October 23rd 1956 Hungarian footballers staked a claim in World Football. On October 28th "rebel" radio reported that Ferenc Puskas, regarded as one of the great players, had been killed in an "uprising". The front page of the Manchester Guardian noted "with infinite sadness, yet with a strange sense of pride and thankfulness in the heart" that Puskas had died "as most sportsmen would like to think, they would have the courage to die-manning the barricades in the fight for freedom against tyranny".
Happily!!! 24 hours later, the country's state radio stated that the superstar had not been killed and Puskas was in fact alive and well. "All the players are safe and sound, preparing for their future work as a team, at a training camp outside the capital." However, given the state of "history" at that time, the Team was far from safe! When Hoved, a club that included many Hungarian internationals, heard the news, its players quickly returned to Budapest.
Gyula Grosics later described how the players who lived on the Buda side of the river-Puskas, Kocsis and Hidegkuti-had particularly "scary" journeys home, especially crossing bridges where troops were seeking access and firing guns!" Grosics told The Spectator in 1996, "On the Friday, I ventured out and walked into a hail of gunfire. Grosics said he was standing in a city 'square' with a statue of a Hungarian Saint in the centre, so I threw myself to the ground behind it, using it as shelter and prayed like mad! The Saint obliged and the rifle fire stopped...I ran."
By the time the Soviets invaded, in early November, most of Honved's players had made it to Spain and were preparing for the European Cup match against Atletico Bilbao in the European Cup. Puskas defected, never to play for Honved or Hungary again. (Hungary Team with Piuskas at front centre).
No comments:
Post a Comment