AUSTRIA'S WUNDERTEAM: HOGAN OR RAYNOR

Well, the press has described England's latest victory as a scrappy 1-0 win over Austria, a friendly game, which sort of prepares our boys for the upcoming Euro tournament. Does the result matter, did Gareth play his full team, was it worth it, does the Austrian FA have history? I'll say. 

In 1894, the First Vienna FC, the first football team in Austria, was founded in Vienna. From this, the Austrian Football Association was established in 1904. One year after the establishment, Austria became a member of the international football federation FIFA and hosted the fifth FIFA congress in 1908. England's first match against Austria was on June 6th 1908 (see yesterday) with a match played on the "Cricketer Platz" in Vienna.

The milestones of the Austrian federation were the "World Cup" years: 1934 (lost 3rd place play off), 1938 withdrew due to Anschluss (annexation to Nazi Germany), WAR, 1950 (withdrew), 1954 (won 3rd place play off v Uruguay) and then 1958 (15th), 1962 (withdrew), 1966 +1970 + + 1974 (did not qualify through groups), 1978, 1982 (lost in 2nd Rd Final Group phase),  1986 (DNQ for Finals)), 1990 (lost in Final group phase 18th place), 1994 (DNQ) and 1998 (Did not get out of Final group stage 23rd)2002-2018 DNQ. 

Hugo Meisl was one of the best-known personalities in the early years of the Austrian Football Association, becoming general-secretary and national team coach in 1927. At the 1936 Summer Olympics, his team won silver after losing 2-1 in the Gold Medal final to Italy, Austria's only international final. Meisl's team, nicknamed the Wunderteam, remained unbeaten from 12 April 1931 to 23 October 1932 in 14 successive matches. The highlights of this series were the 6-0 (in Berlin) and 5-0 (in Vienna) victories against Germany.

The 1950s saw more achievements with their well-known football greats such as Ernst Ockwirk (twice captain of the FIFA World Selection Team), Ernst Happel, Gerhard Hanappi and Walter Ze Man. The 1954 World Cup ranks among being most successful in Austrian Football Association history. Twenty years after being in 4th place in the 1934 competition held in Italy, Austria returned to the circle of the best World teams again.

Between the World Wars, while England was still regarding itself as the Masters of World Football, several European international teams were developing into major forces. The Swedes developed under George Raynor, an Englishman (born in Hoyland, Barnsley!!) in the late 1940s and the Hungarians were Magyarnificent!! From the 1930s through to the 1950s and the Austrians were named the Wunderteam. 

Their coach was Hugo Meisl, who led the Austrians through a 14 match unbeaten run in the 18 months prior to the 7th of December 1932. They beat Germany over two games during that run, with 11 goals for and none against. 

Much of the influence came from a Scot, Jimmy Hogan (educated at St Bede's College, Manchester-SEE TOMORROWS BLOG!), who coached in Austria and introduced the "Scottish School of Football" a quick passing game suited to Matthias Sindelar, who was their free scoring star player. Sindelar was known as Der Papierene, the Paper Man. (the wafer?)

But at Stamford Bridge, on that December day, they met their match when England beat them 4-3 in a scintillating game. A crowd of 72,000 watched the home team score twice before half time through James Hampson. The visitors grabbed one goal back before William Houghton scored a third to keep England ahead 3-1. 

Sindelar struck a minute later, Samuel Crooks made it 4-2 to England and with a final Austrian goal  minutes from the end, the crowd was kept on its toes.

The Second World War interrupted Austria's progress and certainly put pay to their 1938 World Cup hopes. Also, Sindelar (below) died in suspicious circumstances during the hostilities, though Ernst Happel, who featured in the team during the 1940s and 1950s, took his experience of Total Football to the Netherlands with him, in the 1960-70s and had a major effect on football there, as was shown in the 1974 World Cup.