ENGLAND v THE REST OF THE WORLD

October 23rd 1963, I was younger then! 2.45 kick off? England played The Rest of the World! I watched this on black and white TV. It was the FA's Centenary, founded in 1863; what better way to celebrate than bringing a team from far flung countries, to the home of the FA, to give England a "nice" game of football? England won 2-1, with goals from Terry Paine 66 mins (Southampton) and Jimmy Greaves 89 mins (Chelsea) tense conclusion; 100,000 watched the game. Denis Law scored the ROW goal in 83rd minute. Match "staged?" Bobby Davidson refereed.

The starting England team to play The Rest of the World in 1963 was:

Banks, Armfield, Wilson, Milne, Norman, Moore, Paine, Eastham , R.Smith, Greaves, R. Charlton.

NAME THEIR CLUBS.

Starting ROW XI: Yashin, Santos, Pophular, Schnellinger, Gento, Masopust, Pluskal, di Stefano, Eusebio, Kopa, Law. (subs: Puskas, Baxter, Soskic, Eizaguirre, Seeler)

This was the beginning of Alf Ramsey's managerial reign. His first match was a 2-5 defeat to France in Paris and then there was a defeat to Scotland at Wembley 1-2. Then a draw with Brazil 1-1 at Wembley. in England then England beat Czechoslovakia 4-2 in Bratislava, East Germany 2-1 in Leipzig, Switzerland 8-1 in Basle, Wales 4-0 in Cardiff, and after the FIFA game, Northern Ireland 8-3 in Wembley, by November 1963. The next international was another defeat by Scotland 0-1 at Hampden Park. 

There had been a previous England FA celebration match against the "FIFA XI"; ten years earlier (21st October 1953), England met the FIFA XI at Wembley with 96,000 watching a 4-4 draw...staged? Goals were scored like this:

FIFA goal 5mins: England Mortensen 7: FIFA 14: FIFA 36: Eng 42: Eng 48: FIFA 63: Eng 89 penalty! 

The England team: Merrick (Birmingham City); Billy Wright capt (Wolves); Billy Eckersley (Blackburn R); Alf Ramsey (Tottenham H); Dereck Ufton (Charlton); Jimmy Dickinson (Portsmouth); Nat Lofthouse (Bolton W); Stanley Matthews (Blackpool); Stanley Mortensen (Blackpool); Jimmy Mullen (Wolves)*; Albert Quixall (Sheffield Wed). 

I shall not bother naming the FIFA team...I haven't heard of any of them!

Mullen made a name for himself by being the first England international substitution, when he took over from Jackie Milburn after 10 minutes in Brussels v Belgium, on May 18th 1950. Mullen scored in a 4-1 victory, after England was 0-1 down at half time. This was England's last game before they went to the fated 1950 World Cup in Brazil. Team below: