telegraph, Frank Coles wrote, One of the question marks is against Lofthouse. He then played in the 2-2 draw with Wales in November 1958 but, at 33 years old, and even though he had scored 29 times in 37 games for his club that proved to be his final cap and he ended his international career with an outstanding record of 30 goals in 33 starts. Lofthouse was buried on 26 January 2011 as thousands turned out to say goodbye at Bolton Parish Church. Like many aspiring youngsters one of Nats early jobs at the club was cleaning the boots of the senior pros and he always paid special attention to those of star forward Ray Westwood, one of the players he had cheered from the sideline when a star-struck spectator. Returning on the bus after the game he was shocked to find Tommy Lawton waiting for him. 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. With him passed away a piece of Bolton Wanderers Football Club that will never return. Austria hit back to equalise, Sewell restored the advantage but the home team levelled for a second time. M4 3BG, 2023 National Football Museum. Nat Lofthouse captained Bolton against Manchester United in the 1958 FA Cup Final. "He was probably one of the best centre forwards England ever had, very aggressive and combative with great speed. Harry sees Nat manning the bar and the two talk for a while with Gregg finally ordering a pint. Lofthouses story wasnt as black and white as many modern accounts would have readers believe. As with the other definitive match of his career, the match was emotionally charged, this time due to the fact that the opponents, Manchester United, had been decimated only three months earlier in the tragic Munich Air Disaster. 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. A one-club man, he played over 400 games for Bolton Wanderers and earned 33 caps for England (as well as his famous nickname). For 47 years after the program wound up, Bevin Boys were not recognized as full contributors to the war effort (despite being conscripted). Former Bolton Wanderers and England striker Nat Lofthouse, one of the greats of a golden post-war generation, died in his sleep at the age of 85, the club announced on Sunday. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In his 14 years at Bolton between . As much as he was a one-club man, Bolton Wanderers will forever remain a one-man club. He was made the club's Vice President for life in 1969. When he wasnt on form, neither was the team. Thankfully for Bolton, the games in which Lofthouse wasnt on song were becoming fewer and fewer. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 1968 rolled around and Nat Lofthouse was appointed caretaker manager of the club. 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. In fact, there's a very funny joke from Lofthouse's time behind the bar: Harry Gregg (the Manchester United goalkeeper that Nat famously clattered over the goal line for Bolton's second goal in the 1958 FA Cup final) was driving through Bolton and decided to stop at the Castle Pub for a drink. He hit the ground before the ball went over the line, knocked out cold for one of the most famous goals of his career. 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. 6) Centre forward Nat Lofthouse earned the title Lion of Vienna when he scored his second goal in England's 3-2 victory over Austria in 1952. He looked like a boxer at the end of a tough 15 rounds when he left the field. 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. The same was true of his debut, which arrived in 1940, aged just 15. The two co-founded the Lion of Vienna Suite community and write about Bolton Wanderers because someone has to. Lofthouse is rightly remembered as the archetypal one-club man, but to call him that is to do him a disservice. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service during World War II, lent his name to the conscripted miners. Nat Lofthouse's ashes interred alongside those of his beloved wife The main target was Nat Lofthouse, who was struck in the neck, while Elliott and Sewell required treatment from England trainer Jimmy Trotter. 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. Although he was too young for military service Nat did his bit for the war effort, being one of three members of the 35-strong Bolton playing staff to work as a Bevin Boy and coal miner (the other 32 all joined the armed forces mostly signing up for the 53rd Bolton Field Regiment almost immediately after war broke out signed). Doug Holden, another star of the legendary 1950s edition of Bolton, provided a succinct summation of Lofthouses influence on the team. [17] It was unveiled on 24 August 2013, three days before what would have been Lofthouse's 88th birthday. His career and life, like so many of the players he shared the pitch with, seems so improbable when compared to modern stars both in terms of achievements and circumstances that its hard to separate the man from the legend. Andy is a UK-born, football fanatic who follows the trials and tribulations of Aston Villa and his local non-league side, Stafford Rangers. [3] Shoulder charging the goalkeeper was a legitimate tactic at the time, but Lofthouse later admitted that his challenge was a foul. Instead, Lofthouse honed his skills on the. He had been clattered by a defender as he shot and was carried from the field.
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