Nr. 348

LUCKY NUMBER 13 FOR JUST FONTAINE (1958)

For over half a century Just Fontaine has held the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup after registering an incredible 13 for France at the 1958 tournament.
Before travelling to Sweden, the 24-year-old Stade de Reims striker wasn’t even certain of a place in the French side, but an ankle injury to his team-mate Rene Bliard gave him his opportunity. With Real Madrid’s Raymond Kopa operating behind him, Fontaine thrived and helped himself to goals at will in Sweden.
Fontaine also scored in six consecutive games to set another record. In the group stage he opened his account with a hat-trick against Paraguay, then a double against Yugoslavia and one against Scotland. In the quarter-finals he scored twice in France’s 4-0 win over Northern Ireland and in the semi-final he scored once, but it wasn’t enough as France crashed out 5-2 to Brazil. In the third/fourth place play-off Fontaine ran riot and scored four in a 6-3 win over West Germany.

France’s Just Fontaine is chaired off by his team-mates after scoring four goals in his team’s 6-3 third place play-off win to set a new individual scoring record of 13 goals in one World Cup.

Nr. 347

PELE’S SEMI-FINAL HAT-TRICK (1958)

The imperious Brazilians of 1958 were known for their attacking brilliance, but they also reached the semis in Sweden without conceding a goal. In the semi-final they expected to be tested by a French side that boasted the prolific Just Fontaine. He scored in the first half, but goals from Vava and Didi gave Brazil a 2-1 lead at the interval. The French, having pierced the Brazilian defence, were confident of doing it again before they were blown away in the second half as a 17-year-old Pelé scored a hat-trick in 23 minutes. The game finished 5-2 after Roger Piatoni scored a late consolation goal for the French.

Wowed by the Brazilian’s display, French marksman Just Fontaine reportedly said that, «to lose to a team like that wasn’t embarrassing».

Nr. 346

SOVIET UNION KNOCK ENGLAND OUT OF WORLD CUP (1958)

Six months before the 1958 World Cup England harboured realistic hopes of winning the tournament, but that all changed at Munich. In the air disaster England tragically lost three world-class talents in Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor and Roger Bryne. And so a weakened England travelled to Sweden and drew all three of their group games against the Soviet Union, Brazil and Austria. In a play-off against the Soviets at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg England’s Peter Brabrook twice hit the post befare Anatoly Ilyin’s goal after 69 minutes denied them a place in the quarter-finals.

Don Howe, Bobby Charlton, Peter Brabrook and Peter Broadbent alight from the plane which carried England back from Sweden.

Nr. 345

THE FOUR HOME NATIONS QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD CUP (1958)

The 1958 World Cup finals were the first, and so far only, time the four home nations – England, Scotland, Wales and Northem Ireland – have all qualified for the tournament. The Welsh enjoyed the most glory, reaching the quarter-finals before losing 1-0 to a goal scored by Pelé for the eventual winners Brazil. Northern Ireland also made it to the last eight before succumbing to the rampant Just Fontaine, who scored twice, as France triumphed 4-0. Scotland finished bottom of their group without a win, while England drew all three of their group games before losing 1-0 to the Soviet Union in a play-off.

Wales keeper Kelsey in called into action against Sweden during the World Cup in 1958 in which all four home nations participated.

Nr. 344

THE WELSH BATTLE AGAINST THE HUNGARIANS (1958)

On their only appearance at the World Cup finals, Wales stuck around for as long as they could. In group three they drew their games against Hungary, Sweden and Mexico. At this toumament, when teams finished level there was a play-off, so the Welsh met Hungary for a place in the quarter-finals. The Hungarians, stripped of so many great players, were still skilful and combative, and took the lead in the first half through Lajos Tichy. A brilliant volley from Ivor Allchurch, described by Real Madrid club president Santiago Bernabeu as the best inside-forward at the tournament, equalized for Wales, before Terry Medwin grabbed the winner. It finished 2-1.

lvor Allchurch fires in a shot as Mexico’s Del Muro puts in a challenge during another of the Wales’ group matches in Sweden.

Nr. 343

PELÉ AND GARRINCHA TEAM UP (1958)

On 15 June 1958 the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg witnessed the coming together of two of football’s greatest ever players, Pelé and Garrincha, when Brazil faced the Soviet Union in the group stage of the World Cup. By the time the pair were parted eight years later Brazil had won two World Cups and while they played in the same side their country never lost a single game.
The 24-year-old Garrincha, who had won his first cap for Brazil three years earlier, had an unrivalled ability to glide past defenders with his pace and trickery. The Botofogo winger was the king of the dribble, perversely helped by a childhood illness that had left him with curved legs and which made him able to change direction quickly and swerve past opponents at will.
Destined to be recognized as the greatest player of all time, Pelé had made his debut for Brazil at only 16 years old, but before the World Cup in Sweden he wasn’t yet a regular in the team. However, his incredible all-round talents effectively forced the Brazilian coach Vicente Feola to throw the Santos man into the action – and he didn’t disappoint.
It has long been rumoured that the rest of the squad put pressure on Feola to play Garrincha and Pelé together, but whatever the truth he chose to use both in Brazil’s third game of the tournament against the Soviets, despite the objections of the team psychologist, who said that neither was ready for exposure at this level. That match was won 2-0 with both goals coming hom Vava, and two weeks later Brazil were world champions.

