why was nat lofthouse called the lion of vienna

In the following Sundays game with Austria, England was widely considered as an underdog. He was born with Bolton in his blood, and he played his football, lived his life in a way that reflected that. Half a century after Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), they were finally recognized as contributors to the war effort by Queen Elizabeth II. 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. 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. Nat was the youngest of four boys. 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? Seven minutes before the end, the climax occurred. In the swing of things and in its heyday, the stadium could hold up to 70,000 people (albeit in close quarters) so one boy without a ticket would not be easily noticed. In his 14 years at Bolton between . 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. A year ago today, Bolton Wanderers announced plans to immortalize the Lion of Vienna with a statue in front of the Reebok Stadium. Scot Foweraker, who started at the club as a gateman when the ground opened in 1895, had taken over as manager in 1919 and would go on to serve Wanderers for an outstanding 49 years, 25 as boss. In 1985, at the age of 60, Lofthouse became caretaker manager at the club again and became president in 1986. 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. However, partially due to this, Nat Lofthouse did not always experience the utter adoration of the fans. How many goals in total did Lofthouse score in the 33 matches he played for England? 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. On 24 August 2013, a statue was dedicated. I would say without fear or favor the man was more important to Bolton from 82 onwards than ever he was in the 50s.". Back from national team duty, he then scored six goals in a game for the Football League against the Irish League on 24 September 1952. His very style of football embodied Bolton, an appreciation for power alongside skill which is still part of the club today. Because the move came before the age of player power and agents controlling moves, Nat didn't have any say in the matter. He later served as chief scout, caretaker manager, executive manager and as the clubs president from 1986. He said: I would have an hour or two off to receive coaching from George and firmly believe that these private coaching sessions played a big part in my advancement. My body became firmer and harder. 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. After the game for Castle Hill, Nat asked the school side's manager for more games. That statue is a fitting tribute to a man who gave his all, for both club and country throughout his life. Still more fans entered and the crush resulted in the death of 33 people. Lion Of Vienna Suite, a Bolton Wanderers community. 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. Boltons all-time greatest player was a gentleman throughout the league. To open the scoring, he swiveled on his right foot and hit a volley with his left foot. Known as the 'Lion of Vienna,' Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. Nat would again take the caretaker reins on three more occasions including the summer of 1971 (in between seasons) and, briefly, in 1985 between Charlie Wright leaving and Phil Neal getting the job. Sources: Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Daily Herald; Nat Lofthouse, Goals Galore, Nat Lofthouse. 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. As far as the future was concerned, these results were not isolated, and these signs were already in evidence. Lofthouse is rightly remembered as the archetypal one-club man, but to call him that is to do him a disservice. Instead, Lofthouse would famously climb the walls at Burnden Park in order to get into the ground for free. . As the decade wore on, the clouds began to disperse. It happened a lot in our day as it were, of course. 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. Nat joined Burnden Parks backroom staff several years ago, eventually becoming the clubs manager in August 1968. Lofthouse was witness to a Bolton Wanderers golden age of top flight success throughout the 1930s and although the Trotters won three FA Cups in Nat's life time, he was too young to witness the 1926 and 1929 wins over Manchester City and Portsmouth. 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. He had been clattered by a defender as he shot and was carried from the field. The Mayor of Bolton, Alderman Entwhistle who was also a director of the club approached the youngster and asked him to sign and, along with the manager they managed to stop the local lad from leaving town although as he had already been a regular spectator at Burnden Park. We may also very occasionally send you information about the museum via Facebook. An England international, Nat Lofthouse played his entire club career for his hometown club, Bolton Wanderers, scoring 255 goals in 452 league appearances. Lofthouse was at his imperious best, plundering goals at a rate that even the sportswriters who had grown up watching the likes of Dixie Dean and others agreed was exceptional. Recalled to the national team line-up for match with the USSR he provided the final goal in a 5-0 win. The Lion of Vienna's impact to Bolton Wanderers was just as important off the pitch as it was on. According to Bolton Wanderers, the statue proposal has received a phenomenal reception and is well on target for the scheduled due date. [14] England travelled to to meet an Austria side that at the time were considered among the best in Europe and who had the better of the 2-2 draw at Wembley six months before. The statue's pose was chosen by the club's fans as well as Nat Lofthouse's surviving family. We had to do something quickly and we had no identity at that time. 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. That season he topped the First Division goalscoring charts with 30 goals. It was taken from 40 yards and swerved like a mad thing past the astonished Robertson in the Chelsea goal.. 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. [6], Tributes were paid to Lofthouse as he celebrated his 80th birthday, including a party at the Reebok. The FA XI were unbeaten in their 11 matches but Lofthouse still managed to finish on a losing side. He was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and brought down by the goalkeeper. Lofthouse saw his chance and took it, barging both Gregg and the ball into the back of the net. 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. . Of all those conscripted into service between the ages of 18 and 25, around 10% went to work in the mines. Nat was discovered by James Entwistle, the Mayor of Bolton at the time. Additionally, the development of the Cold War affected the trip to Austria. 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 soon played for the Bolton Schools XI and made his debut in a 7-1 win over Bury Schools. HE was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. please support us. In the 83rd minute, Tom Finney tapped the ball to Lofthouse on the halfway line. [3] There was a national wave of sympathy for United, who three months earlier had suffered grievously in the Munich air disaster. The climax of the match led Peskett to show his joy: This was more than any other British triumph to have befallen a side abroad this was an ending to a schoolboys story., The Daily Express Desmond Hackett writes, For Austria, it was the win they never saw coming.. 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. Although the England players have not yet abandoned hope, the home team was 2-1 favorites to win this match. With essentially all of the first-teamers away at the war, it was comparatively easy for Nat to work his way into a regular starting spot, and by the time the regular league resumed in 1946, that spot was effectively sealed for the next 14 years. During the game, Nat was told to play in net, and being the kind of child that relished the opportunity to get on the field, didn't complain. 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. Despite the double strike many, including leading football writer John Thompson remained unconvinced. 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. Bolton were 3-1 up with just 22 minutes to go but their opponents, inspired by Stanley Matthews, stormed back to win 4-3. It was an unexpected win against all odds. 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. Known as the Lion of Vienna, he scored 255 goals for . For the recognition of club and country, a statue stands outside Bolton's stadium. Wanderers gave the then 15-year-old his debut on 14 March 1941 in a wartime match with Bury again providing the opposition. Out on the pitch at Burnden Park I learned more from George in an hour than I could from most people in a year. The team nearly went back up at the first time of asking but a third-place position would not be enough for them. He is still Bolton's top scorer of all time. But the Wanderers policy was that if you played for them you couldnt run a pub. The players were taken off the pitch but, amazingly returned half an hour later to play out a goalless draw with bodies laid out along the touchline covered by coats.

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