England v Hungary (1953)
Encyclopedia
England v Hungary was an international football game played on November 25, 1953. The game was played between Hungary
- then the world's number one ranked team, the Olympic champions and on a run of 24 unbeaten games - and England
, then the world's number three ranked team, the inventors of the game and unbeaten at home for 90 years against sides from outside the British Isles
.
Hungary won the game 6-3; England were shown to be technically and tactically inferior to the Hungarian side. The result resulted in a review of the antiquated training and tactics used by the England team, and the subsequent adoption of continental practises at an international and club level in the English game.
; as the majority of the Republic Of Ireland team for that game played in the English 1st and 2nd divisions, the defeat was generally viewed in the same light as defeats to Home Nation sides such as Scotland
and Wales.
This had created a climate of complacency; the English Football Association (FA) simply assumed that as the originators of the game, English players were technically and physically superior to their foreign counterparts. In addition, coaching and tactical advances from abroad were ignored, with the English national side and the majority of clubs persisting with the outdated WM formation. England did have a national manager - Walter Winterbottom - but he had no prior managerial experience in professional football. His duties included not only managing the national team, but also developing the overall standard of coaching in England - a vast remit that indicated either naivety or a lack of interest on the part of the FA. Furthermore, Winterbottom did not pick the England squad: that remained with the FA's selection committee, who frequently displayed little or no consistency in their choice of player.
The Hungary national team
was a team creation of the Deputy Sports Minister Gusztáv Sebes
in an endeavour to further sporting excellence in communist Hungary
. Innovations included a precursor to "Total Football
" several years ahead of the Dutch
and the introduction of a deep-lying centre-forward position, occupied by Nándor Hidegkuti
. The Hungarians had seen the virtue of creating fitness regimes as well as a club-like policy at an international level to give impetus to innumerable practice sessions; in addition, most of their players played for the State-sponsored Army team Honvéd
, which ensured that each member of the team was familiar with the style and strengths of each of their team mates.
The Hungarian team was unbeaten since May 1950, and had won the 1952 Olympics
in Helsinki
.
The British press
referred to it as the "Match of the Century" - the originators of the game, unbeaten on home soil against teams outside of the British Isles, against the finest team in the world at that time.
, Stan Mortensen
, goalkeeper Gil Merrick
, future England manager Alf Ramsey
and captain Billy Wright - widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world.
. József Bozsik
played in the deep lying midfield position, with Nándor Hidegkuti
free to roam between midfield and attack. Ferenc Puskás
and Sándor Kocsis
were the strikers, with the width provided by Zoltán Czibor
and László Budai
.
powering a shot past Gil Merrick. It was immediately apparent that the rigid English WM formation was unable to cope with the more fluid Hungarian tactics; time and again Hidegkuti and Ferenc Puskás
drew English players out of position, allowing the more technically skilled Hungarian players to bypass their markers with ease. In particular, England centre-half Harry Johnston
had a torrid time, as he was unable to decide whether to man-mark the deep-lying Hidegkuti or to remain in position and allow him to roam the pitch freely.
England were still capable of creating chances when they could get the ball; Stan Mortensen
released Jackie Sewell
, who put the ball past goalkeeper Gyula Grosics
to draw equal on 13 minutes. However, Hungary proved irresistible; in the 20th minute Hidegkuti scored again from a poor England clearance, and four minutes later Ferenc Puskás scored the third goal via the soon to be famous "drag-back" - as England captain Billy Wright attempted to tackle him, Puskas dragged back the ball with the sole of his boot an instant before, leaving the English captain chasing empty space where the ball had been and beating Merrick with a clinical finish. England were simply unable to obtain the ball, and on the 27th minute Puskas scored again from a deflected József Bozsik
free-kick. There was a brief rally when Mortensen scored for England on 38 minutes, but the half time scoreline of 4-2 to Hungary was a fair reflection of the superiority of the visiting side.
