OCTOBER 26th

This football programme centre-spread from Highbury on October 26th 1938, is a bit hazy but then I have enlarged it so that you can get a reasonable view on the names involved in this celebratory game. The occasion was the 75th anniversary of the Football Association. Their clubs are less visible so I will list them from goalie GK to left wing LW as follows:
GK Chelsea, RB Tottenham, LB Arsenal, RH Huddersfield, CH Wolves, LH Arsenal, RW Blackpool, IR Tottenham, CF Everton, IL West Ham, OL Everton.
The game was between England and the Rest of Europe with England wearing white shirts and black "knickers". Seriously that's what they were called.

In 1938 the England FA had still not entered the World Cup, but when they beat the Rest of Europe, many thought they should have by then! They had beaten a side with 5 Italians in it, Italy having just won the World Cup earlier in the year. The FA were so "snobby" that they did not trust the World Cup to be a good enough challenge!
The team read: Woodley, Sproston, Hapgood (capt), Willingham, Cullis, Copping, Matthews, Hall, Lawton, Goulden, Boyes.

Willie Hall had scored 5 against Ireland at Old Trafford, including a hat trick in the 34th, 36th and 38th minutes (actually in 3.5 minutes).
Stanley Matthews you should know, Stan Cullis went on to manage Wolves, Tommy Lawton, an amazing centre-forward with Everton and captain Eddie Hapgood (Arsenal) were formidable footballers.


To celebrate Wembley's new floodlights on this day in 1955, A London XI played A Frankfurt XI, at Wembley, kicking off at 7.45, because they could! On November 30th, the first international at the "national stadium" was between England and Spain, ending 4-1 to the home team.

John Atyeo (Bristol City) x 1 pictured below, Bill Perry (Blackpool) x 2 and Tom Finney (Preston) x 1 scored.
Ayteo worked part time and was a quantity surveyor and then a schoolmaster, who taught Maths in Warminster. A prolific goalscorer, possibly as a part-time footballer he was not considered an international footballer only playing 6 times.
His club record was played 645 games scoring 351 goals, which at any level meant something, but not to the FA!