Brazil’s Vava fires his team’s second goal past USSR goal keeper Lev Yashin as team-mate Pelé celebrates.

The victorious Brazil side.

Nr. 342

BELA GUTTMAN AND HIS 4-2-4 (1958)

The legendary Hungarian coach Bela Guttman managed 19 different sides over four decades, but arguably made the greatest impact on a side he had nothing to do with. His countrymen, Marton Bukovi and the coach of the great Hungarian side of the 1950s Gusztay Sebes, had helped to develop the attacking 4-2-4 formation, which involved having six players in attack and then in defence. Guttman introduced and popularized this during a season in charge of Sao Paulo FC, whom he led to the Sao Paulo State Championship in 1957. The Brazilian national team were inspired by the formation and used it to win the World Cup in 1958.

Guttman’s attacking principles were the tactical inspiration behind Brazil’s 1958 campaign.

Nr. 341

GOODISON PARK GETS ALL WARM UNDERFOOT (1958)

In May I958 Everton became the first English club to embrace under-soil heating when it was installed at Goodison Park. The hope was that it would help to remove snow and ice, which could often force the cancellation of games during the winter. The under-soil heating was provided by a series of electric wires, but there was a problem because the drains couldn’t cope with a lot of water and thus there was presumably a danger of electrocution. In I960 it was replaced by a new system and then eventually replaced again with a series of hot water pipes.

The reasoning behind Everton’s decision was that matches were all too often called off because of a frozen pitch during the British winter.

Nr. 340

BUSBY MAKES EMOTIONAL RETURN (1958)

While Manchester United’s form in the League Championship inevitably slumped, they were carried to the FA Cup final on a wave of emotion after the Munich disaster. Two weeks befare the final Matt Busby travelled home overland and went down to Wembley with his side. Still on crutches, he didn’t lead the team out, believing the honour should be his assistant Jimmy Murphy’s, but Busby did speak to the players in the dressing room befare the game, although he broke down in tears and had to be led away. Sadly United lost for the second successive season as Nat Lofthouse scored twice to lead Bolton to a 2-0 victory.

Manchester United’s Matt Busby watches his Babes take on Bolton Wanderers in the emotional 1958 FA Cup final at Wembley.

Nr. 339

BOBBY CHARLTON MAKES ENGLAND DEBUT (1958)

Bobby Charlton scored the first of his record haul of 49 goals on his international debut in a 4-0 victory over Scotland at Hampden Park in April 1958. Only two months after surviving the Munich disaster Charlton opened his account for England with the final goal of the game when, from a Tom Finney cross, he struck a powerful volley past Scottish goalkeeper Tommy Younger on 85 minutes. So impressed by the goal he had just conceded, Younger ran out of his penalty area to congratulate Charlton. «Well done, son, that was a fantastic goal,» he told him. Charlton would score another 48 over the next 12 years.

Charlton was 21 when he made his international bow. He eventually reached 106 caps, averaging almost a goal every other game.

Nr. 338

HERRERA ‘PSYCHES UP’ THE BARCELONA DRESSING ROOM (1958)

The modem game features many examples of managers using so-called ‘mind games’ to influence a football match, and Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho may think they have the monopoly on such tactics, but the godfather of football mind games was Helanio Herrera who, throughout the 1950s and 1960s made a habit of psyching his players up for action. French-Argentinian coach Herrera came to Barcelona in 1958, having worked at several clubs in France and Spain, and immediately set about helping his players maximize their efforts.
«He who doesn’t give it all, gives nothing,» was one of his favourite sayings. He was also a strict disciplinarian who banned players from drinking and smoking.

Herrera’s approach to his players may have raised a few eyebrows in 1958 but his innovations are very much a part of today’s game.

Nr. 337

EMPTY SPACES IN UNITED PROGRAMME (1958)

Thirteen days after the Munich air disaster Manchester United were back in action for the first time when they faced Sheffield Wednesday in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford. Harry Gregg and Bill Foulkes were the only players fit and available from the last game prior to the crash, and, poignantly, the programme had been printed with eleven blanks for the United team. Although essentially a team of strangers, United won the game 3-0. «That game was more important for what it did for the people of Manchester than what it did for me,» said Bobby Charlton. «It gave them something to shout for again.»

Manchester United captain Bill Foulkes leads the makeshift United team out for their first match since the tragedy in Munich.