THE QUEEN-ANNIVERSARY

 

·        Queen’s Birthday: 21^st April 1926: Arthur Rowley, the England centre forward, nicknamed The Gunner was born in Wolverhampton and score most goals in English League football, 434 goals in 619 games for Leicester City and Shrewsbury Town. He died in 2002. He was also a cricketer of some note.

"   After the death of George VI in 1952, rugby and hockey fixtures were called off, while football matches went ahead. Fans sang “Abide With Me” and the National Anthem before kick-off. The National Theatre will close if the news breaks before 4pm, and stay open if not. All games, including golf, will be banned in the Royal Parks."

     

Elizabeth took the Throne-Coronation: 6^th February 1952 She took the Throne on February 6th 1952  English FA Cup: Sheff Utd 4 – 2 West Ham:  Brentford 0 – 0 Luton: Gateshead 0 – 2 West Brom: Middlesbrough 1 – 4 Doncaster : English Div 3 (north) Tranmere 3 – 1 Bradford:                             English Div 3 (south) Bristol C 6 – 0 Southend.

Her Coronation: 2^nd June 1953 : Arsenal won the 1952/53 Football League Division 1 season however it was the closest finish in English football League history, with Preston North End finishing the season with an almost identical record, Division One being decided on Goal average.

Arsenal P 42 W21 D15 L9 F64 97 A Pts 54     Preston P42 W21 D12 L9 F85 A60 Pts 54

It would take a brave gambling man to place a football bet on this ever being repeated. Arsenal would not win the League again until the 1970-71 English Football League Division 1 season (view Arsenal league stats). This was the closest Preston North End had come to winning one of the major competitions in England after being crowned the 1938 English Football Association Cup winners.

One club man for Bolton Wanders, the all time great Nat Lofthouse, was awarded 1952-1953 Football Writers Association Player of the Year. Lofthouse had an extraordinary goal scoring record for both Bolton Wanders and the England National team, for whom he scored 30 goals, despite only winning 33 caps. The leading goal scorer in the English League 1952-53 division 1 was Charlie Wayman of Preston North End. A cruel twist of fate meant that Wayman also missed out on the 1949/50 English League Division Two title with Southampton. His forward partnership for Preston North End with the great Tom Finney, is still considered to be one of the most feared forward lines in English League history. Charlie Wayward was also part of the team that holds England's Football League highest score record when Newcastle United beat Newport 13-0 with Wayward contributing 4 goals to this record statistic despite missing an early penalty.

Her Death: 9^th September 2022: All matches postponed in respect. Some suggest (Piers Morgan) that keeping all fixtures alive would meant a mass celebration of the Queen’s involvement in the game.