Sir Bobby Robson said of the game: "We saw a style of play, a system of play that we had never seen before. None of these players meant anything to us. We didn't know about Puskás. All these fantastic players, they were men from Mars as far as we were concerned. They were coming to England, England had never been beaten at Wembley - this would be a 3-0, 4-0 maybe even 5-0 demolition of a small country who were just coming into European football. They called Puskás the 'Galloping Major' because he was in the army - how could this guy serving for the Hungarian army come to Wembley and rifle us to defeat? But the way they played, their technical brilliance and expertise - our WM formation was kyboshed in ninety minutes of football. The game had a profound effect, not just on myself but on all of us." Robson went onto say: "That one game alone changed our thinking. We thought we would demolish this team - England at Wembley, we are the masters, they are the pupils. It was absolutely the other way."
"We completely underestimated the advances that Hungary had made, and not only tactically," Billy Wright said. "When we walked out at Wembley that afternoon, side by side with the visiting team, I looked down and noticed that the Hungarians had on these strange, lightweight boots, cut away like slippers under the ankle bone. I turned to big Stan Mortensen
and said, 'We should be alright here, Stan, they haven't got the proper kit'."
Six members of the England team - Bill Eckersley
, Alf Ramsey, George Robb
and the Blackpool
trio of Harry Johnston, Stan Mortensen and Ernie Taylor - were never selected to play for England again.
at Manchester United was amongst the first to recognise that competing with the best European sides was essential to further the English game, and ensured that his team competed in the early European Cup - despite initial objections from the FA about English clubs taking part in the competition. Don Revie
was an admirer of the Hungarian team, and enjoyed a late flourish to his playing career by adopting the Hidegkuti withdrawn centre forward role at Manchester City to great success, renaming it the "Revie plan". Bill Nicholson
at Tottenham Hotspur was a swift adopter of the Hungarian principles, and used them to build the first English double-winning team of the 20th century, and to win the first European trophy by an English side. Ron Greenwood built a successful European Cup Winners Cup side at West Ham
based on the Hungarian team principles. Revie, Malcolm Allison
and Brian Clough
all adopted training and coaching schedules based on the Hungarian coaching styles.
The effect of this match on Alf Ramsey
and Greenwood may be measured from the fact that England's 1966 World Cup winning side contained something of a club nucleus when Ramsey selected three West Ham players (Bobby Moore
, Geoff Hurst
and Martin Peters
), and in 1977 when Greenwood picked 6 Liverpool players (Ray Clemence
, Phil Neal
, Emlyn Hughes
, Terry McDermott
, Ray Kennedy
and Ian Callaghan
) to play Switzerland
.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
HUNGARY:
|
GK
1
Gyula Grosics
(c)
RB
2
Jenő Buzánszky
LB
3
Mihály Lantos
DM
4
József Bozsik
CB
5
Gyula Lóránt
CB
6
József Zakariás
RW
7
László Budai
FW
8
Sándor Kocsis
AM
9
Nándor Hidegkuti
FW
10
Ferenc Puskás
LW
11
Zoltán Czibor
Substitutions:
GK
12
Sándor Gellér
Manager:
Gusztáv Sebes
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
- then the world's number one ranked team, the Olympic champions and on a run of 24 unbeaten games - and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, then the world's number three ranked team, the inventors of the game and unbeaten at home for 90 years against sides from outside the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
.
Hungary won the game 6-3; England were shown to be technically and tactically inferior to the Hungarian side. The result resulted in a review of the antiquated training and tactics used by the England team, and the subsequent adoption of continental practises at an international and club level in the English game.
Background
The English national team had suffered just one defeat on home soil against foreign opposition, which had been in 1949 against the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
; as the majority of the Republic Of Ireland team for that game played in the English 1st and 2nd divisions, the defeat was generally viewed in the same light as defeats to Home Nation sides such as Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and Wales.
This had created a climate of complacency; the English Football Association (FA) simply assumed that as the originators of the game, English players were technically and physically superior to their foreign counterparts. In addition, coaching and tactical advances from abroad were ignored, with the English national side and the majority of clubs persisting with the outdated WM formation. England did have a national manager - Walter Winterbottom - but he had no prior managerial experience in professional football. His duties included not only managing the national team, but also developing the overall standard of coaching in England - a vast remit that indicated either naivety or a lack of interest on the part of the FA. Furthermore, Winterbottom did not pick the England squad: that remained with the FA's selection committee, who frequently displayed little or no consistency in their choice of player.
The Hungary national team
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
was a team creation of the Deputy Sports Minister Gusztáv Sebes
Gusztáv Sebes
Gusztáv Sebes was a Hungarian footballer and coach. With the title of Deputy Minister of Sport, he coached the Hungarian team known as the Mighty Magyars in the 1950s. Among the players in the team were Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik, and Nándor Hidegkuti...
in an endeavour to further sporting excellence in communist Hungary
People's Republic of Hungary
The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...
. Innovations included a precursor to "Total Football
Total Football
"Total Football" is the label given to an influential tactical theory of association football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was pioneered by Dutch football club Ajax from 1969 to 1973, and further used by the Netherlands National Football...
" several years ahead of the Dutch
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and the introduction of a deep-lying centre-forward position, occupied by Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungarian National Team team known as the Golden Team...
. The Hungarians had seen the virtue of creating fitness regimes as well as a club-like policy at an international level to give impetus to innumerable practice sessions; in addition, most of their players played for the State-sponsored Army team Honvéd
Budapest Honvéd FC
Budapest Honvéd FC |football]] team. "Honved" means the Homeland Defense. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944. The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapest Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian...
, which ensured that each member of the team was familiar with the style and strengths of each of their team mates.
The Hungarian team was unbeaten since May 1950, and had won the 1952 Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
The British press
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
referred to it as the "Match of the Century" - the originators of the game, unbeaten on home soil against teams outside of the British Isles, against the finest team in the world at that time.
Date, venue and attendance
The match was played on November 25, 1953 in front of 105,000 at Empire Wembley Stadium.The England team
The England team lined up in its usual WM formation, and included Stanley MatthewsStanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
, Stan Mortensen
Stan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
, goalkeeper Gil Merrick
Gil Merrick
Gilbert Harold "Gil" Merrick , was an English footballer and football manager. Considered one of the best goalkeepers in the UK during the mid-1950s, Merrick was one in a long line of great Birmingham City keepers which included the likes of Johnny Schofield and Harry Hibbs...
, future England manager Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
and captain Billy Wright - widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world.
The Hungarian team
The Hungarian team lined up in the 2-3-3-2 formation pioneered by their coach, Gusztáv SebesGusztáv Sebes
Gusztáv Sebes was a Hungarian footballer and coach. With the title of Deputy Minister of Sport, he coached the Hungarian team known as the Mighty Magyars in the 1950s. Among the players in the team were Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik, and Nándor Hidegkuti...
. József Bozsik
József Bozsik
József Bozsik was a Hungarian footballer. He represented Hungary in various international tournaments, and is a member of the Mighty Magyars.-Biography:...
played in the deep lying midfield position, with Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungarian National Team team known as the Golden Team...
free to roam between midfield and attack. Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
and Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis Péter was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencváros TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, FC Barcelona and Hungary. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was a member of the Mighty Magyars...
were the strikers, with the width provided by Zoltán Czibor
Zoltán Czibor
Zoltán Czibor Suhai , also referred to as Czibor Zoltán, was a Hungarian footballer who played for several Hungarian clubs, including Ferencváros TC and Honvéd, and Hungary before joining CF Barcelona. Czibor played as a left-winger or striker and was notable for having a powerful shot, good...
and László Budai
László Budai
László Budai , also referred to as László Bednarik, Budai László or Budai II is a former Hungarian footballer and coach. Budai was born in Budapest and played as a midfielder and forward for Ferencvárosi TC, Honvéd and Hungary. During the 1950s he was a member of the legendary Hungarian national...
.
