Post by Macmoish on Jan 16, 2011 7:33:44 GMT
RIP - Going to be a lot of obituaries
BBC - Bolton legend Nat Lofthouse dies at 85
Lofthouse scored 255 goals for Bolton
Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse has died at the age of 85.
The striker, who scored 255 goals in over 450 games for the Trotters between 1946 and 1960, died peacefully in his sleep at a nursing home in Bolton.
"He was a one-club man and our football club meant as much to him as he did to us," said chairman Phil Gartside.
Lofthouse OBE, who worked for Bolton in a number of roles after he hung up his boots, also scored 30 goals in 33 matches for England.
Those roles included chief coach, chief scout, caretaker and club president, with Lofthouse holding the last position until his death.
"I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nat's family, who are very much in our thoughts at this time," added Gartside in a statement on the Bolton website.
"We will miss him but we will celebrate his life, his legacy and great times that he brought to Bolton."
Lofthouse captained Bolton in two FA Cup finals, the first time in 1953 when he came up against Sir Stanley Matthews, when the Trotters were memorably beaten 4-3 by Lancashire rivals Blackpool at Wembley.
Five years later, Lofthouse won a winner's medal after scoring both goals in the 2-0 win over Manchester United, only three months after the Old Trafford club had been involved in the Munich air disaster.
newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/9363142.stm
OBSERVER
Nat Lofthouse, Lion of Vienna, dies in his sleep aged 85
• Former centre-forward played for Bolton all his career
• England international scored 30 goals for his country
The Lion of Vienna, Nat Lofthouse, has died aged 85. The centre-forward, who scored 30 goals in 33 appearances for England between 1950 and 1958, died peacefully in his sleep at his nursing home last night.
Lofthouse made more than 450 appearances for Bolton, scoring 255 goals between 1946 and 1960.
On 25 May 1952, he earned the title Lion of Vienna after scoring his second goal in England's 3–2 victory over Austria. In doing so he was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and finally brought down by the goalkeeper. Back from national team duty, he then scored six goals in a game between the English Football League and the Irish League on 24 September 1952.
In 1953, he was declared English Footballer of the Year and on 2 May that year, he scored a goal – but was on the losing side – in the famous FA Cup Final of 1953 (aka The Matthews Final) between Blackpool and Bolton, having previously scored in each round. That season he topped the First Division goalscoring charts with 30 goals.
On 3 May 1958, almost five years to the day after losing the 1953 final, Lofthouse captained Bolton in the 1958 FA Cup Final against Manchester United, who three months earlier had been involved in the Munich air disaster.
Against a national wave of sympathy for United, Bolton won the game 2–0 with Lofthouse scoring two goals, the second of which was highly controversial and remains a talking point to this day. Lofthouse went into a challenge with the United keeper Harry Gregg and barged him into the net to score as shoulder charging the goalkeeper was a legitimate tactic at the time.
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said last night: "On behalf of everyone at Bolton Wanderers Football Club, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nat's family, who are very much in our thoughts at this time."
Lofthouse, who was voted Bolton's greatest ever player in a poll conducted in 2006, continued his association with the club by occupying many different positions including chief coach, chief scout, caretaker manager and club president.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/16/nat-lofthouse-bolton-england
INDEPENDENT/Duncan White
Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse dies aged 85
Nat Lofthouse epitomised the kind of English centre forward that has become an intrinsic part of football culture and in his extraordinarily prolific career with Bolton Wanderers become the kind of iconic one-club servant so rarely seen in the contemporary game.
Lofthouse was born in Bolton Wanderers in 1925 and began playing for his hometown club at the beginning of the Second World War. In a taste of what was to come, he scored twice on his debut against Bury on March 22 1941 but did not makes his full league debut until the war was over.
He scored twice in that game too as Bolton lost 4-3 to Chelsea on August 31 1946.
Under manager Bryan Edwards, Lofthouse developed into one of the most prolific strikers in the country and he scored 255 goals in 452 league appearances, and 285 in 503 overall, for Bolton between 1946 and 1960.
