why was nat lofthouse called the lion of vienna

During the Second World War, both countries were major allies of Nazi Germany. But the Wanderers policy was that if you played for them you couldnt run a pub. That is, a sane person that wasn't scared of facing the Lion of Vienna on the pitch. Eulogies were offered by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside and Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, a boyhood Bolton fan and former Wanderers player. Read |Duncan Edwards: the original, greatest boy wonder. 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. 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 made the best out of every situation and was often the first to say that he was happy to be earning a living by playing the game that he loved so much. His most memorable performance, which won him the nickname the "Lion of Vienna", was for England against Austria in May 1952. After the game for Castle Hill, Nat asked the school side's manager for more games. 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. ". As it transpired, Nats first day reporting to Burnden Park in 1939 was also Britains first full day at war with Germany. In 1956, he finished as the First Divisions top scorer with 33 goals. Lofthouse was the recipient of various honours after retiring from the game. Named the Lion of Vienna after scoring three goals for England v Austria Nat was a Legend for Bolton Wanderers.and England. In doing so he was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind, and finally brought down by the goalkeeper. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service during World War II, lent his name to the conscripted miners. The key to his appeal, beyond his fantastic abilities on the pitch, was his humility. Lofthouse stands eighth in the list of English football's top division all time goalscorers.[4]. 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. Bolton finished in the top half of the table for 6 of those 13 seasons. Lofthouse was buried on 26 January 2011 as thousands turned out to say goodbye at Bolton Parish Church. 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. The Bevin Boy program came to an end in 1948. That's the thing more than anything else. Read |Dixie Dean: footballs first great number nine. 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. Please enter the following information to sign up. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Stanley Mathewshad his last chance to earn a winners medal. Urbis Building This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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). Speaking as a Bolton Wanderers player, I must say we get the best of everything. 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. He perhaps justified a claim to an earlier call-up by scoring both goals in a 22 draw against Yugoslavia at Highbury on his debut. 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. On 22 March 1941, he made his debut for Bolton, scoring two goals in a 5-1 victory over Bury. 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. 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. He really was the complete centre-forward. This match determined which of the two nations would call themselves Champions of Europe in many parts of Europe. He was capped 33 times for the England national football team between 1950 and 1958, scoring 30 goals and giving himself one of the greatest. He was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and brought down by the goalkeeper. On 24 January 2011 in Bolton Wanderers first home game since his death against Chelsea, a pre-match period of a minute's silence, thunderous applause, black-and-white footage of Lofthouse in action and the laying of floral tributes by Kevin Davies and John Terry took place before the start of the match. He ran a pub for a while, whilst still coaching at his one and only club but the lure of football proved too great. Lofthouse was consistently self-deprecating about his abilities his favourite maxim, borrowed from one of his coaches at Bolton, was that all he could do was run, shoot, and head but it slowly became apparent that by doing all three with a sort of relentless, irresistible energy, he needed little else. 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. 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 earned the nickname by leading England to victory over Austria in Vienna on 25 May 1952. 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. 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.. [14] After a 2-0 away win at the Victoria Ground where Ray Westwood bagged both goals the second leg was played seven days later and tragedy struck. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. The 285 goals he scored between 1946 and 1961 still make him Boltons top goalscorer. The Lion of Vienna, Fifty Years a Legend (Edinburgh, 1989); Billy Wright, The Worlds My Football Pitch (London, 1953); Percy M Young, Bolton Wanderers (London, 1961); England Beat Austria, Path Film; Dave Russell, Deeply Honoured: The Rise and Significance of the British Sporting Award. The Lion of Vienna With the war over, the legendary Nat Lofthouse was finally able to start his career officially. Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. Alchetron Bill Ridding, the man that had managed Wanderers for 18 seasons, had left the club just before the start of the 1968-1969 season. Read |Sir Stanley Matthews and the story of Englands humble wizard. Football's Pioneers: Nat Lofthouse - Leicester City F.C. For as much as Bolton Wanderers shaped him, his career and his life, he too left an indelible mark on the club, defining the teams most iconic era and playing a pivotal role in saving the club during its most ignominious age.

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