First half
Hungary kicked off, and scored within the first minute - Nándor HidegkutiNándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungarian National Team team known as the Golden Team...
powering a shot past Gil Merrick. It was immediately apparent that the rigid English WM formation was unable to cope with the more fluid Hungarian tactics; time and again Hidegkuti and Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
drew English players out of position, allowing the more technically skilled Hungarian players to bypass their markers with ease. In particular, England centre-half Harry Johnston
Harry Johnston (footballer)
Henry "Harry" Johnston was an English footballer. He was the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 1951. He spent his entire professional playing career with Blackpool, with whom he appeared in three FA Cup Finals...
had a torrid time, as he was unable to decide whether to man-mark the deep-lying Hidegkuti or to remain in position and allow him to roam the pitch freely.
England were still capable of creating chances when they could get the ball; Stan Mortensen
Stan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
released Jackie Sewell
Jackie Sewell
John Jackie Sewell John Jackie Sewell John Jackie Sewell (born 24 January 1927, in Kells Village, near Whitehaven, Cumberland is a former England International football player. He played for several teams including Sheffield Wednesday, Notts County and Aston Villa...
, who put the ball past goalkeeper Gyula Grosics
Gyula Grosics
Gyula Grosics is a Hungarian former football goalkeeper who played 86 times for the Hungarian national football team and was part of the legendary Golden Team of the 1950s. He was nicknamed the Black Panther ....
to draw equal on 13 minutes. However, Hungary proved irresistible; in the 20th minute Hidegkuti scored again from a poor England clearance, and four minutes later Ferenc Puskás scored the third goal via the soon to be famous "drag-back" - as England captain Billy Wright attempted to tackle him, Puskas dragged back the ball with the sole of his boot an instant before, leaving the English captain chasing empty space where the ball had been and beating Merrick with a clinical finish. England were simply unable to obtain the ball, and on the 27th minute Puskas scored again from a deflected József Bozsik
József Bozsik
József Bozsik was a Hungarian footballer. He represented Hungary in various international tournaments, and is a member of the Mighty Magyars.-Biography:...
free-kick. There was a brief rally when Mortensen scored for England on 38 minutes, but the half time scoreline of 4-2 to Hungary was a fair reflection of the superiority of the visiting side.
Second half
The second half continued in the same vein; complete Hungarian domination both technically and tactically, with the English team constantly drawn out of position. Bozsik scored in the 50th minute to make it 5-2; Hidegkuti completed his hat-trick with a volley on 53 minutes to make it 6-2. On a rare England attack, Mortensen was fouled by Grosics; Ramsey scored from the penalty spot. The rest of the game was effectively an exhibition match as Hungary simply kept the ball. The final score was 6-3; Hungary had 35 shots on goal to England's five and their final goal, a Hidegkuti volley, followed a ten-pass sequence.Post match discussion and analysis
The result was largely determined by tactical naivety from the English manager and players. When playing the WM formation, the defending centre half would traditionally mark the opposition's centre forward - usually whoever was wearing the number 9 shirt. In the game, England centre half Harry Johnston found himself marking Hidegkuti - who was effectively operating as a midfielder. This meant that Johnston was constantly drawn out of position, allowing the rest of the Hungarian team to exploit the space. England were also undone by the use of Kocsis and Puskás as strikers - as these two were wearing numbers 8 and 10 respectively, England thought they were inside forwards. This in turn led to uncertainty about who should mark them - and to further confuse the English players, the Hungarian forwards were continually swapping positions, confusing the inflexible English defence. The England team were largely drawn out of position because their defenders were marking whoever was wearing a particular number, instead of marking the player who was playing in a particular area.Sir Bobby Robson said of the game: "We saw a style of play, a system of play that we had never seen before. None of these players meant anything to us. We didn't know about Puskás. All these fantastic players, they were men from Mars as far as we were concerned. They were coming to England, England had never been beaten at Wembley - this would be a 3-0, 4-0 maybe even 5-0 demolition of a small country who were just coming into European football. They called Puskás the 'Galloping Major' because he was in the army - how could this guy serving for the Hungarian army come to Wembley and rifle us to defeat? But the way they played, their technical brilliance and expertise - our WM formation was kyboshed in ninety minutes of football. The game had a profound effect, not just on myself but on all of us." Robson went onto say: "That one game alone changed our thinking. We thought we would demolish this team - England at Wembley, we are the masters, they are the pupils. It was absolutely the other way."
