All Id ever wanted to do.. He is still Bolton's top scorer of all time. 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. 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.". We will not pass your details on to any third parties. 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. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. 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. Additionally, he and Tom Finney had the England scoring record together until Jimmy Greaves came along. 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. Known as the Lion of Vienna, he scored 255 goals for . 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. The Bolton Wanderers reached the final again five years later. 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. 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. He was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and brought down by the goalkeeper. Overcrowding resulted in spectators spilling over onto the touchline. Urbis Building The award was given in recognition of his great skill with the ball at a time when English football was not known for its aesthetic beauty. 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. They could not receive service medals and were not guaranteed a return to their old jobs, unlike those serving in the armed forces. Speaking During his "Nat Lofthouse: This Is Your Life" show, Lofthouse had said of his time as manager: "I think the worst thing Bolton Wanderers' directors ever did was ask me to be manager. That didn't last long though, as soon as Lofthouse was placed up front and the goals flowed. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. He scored both goals in the 1958 FA Cup Final, the second seeing him charge both keeper and ball over the line. The FA XI were unbeaten in their 11 matches but Lofthouse still managed to finish on a losing side. Thread starter leefer; Start date 16 January 2011; leefer Loyal Member. Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. This time he only managed to score a brace, the fourth and fifth goals in a 5-1 victory at Burnden Park. Nat was discovered by James Entwistle, the Mayor of Bolton at the time. Nat Lefthouse Biography, Career Info, Records & Achievements - Sportskeeda 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. That's the thing more than anything else. The piratical, practical genius of Nat Lofthouse | FourFourTwo Half a century after Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), they were finally recognized as contributors to the war effort by Queen Elizabeth II. To prove it, they battered England with arms, legs and heads. And so with that barge, Lofthouse won Bolton's fourth, and final to date, FA Cup, famously proud of his "110 team" that cost no more than each player's signing-on fee. 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. The key to his appeal, beyond his fantastic abilities on the pitch, was his humility. 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. After that, Musil crashed into me, and we both fell to the ground. Despite this, England won the game in a hostile country despite suffering physical battering. Nat was the youngest of four boys. By the end of the match, he had done just that, and earned the title of The Lion of Vienna in the process. That changed in the 1952-53 season. Lion of Vienna Suite - Bolton Wanderers His most memorable performance, which won him the nickname the "Lion of Vienna", was for England against Austria in May 1952. 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. 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. As a result, Nat Lofthouse was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. "He was probably one of the best centre forwards England ever had, very aggressive and combative with great speed. 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. The statue's pose was chosen by the club's fans as well as Nat Lofthouse's surviving family. He later served as chief scout, caretaker manager, executive manager and as the clubs president from 1986. The performance certainly cemented Nats place as Englands number nine and six goals for the Football League against the Irish League further underlined it. As far as Englands league goalscorers are concerned, Nat Lofthouse is 37th all-time. Had Lofthouse not been a Bolton Wanderers player, life would have been extremely difficult for him. All in all, he tallied up 255 goals in 452 league games, and 30 goals in 51 cup matches. ALTHOUGH he earned a great deal of his reputation, and indeed his nickname, for one performance, Nat Lofthouse, 'The Lion of Vienna' was a tremendous servant for his country for eight years, bagging 30 goals in just 33 games, and for his club for over 30 years. 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. He said of his career; For me Football is pleasure with pay. Compared to the broadsheets, tabloid match reports treat the occasion as a related event to the war. 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. Cathedral Gardens Elliotts pass to Baily was impressive. But he continued banging in goals with either foot or his head for his club and the selectors eventually decided they couldnt ignore him. It was impossible for Bolton fans to feel this way for long however, he was the club's top scorer that first season after the war, with 21 goals in all competitions. 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 only thing worse was when I said yes.' Due to hostilities, Lofthouse didnt make his league debut for Wanderers until the 1946-47 season. Who was known as the Lion of Vienna? - idswater.com 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. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The Lion of Vienna - Lion Of Vienna Suite With him passed away a piece of Bolton Wanderers Football Club that will never return. Bill Ridding, the man that had managed Wanderers for 18 seasons, had left the club just before the start of the 1968-1969 season. All Rights Reserved. Nat Lofthouse, the former England forward who spent his whole playing career with Bolton Wanderers FC and was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna, has died in his sleep at the age of 85. Two goals in a 5-1 win gave a taste of what was the come. Nat Lofthouse was one of the post-war giants of football who had a glittering career with Bolton Wanderers, his only club, and England. We will normally only contact you via e-newsletter. In 1957, he assumed captaincy of the club. In April 1998, train operator Virgin CrossCountry named locomotive 47807 Lion of Vienna in Lofthouse's honour at Bolton station. Nat Lofthouses statue now stands proudly outside the University of Bolton Stadium. Please tick if you would like to receive information in this way. Sir Tom Finney and Nat Lofthouse together at the National Football Museum Hall Of Fame awards in 2002. 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. And so, Lofthouse had achieved his boyhood dream, to be a Bolton Wanderers player, at age 14. 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? England conceded 24 free kicks, while Austria conceded 19. 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. A single man did not give up. Harry sees Nat manning the bar and the two talk for a while with Gregg finally ordering a pint. Instead, Lofthouse honed his skills on the empty lots and wasteland that were more than common around the northwest during the day. Owning the public house was not the most rewarding career choice to the man who only wanted to see his boyhood club do well. Over the next few years, Lofthouse set about exhausting the superlatives available with his goalscoring. Lofthouse was a one-club centre-forward who dedicated his life to Bolton Wanderers. 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. Why was Nat Lofthouse called the Lion of Vienna? The number 9 shirt is traditionally for the club's top goal scorer, a shirt that has been cursed at Bolton for years. Nat's time in that role also didn't go to plan and the legend was relieved of his duties in 1972. A forceful player, he combined physical strength with a powerful shot in either foot or a strong header. Bolton born and bred, Lofthouse was signed by Bolton Wanderers as a 14 year old apprentice in 1939. 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. 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. Six years later, he was promoted to the head coach position, and the following year, he took to managing the club. [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. The new forward scored twice but Lawton matched his feat and Chelsea scraped to a 4-3 win. 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. Bolton's new number 9, Eoin Doyle, whilst playing for League Two side Swindon last season. Nat Lofthouse: The Lion Of Vienna - Boltom Wanderers Soccer Player
Harry Smith Net Worth, Pamana Peta 2013 Summary, Clevedon 2 Bed Rent, Foote Cattle Company Net Worth, How Did The Government Support The Internet, Articles W