He is the seventh highest goalscorer in the history of the top flight. "He was a one-club man and our football club meant as much to him as he did to us," said Bolton chairman Phil Gartside. "I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nat's family, who are very much in our thoughts at this time," added Gartside in a statement on the
Bolton website. “We will miss him but we will celebrate his life, his legacy and great times that he brought to Bolton."
Lofthouse played, captained and scored in arguably the most famous FA Cup final in the history of the competition – the Matthews final of 1953.
Blackpool beat Bolton 4-3 with Stanley Matthews delivering his historic performance and Stan Mortensen scoring a hat-trick for the winners.
In scoring in the final, after just two minutes, Lofthouse scored in every round of the FA Cup that season. He was named English footballer of the year for 1953 and it remains one of the best season’s by any centre-forward in the history of English football.
He had better luck in the FA Cup five years later, as Bolton won the trophy in 1958, Lofthouse scoring twice as Bolton beat Manchester United at Wembley. The game was not without controversy however.
The Munich Air crash had happened three months earlier and United were still in mourning. The nation’s football fans naturally had much sympathy for United.
Lofthouse gave a physical performance and, for his second goal, actually barged the United goalkeeper Harry Gregg over the line with a shoulder charge.
The tactic was legitimate at the time but remains one of the most controversial goals in the history of the FA Cup final.
Lofthouse did not win as many caps as his prolific club form might have suggested but in his 33 games for England, he scored a remarkable 30 goals.
He earned the nickname “The Lion of Vienna’ for his heroic performance against Austria in 1952, scoring a famous goal while the Austrian defence tried to step him with three separate fouls.
Lofthouse won his final cap on 26 November 1958, against Wales, at the age of 33. He retired from club football in 1960.
Lofthouse became a coach at Bolton soon after he quit playing and, after a brief spell as a caretaker manager, took the manager’s job in 1968.
He continued to work at the club in various capacities, including working as the chief scout. He had a second spell as caretaker in 1985 and a year later was named club president.
He was a freeman of the city of Bolton and received an OBE for his services to football. In 1997 Bolton named the East stand of the Reebok stadium after the top scorer in their history. His name is inextricably linked with the football club.
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/bolton-wanderers/8262455/Bolton-Wanderers-and-England-legend-Nat-Lofthouse-dies-aged-85.html
BBC - Bolton legend Nat Lofthouse dies at 85
Lofthouse scored 255 goals for Bolton
Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse has died at the age of 85.
The striker, who scored 255 goals in over 450 games for the Trotters between 1946 and 1960, died peacefully in his sleep at a nursing home in Bolton.
"He was a one-club man and our football club meant as much to him as he did to us," said chairman Phil Gartside.
Lofthouse OBE, who worked for Bolton in a number of roles after he hung up his boots, also scored 30 goals in 33 matches for England.
Those roles included chief coach, chief scout, caretaker and club president, with Lofthouse holding the last position until his death.
"I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nat's family, who are very much in our thoughts at this time," added Gartside in a statement on the Bolton website.
"We will miss him but we will celebrate his life, his legacy and great times that he brought to Bolton."
Lofthouse captained Bolton in two FA Cup finals, the first time in 1953 when he came up against Sir Stanley Matthews, when the Trotters were memorably beaten 4-3 by Lancashire rivals Blackpool at Wembley.
Five years later, Lofthouse won a winner's medal after scoring both goals in the 2-0 win over Manchester United, only three months after the Old Trafford club had been involved in the Munich air disaster.
newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/9363142.stm
OBSERVER
Nat Lofthouse, Lion of Vienna, dies in his sleep aged 85
• Former centre-forward played for Bolton all his career
• England international scored 30 goals for his country
The Lion of Vienna, Nat Lofthouse, has died aged 85. The centre-forward, who scored 30 goals in 33 appearances for England between 1950 and 1958, died peacefully in his sleep at his nursing home last night.
Lofthouse made more than 450 appearances for Bolton, scoring 255 goals between 1946 and 1960.
On 25 May 1952, he earned the title Lion of Vienna after scoring his second goal in England's 3–2 victory over Austria. In doing so he was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and finally brought down by the goalkeeper. Back from national team duty, he then scored six goals in a game between the English Football League and the Irish League on 24 September 1952.
