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. One false start for his school team aside he was drafted in as a last-minute replacement in goal and conceded seven he began exhibiting a prodigious knack for goalscoring early 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. Inducted: 2002, National Football Museum 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. 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. A year ago today, Bolton Wanderers announced plans to immortalize the Lion of Vienna with a statue in front of the Reebok Stadium. 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. Italy had already won the World Cup twice, and football had returned to its former glory following the war. The Lion of Vienna's impact to Bolton Wanderers was just as important off the pitch as it was on. 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. He was made the club's Vice President for life in 1969. The number 9 shirt is traditionally for the club's top goal scorer, a shirt that has been cursed at Bolton for years. Even when things were not in his favor, Lofthouse was not one to complain or pity himself. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. Discover Nat Lofthouse's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "He was probably one of the best centre forwards England ever had, very aggressive and combative with great speed. 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. The key to his appeal, beyond his fantastic abilities on the pitch, was his humility. The previous week, Nat Lofthouse was heavily criticized, but now hes the great hero, according to the headlines. . There was a light breeze and intermittent rain during the game. 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. 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. According to Bolton Wanderers, the statue proposal has received a phenomenal reception and is well on target for the scheduled due date. The view was clearly shared by the selectors as it was back in reserve with Newcastles Jackie Milburn at the head of Englands attack. Nat joined Burnden Parks backroom staff several years ago, eventually becoming the clubs manager in August 1968. He would later serve as the Chairman of the Board on two occasions: in 1952-1953 and again from 1961-1963. This was the first time the team played behind the Iron Curtain, and it was also the first peacetime match in Continental Europe with a significant away following.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-box-4','ezslot_8',183,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-box-4-0'); As many as 1,400 tickets were assigned to British troops, although many more were obtained through the black market. That was the last moment of real glory for Lofthouse's playing career, and for Bolton as well. 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. 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 started his countrys next 12 internationals scoring 13 times. After failing to score in the win over Scotland at Hampden the centre forward went on Englands 1952 summer tour. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. 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. Lofthouse was the recipient of various honours after retiring from the game. 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. Too young for military service, Nat was determined to work hard on and off the field. 32 goals in 36 games for his club and four in five international matches seemed to cement his place as the countrys leading marksman. For the game with Saskatoon the local team only had nine players so Lofthouse and Tim Ward of Derby County switched sides but couldnt prevent their team losing 19-1. The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. It was important not to strike the ball too soon. Tensions between the two countries were still high politically, and this showed in the stands and on the pitch. As it turned out, the England team ended up on the receiving end of a brutal match. The statue's pose was chosen by the club's fans as well as Nat Lofthouse's surviving family. [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. He did win the medal. He holds this record to this day. Why was Nat Lofthouse called the Lion of Vienna? - Sage-Answers Instead, Lofthouse honed his skills on the empty lots and wasteland that were more than common around the northwest during the day. The Lion of Vienna With the war over, the legendary Nat Lofthouse was finally able to start his career officially. Nat Lofthouse. 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. Speaking as a Bolton Wanderers player, I must say we get the best of everything. He ran a pub for a while, whilst still coaching at his one and only club but the lure of football proved too great. 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. 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. We don't charge goalkeepers around here.". Cousin mourns UK football's 'Lion of Vienna' - NZ Herald Cathedral Gardens This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. That season he topped the First Division goalscoring charts with 30 goals. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. It was a close match, and neither side was shy about using force, a game far away from today's well-regulated affairs. Prior to Lofthouses arrival on the scene Wanderers had relied on former Spurs star George Hunt for the majority of their goals. 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. Never again will you say that England has lost the will to fight. As though fate declared it, Nat's debut for Bolton's first team also came against a Bury side, on March 22, 1941. Nat Lofthouse scored a brace in Boltons 2-0 win. Promised a new bike if he scored a hat-trick in the match he actually went four better, getting all the goals in a 7-1 win, establishing himself as one to watch. 1968 rolled around and Nat Lofthouse was appointed caretaker manager of the club. It was an unexpected win against all odds. Whilst there was no official league football in 1945-46 (Wanderers finished 3rd in the Football League North) the FA Cup was restarted. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. The match in question was a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nat scored 2 of Bolton's goals. Celebs . Andy is a UK-born, football fanatic who follows the trials and tribulations of Aston Villa and his local non-league side, Stafford Rangers. Nat Lofthouse, the battering ram with a shrewd brain and heart of lion [11] They had two children, a son, Jeff, and a daughter, Vivien.
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