21st September 1947, Stanley Matthews, here in Blackpool kit, produced a master-class of wing play in an international against Belgium, at the Heysel Stadium, in Brussels, when England won 5-2. This was the Belgian FA 50th Anniversary Match. There was heavy rain and the stadium had been used as a tank park by the Germans during the war. Although it had been relaid, the pitch cut up and Matthews had a “field day”.
Matthews provided passes for all five goals, two of which were finished off by wing “rival” Tom Finney. Matthews had signed for Blackpool the previous season from Stoke City, his local team, for £11,500, a princely sum in those days. “The misery on the Belgian full back's face became more and more noticeable”, said Billy Wright, playing at centre half. Wright earned himself 105 caps in a long and fruitful career.
On the final whistle, all 60,000 and more fans stood and applauded Matthews off the field. Tommy Lawton scored two (the first after 15 seconds) and Stan Mortenson one.
This was the last game of a European tour that saw England beat Portugal 10-0, in which Tom Finney, of Preston NE, was the star and Matthews scored a rare goal.
I grew up with him as my footballing hero, when he was playing at Blackpool in the 1950s and then he went back to Stoke briefly. I eventually got to meet him at an event through my school, where he "managed" a schoolmasters' team playing aganst the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.
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