"We completely underestimated the advances that Hungary had made, and not only tactically," Billy Wright said. "When we walked out at Wembley that afternoon, side by side with the visiting team, I looked down and noticed that the Hungarians had on these strange, lightweight boots, cut away like slippers under the ankle bone. I turned to big Stan Mortensen
Stan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
and said, 'We should be alright here, Stan, they haven't got the proper kit'."
Six members of the England team - Bill Eckersley
Bill Eckersley
William "Bill" Eckersley was an English footballer. He played as a fullback, spending his entire playing career at Blackburn Rovers.-Football career:...
, Alf Ramsey, George Robb
George Robb
George Robb is a former footballer who played outside left for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He represented Great Britain at the 1952 Olympic Games. He also had a career as a schoolteacher.-Career :...
and the Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
trio of Harry Johnston, Stan Mortensen and Ernie Taylor - were never selected to play for England again.
Return fixture
On 23 May 1954, England visited Budapest in the hope of avenging the 6–3 defeat; instead, Hungary gave a masterclass in football, beating England 7–1. It still ranks as England's heaviest footballing defeat.Long-term influences
The result sent a shockwave through English football; for the first time, English manager and coaches started to look to the continent for tactical and training advances. Matt BusbyMatt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
at Manchester United was amongst the first to recognise that competing with the best European sides was essential to further the English game, and ensured that his team competed in the early European Cup - despite initial objections from the FA about English clubs taking part in the competition. Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
was an admirer of the Hungarian team, and enjoyed a late flourish to his playing career by adopting the Hidegkuti withdrawn centre forward role at Manchester City to great success, renaming it the "Revie plan". Bill Nicholson
Bill Nicholson (footballer)
William Edward "Bill" Nicholson OBE was an English football player, coach, manager and scout who devoted his life to Tottenham Hotspur in North London.-Early life:...
at Tottenham Hotspur was a swift adopter of the Hungarian principles, and used them to build the first English double-winning team of the 20th century, and to win the first European trophy by an English side. Ron Greenwood built a successful European Cup Winners Cup side at West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
based on the Hungarian team principles. Revie, Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
and Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
all adopted training and coaching schedules based on the Hungarian coaching styles.
The effect of this match on Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
and Greenwood may be measured from the fact that England's 1966 World Cup winning side contained something of a club nucleus when Ramsey selected three West Ham players (Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
, Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
and Martin Peters
Martin Peters
Martin Stanford Peters, MBE is a former football player and member of the victorious England team which won the 1966 World Cup as well as playing in the 1970 FIFA World Cup....
), and in 1977 when Greenwood picked 6 Liverpool players (Ray Clemence
Ray Clemence
Raymond Neal "Ray" Clemence, MBE is one of English and European football's most decorated goalkeepers ever and was part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Scunthorpe United:...
, Phil Neal
Phil Neal
Philip George "Phil" Neal is a former footballer who was, at one time, the most successful player in English football history. He played for Liverpool 650 times over an eleven year period and is the only player to have appeared in the first five of their European Cup finals, winning four of them...
, Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :...
, Terry McDermott
Terry McDermott
Terence "Terry" McDermott is a former football midfielder and current coach. He is currently the assistant manager at League One side Huddersfield Town.He is the father of Newcastle United player Greg McDermott and Marsaxlokk player Neale McDermott-Early career:McDermott joined Bury as a youngster...
, Ray Kennedy
Ray Kennedy
Raymond Kennedy is an English former football player who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s...
and Ian Callaghan
Ian Callaghan
Ian Robert Callaghan MBE is a former Liverpool footballer who holds the record for most appearances for the club.-Life and playing career:...
) to play Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
.
Details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | ENGLAND: | ||
| GK | 1 | Gil Merrick Gil Merrick Gilbert Harold "Gil" Merrick , was an English footballer and football manager. Considered one of the best goalkeepers in the UK during the mid-1950s, Merrick was one in a long line of great Birmingham City keepers which included the likes of Johnny Schofield and Harry Hibbs... |
|
| RB | 2 | Alf Ramsey Alf Ramsey Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966... |
|
| LB | 3 | Bill Eckersley Bill Eckersley William "Bill" Eckersley was an English footballer. He played as a fullback, spending his entire playing career at Blackburn Rovers.-Football career:... |
|
| RH | 4 | Billy Wright (c) | |
| CB | 5 | Harry Johnston Harry Johnston (footballer) Henry "Harry" Johnston was an English footballer. He was the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 1951. He spent his entire professional playing career with Blackpool, with whom he appeared in three FA Cup Finals... |
|
| LH | 6 | Jimmy Dickinson Jimmy Dickinson James William 'Jimmy' Dickinson was an English football player.Dickinson holds the record for number of league appearances for Portsmouth... |
|
| RW | 7 | Stanley Matthews Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'... |
|
| IR | 8 | Ernie Taylor | |
| CF | 9 | Stan Mortensen Stan Mortensen Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final... |
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| IL | 10 | Jackie Sewell Jackie Sewell John Jackie Sewell John Jackie Sewell John Jackie Sewell (born 24 January 1927, in Kells Village, near Whitehaven, Cumberland is a former England International football player. He played for several teams including Sheffield Wednesday, Notts County and Aston Villa... |
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| LW | 11 | George Robb George Robb George Robb is a former footballer who played outside left for Tottenham Hotspur and England. He represented Great Britain at the 1952 Olympic Games. He also had a career as a schoolteacher.-Career :... |
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 Walter Winterbottom |
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Gyula Grosics
Gyula Grosics is a Hungarian former football goalkeeper who played 86 times for the Hungarian national football team and was part of the legendary Golden Team of the 1950s. He was nicknamed the Black Panther ....
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Jeno Buzánszky
Jenő Buzánszky is a former Hungarian footballer and coach. Buzánszky played as a right back for Hungary. During the 1950s he was a member of the legendary Hungarian national team known as the Mighty Magyars. Other members of the team included Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, József...
Mihály Lantos
Mihály Lantos , also known as Lantos Mihály or Mihály Lendenmayer, was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He played as a defender, spending the majority of his career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungary team known as the Mighty Magyars...
József Bozsik
József Bozsik was a Hungarian footballer. He represented Hungary in various international tournaments, and is a member of the Mighty Magyars.-Biography:...
Gyula Lóránt
Gyula Lóránt , also referred to as Gyula Lipovics or Lóránt Gyula, was a Hungarian football player and manager...
József Zakariás
József Zakariás , also known as Zakariás József was a Hungarian footballer and manager. During the 1950s he was a member of the legendary Hungary team known as the Mighty Magyars...
László Budai
László Budai , also referred to as László Bednarik, Budai László or Budai II is a former Hungarian footballer and coach. Budai was born in Budapest and played as a midfielder and forward for Ferencvárosi TC, Honvéd and Hungary. During the 1950s he was a member of the legendary Hungarian national...
Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis Péter was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencváros TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, FC Barcelona and Hungary. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was a member of the Mighty Magyars...
Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungarian National Team team known as the Golden Team...
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
Zoltán Czibor
Zoltán Czibor Suhai , also referred to as Czibor Zoltán, was a Hungarian footballer who played for several Hungarian clubs, including Ferencváros TC and Honvéd, and Hungary before joining CF Barcelona. Czibor played as a left-winger or striker and was notable for having a powerful shot, good...
Gusztáv SebesGusztáv Sebes
Gusztáv Sebes was a Hungarian footballer and coach. With the title of Deputy Minister of Sport, he coached the Hungarian team known as the Mighty Magyars in the 1950s. Among the players in the team were Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik, and Nándor Hidegkuti...