He really was the complete centre-forward. There is no doubt he gave everything to his club, and to the game. It made me fitter than ever I had been before. 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. 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. The United lost emotion on the whole game at the end. England conceded 24 free kicks, while Austria conceded 19. From the very height of his celebrity to the very end of his life, almost everybody that Lofthouse or Lofty, as he insisted on being called met came away with memories of a genial, friendly, generous soul. According to Bolton Wanderers, the statue proposal has received a phenomenal reception and is well on target for the scheduled due date. 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. 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. In 1943, Nat Lofthouse was called upon to serve as a Bevin Boy at the Mosley Common coal mine. What made Lofthouses feats all the more remarkable was the manner in which he shrugged them off. It was an unexpected win against all odds. 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. Lofthouse stood unmarked on the right side of the penalty area when Sewell crossed the ball. And that, basically, was all I wanted to do. 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). Additionally, he and Tom Finney had the England scoring record together until Jimmy Greaves came along. We don't charge goalkeepers around here.". In the 1930s, Austria had been among the great Central European football nations. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. 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. Following his first go at managing the club, Lofthouse took an administrative manager role at Burnden Park before being appointed as the club's chief scout. [13] He had suffered with dementia. 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. This was touched on to Lofthouse on the halfway line by Finney. 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. In 1945 19-year-old Nat played a big part as Wanderers captured the War Cup (North). Nat Lofthouse - Wikipedia Urbis Building Known as the 'Lion of Vienna,' Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. Football hero: Nat Lofthouse - Manchester Evening News If anything, this inspired a more violent second half, with both sides desperate for a meaningful win. Nat Lofthouse was one of the post-war giants of football who had a glittering career with Bolton Wanderers, his only club, and England. Alchetron In July 1961, Lofthouse accepted a boot cleaner and assistant trainer position at Burnden Park. 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. Following his discovery, Nat Lofthouse was signed by then-Bolton manager Charles Foweraker, who had, at that point, been manager of the club for 25 years (and would manage for a further five years). Nat Lofthouses statue now stands proudly outside the University of Bolton Stadium. The evening of Saturday, 15 January 2011, Nat Lofthouse passed away at the Bolton nursing home. 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. [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. The Lion Of Vienna | Family History UK Forum - Free UK Genealogy Not long after his retirement from football, Nat took control of the Castle Pub on Tonge Moor Road in Bolton. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. We will not pass your details on to any third parties. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. In doing so he was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind, and finally brought down by the goalkeeper. Our vision is to provide everyone in the world with a free and open-access education about the history of soccer with our online content compilation. Nat Lofthouse: Farewell to the Lion of Vienna | The Bolton News Lofthouse was a constant at the head of the Wanderers goalscoring charts and his exploits, which included four goals in a win for an FA XI over the Army were finally rewarded by the international selectors in 1950 when, after scoring the only goal in the B teams win over the Netherlands at St James Park he went on the FA tour of Canada and North America. Nonetheless Lawtons legend was cemented locally and Nat became a huge fan, often travelling to Goodison Park to watch him play for Everton. Between 1950 and 1958, he played 33 times for the England national football team. Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. Its difficult to discuss Nat Lofthouse without resorting to clichs. Shortlisted for the Telegraph Sports Book Awards Biography of the Year. Known as the 'Lion of Vienna, Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. When the goalkeeper tried to give Lofthouse the money for his pint, Lofthouse refused. Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter below. It was there that the conversation that would change his life forever took place. Read |Dixie Dean: footballs first great number nine. 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. Although he failed to score in the Cup Winners Cup match there is no doubt that, with 13 goals, he was the star of the show. Then, in the 83rd minute keeper Gil Merrick cleared the ball from a corner and Tom Finney flicked it on to the centre forward near the halfway line. Drawing 2-2 and with the Austrians pressing for a famous win, an England counter-attack saw Lofthouse put through on goal. But he continued banging in goals with either foot or his head for his club and the selectors eventually decided they couldnt ignore him. Nat Lofthouse had endured well against a battering from the Italian defenders, despite these suggestions of poor performance. Even earning the maximum wage, financial security for his family wasnt secured beyond his playing days, and he tried his hand at both working as a paint salesman and running a pub. Lofthouse returned to Burnden Park full-time in 1968 spending a mostly nondescript three-year spell as manager. For 47 years after the program wound up, Bevin Boys were not recognized as full contributors to the war effort (despite being conscripted). Lofthouse wasn't just a career Bolton man, he was a lifetime Bolton man. Thousands of England fans attended the game at the Praterstadion in Viennas Soviet Zone, as evidenced by the Path film of the game. 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. Nat charged forward with the ball, in typical Lofthouse fashion receiving an elbow in the face and a tackle from behind. Boltons all-time greatest player was a gentleman throughout the league. NAT THE LION | Read The League Additionally, the development of the Cold War affected the trip to Austria. As it turned out, the England team ended up on the receiving end of a brutal match. [17] It was unveiled on 24 August 2013, three days before what would have been Lofthouse's 88th birthday. It was one of the first instances of a personal worrisome streak that was completely at odds with his public persona. His goals-per-game ratio was among the highest among all England players between 1950 and 1958, during which he won 33 caps for England. Awarded an O.B.E in 1994, Lofthouse suffered from dementia in his later years and passed away at the age of 84 in 2011. Nat Lofthouse scored a brace in Boltons 2-0 win. 1968 rolled around and Nat Lofthouse was appointed caretaker manager of the club. As far as Englands league goalscorers are concerned, Nat Lofthouse is 37th all-time. Before halftime, the English defense opened up, allowing Dienst to fire past Merrick and level the scores.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_13',167,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); As the game progressed, it became more fraught. In the following days Weekly Dispatch, John Robertson wrote; Lofthouses first goal left me open-mouthed. With him passed away a piece of Bolton Wanderers Football Club that will never return. Lofthouse was chosen to represent Bolton schools against Bury. 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. 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. 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. The poor performance of England against Italy almost certainly played a role in the games outcome against Austria. He ran a pub for a while, whilst still coaching at his one and only club but the lure of football proved too great. As always, football matches were symbolic.. 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. Of all those conscripted into service between the ages of 18 and 25, around 10% went to work in the mines. 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. Many would travel more than a mile down into the earth for around eight hours per day of very hard, physical work. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. On 22 March 1941, he made his debut for Bolton, scoring two goals in a 5-1 victory over Bury. His strength and power were again prominent when he won the single honour of his career. 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. 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. As a result, Nat Lofthouse became known as the Lion of Vienna by the Daily Express newspaper. Be in no doubt, the greatest number 9 and Bolton's finest son is of course Sir Nat Lofthouse. Discover Nat Lofthouse's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Contents show The 1952 tour England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria.