These friendlies were arranged as confidence boosting warm ups before the 1954 World Cup Finals in Switzerland. The FA planners were clearly short of a few brain cells choosing to take on the fabulous Hungarians that included the very able Ferenc Puskas, the Galloping Major, probably the best player in the World at the time. The Hungarians did lose to West Germany in the Final 3-2, although Puskas had scored in the final minutes, a disputed goal disallowed for off side. The match was held at the famous Wankdorf Stadium, in Berne, on July 4th.
Previously on 25th November 1953, at Wembley, the English suffered a humiliating 3-6 defeat to the Hungarians. 100,000 fans saw this one sided affair, England's team included Alf Ramsey, the 1966 manager, Stanley Matthews (very famous), Stan Mortenson who had scored a Cup Final hat trick in May at Wembley for Blackpool and George Robb of Spurs, earning his first and only cap, who later became the the Football Coach at Ardingly College, a school team I played against as an schoolboy and coached against as a teacher! Very nice man....George (not me necessarily)
The Hungarians left nothing to chance, for when they played at Wembley, in November, they trained on a pitch neat Lake Balaton in central Hungary, using a fog making machine to simulate the London weather. They also wore newly designed boots that were very supple, cut below the ankle bone, with no toe caps or solid soles. The English players found this footware amusing when the teams walked out from the tunnel at Wembley, but had no idea what was going to happen over the next 90 minutes.
Syd Owen, the Luton centre-half said "It was like playing against men from outer space"
The double hammering was the first time an international side had beaten England by 6 and more goals in two games.
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