In 1953, he was declared English Footballer of the Year and on 2 May that year, he scored a goal – but was on the losing side – in the famous FA Cup Final of 1953 (aka The Matthews Final) between Blackpool and Bolton, having previously scored in each round. That season he topped the First Division goalscoring charts with 30 goals.
On 3 May 1958, almost five years to the day after losing the 1953 final, Lofthouse captained Bolton in the 1958 FA Cup Final against Manchester United, who three months earlier had been involved in the Munich air disaster.
Against a national wave of sympathy for United, Bolton won the game 2–0 with Lofthouse scoring two goals, the second of which was highly controversial and remains a talking point to this day. Lofthouse went into a challenge with the United keeper Harry Gregg and barged him into the net to score as shoulder charging the goalkeeper was a legitimate tactic at the time.
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said last night: "On behalf of everyone at Bolton Wanderers Football Club, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nat's family, who are very much in our thoughts at this time."
Lofthouse, who was voted Bolton's greatest ever player in a poll conducted in 2006, continued his association with the club by occupying many different positions including chief coach, chief scout, caretaker manager and club president.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/16/nat-lofthouse-bolton-england
INDEPENDENT/Duncan White
Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse dies aged 85
Nat Lofthouse epitomised the kind of English centre forward that has become an intrinsic part of football culture and in his extraordinarily prolific career with Bolton Wanderers become the kind of iconic one-club servant so rarely seen in the contemporary game.
Lofthouse was born in Bolton Wanderers in 1925 and began playing for his hometown club at the beginning of the Second World War. In a taste of what was to come, he scored twice on his debut against Bury on March 22 1941 but did not makes his full league debut until the war was over.
He scored twice in that game too as Bolton lost 4-3 to Chelsea on August 31 1946.
Under manager Bryan Edwards, Lofthouse developed into one of the most prolific strikers in the country and he scored 255 goals in 452 league appearances, and 285 in 503 overall, for Bolton between 1946 and 1960.
He is the seventh highest goalscorer in the history of the top flight. "He was a one-club man and our football club meant as much to him as he did to us," said Bolton chairman Phil Gartside. "I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nat's family, who are very much in our thoughts at this time," added Gartside in a statement on the
Bolton website. “We will miss him but we will celebrate his life, his legacy and great times that he brought to Bolton."
Lofthouse played, captained and scored in arguably the most famous FA Cup final in the history of the competition – the Matthews final of 1953.
Blackpool beat Bolton 4-3 with Stanley Matthews delivering his historic performance and Stan Mortensen scoring a hat-trick for the winners.
In scoring in the final, after just two minutes, Lofthouse scored in every round of the FA Cup that season. He was named English footballer of the year for 1953 and it remains one of the best season’s by any centre-forward in the history of English football.
He had better luck in the FA Cup five years later, as Bolton won the trophy in 1958, Lofthouse scoring twice as Bolton beat Manchester United at Wembley. The game was not without controversy however.
The Munich Air crash had happened three months earlier and United were still in mourning. The nation’s football fans naturally had much sympathy for United.
Lofthouse gave a physical performance and, for his second goal, actually barged the United goalkeeper Harry Gregg over the line with a shoulder charge.
The tactic was legitimate at the time but remains one of the most controversial goals in the history of the FA Cup final.
Lofthouse did not win as many caps as his prolific club form might have suggested but in his 33 games for England, he scored a remarkable 30 goals.
He earned the nickname “The Lion of Vienna’ for his heroic performance against Austria in 1952, scoring a famous goal while the Austrian defence tried to step him with three separate fouls.
Lofthouse won his final cap on 26 November 1958, against Wales, at the age of 33. He retired from club football in 1960.
Lofthouse became a coach at Bolton soon after he quit playing and, after a brief spell as a caretaker manager, took the manager’s job in 1968.
He continued to work at the club in various capacities, including working as the chief scout. He had a second spell as caretaker in 1985 and a year later was named club president.
He was a freeman of the city of Bolton and received an OBE for his services to football. In 1997 Bolton named the East stand of the Reebok stadium after the top scorer in their history. His name is inextricably linked with the football club.
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/bolton-wanderers/8262455/Bolton-Wanderers-and-England-legend-Nat-Lofthouse-dies-aged-85.html