Nat Lofthouse facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nathaniel Lofthouse | ||
| Date of birth | 27 August 1925 | ||
| Place of birth | Bolton, England | ||
| Date of death | 15 January 2011 (aged 85) | ||
| Place of death | Bolton, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9.25 in (1.76 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1939–1946 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1946–1960 | Bolton Wanderers | 452 | (255) |
| National team | |||
| 1950–1958 | England | 33 | (30) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1968–1971 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| 1985 | Bolton Wanderers (caretaker) | ||
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Nathaniel Lofthouse (born August 27, 1925 – died January 15, 2011) was a famous English footballer. He played as a forward for Bolton Wanderers for his whole career. He also played 33 games for the England team between 1950 and 1958. He scored 30 goals for England, which is one of the best goal-scoring records for any England player!
Contents
Playing Football: Nat's Amazing Career
Nat Lofthouse was born in Bolton, England, in 1925. He joined his hometown club, Bolton Wanderers, on September 4, 1939. He played his first game during wartime on March 22, 1941, and scored two goals!
His official league debut for Bolton was on August 31, 1946, where he again scored twice. Nat was 25 when he first played for the England team on November 22, 1950. He showed his talent right away by scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia.
The 'Lion of Vienna'
On May 25, 1952, Nat earned his famous nickname, the 'Lion of Vienna'. This happened after he scored his second goal in England's 3-2 win against Austria. During this goal, he was elbowed, tackled from behind, and even brought down by the goalkeeper. He was incredibly brave and determined!
Later that year, on September 24, 1952, he scored six goals in a game for the Football League against the Irish League.
Awards and World Cup Games
In the 1952–53 season, Nat Lofthouse was named the FWA Footballer of the Year. This award goes to the best football player in England. He also scored a goal in the famous 1953 FA Cup Final, but his team lost that game. However, he had scored in every round of the FA Cup that season! He also scored the most goals in the First Division league that year, with 30 goals.
Nat played in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He scored two goals against Belgium in a thrilling 4-4 draw. In the quarter-final game against Uruguay, he scored an equalizing goal.
FA Cup Glory in 1958
On May 3, 1958, Nat Lofthouse was the captain of Bolton Wanderers in the 1958 FA Cup Final. They played against Manchester United. Just three months before, the Manchester United team had been in a terrible plane crash, the Munich air disaster. Many people felt very sad for them.
Bolton won the game 2-0, and Nat Lofthouse scored both goals! His second goal was very talked about. He challenged the United goalkeeper, Harry Gregg, and pushed him into the net. At that time, it was allowed to shoulder-charge the goalkeeper. However, Nat later said that his challenge was a foul.
Nat Lofthouse played his last game for England on November 26, 1958, when he was 33. He officially stopped playing football in January 1960 because of an ankle injury. His last league game was on December 17, 1960, when he hurt his knee. Nat Lofthouse is still one of the top goal scorers in English football history.
After Playing: Coaching and Managing
After he stopped playing, Nat Lofthouse stayed involved in football. On July 10, 1961, he became an assistant trainer at Burnden Park, Bolton's stadium. In 1967, he became the chief coach.
In 1968, he was the caretaker manager for a short time, meaning he took charge temporarily. He then became the full-time manager on December 18. Later, he became the chief scout, looking for new talented players. In 1978, he became the club's executive manager. In 1985, when he was 60, Nat Lofthouse became caretaker manager again. In 1986, he became the club's president.
Special Recognition and Awards
Nat Lofthouse received many special awards after he retired from playing.
- On December 2, 1989, he was made a Freeman of Bolton. This is a special honour given by the town.
- On January 1, 1994, he was given an OBE award by the Queen for his services to football.
- On January 18, 1997, Bolton Wanderers named the East Stand at their new Reebok Stadium after him.
- On August 24, 2013, a statue of Nat Lofthouse was put up outside the stadium.
Nat also appeared on the TV show This Is Your Life on April 7, 1993. Many famous footballers, like Tom Finney and Harry Gregg, came to celebrate him. Others, like Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker, sent messages.
When Nat Lofthouse turned 80, many people celebrated him. There was a campaign to get him knighted, which means he would be called 'Sir Nat'. In 2002, Nat Lofthouse was one of the first people to be put into the English Football Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the greatest players in English football history.
Nat's Life Outside Football
Nat Lofthouse joined Bolton Wanderers in 1939. During World War II, he was conscripted (chosen to work for the war effort) in 1943. He worked in a coal mine as a Bevin Boy, helping to dig coal.
He married Alma Foster in 1947, and they were married until she passed away in 1985. They had two children, a son named Jeff and a daughter named Vivien.
His Passing
Nat Lofthouse passed away on January 15, 2011, at the age of 85. He had been living in a nursing home in Bolton.
On January 24, 2011, Bolton Wanderers played their first home game since Nat's death against Chelsea. Before the game, there was a minute of silence, loud applause, and old videos of Nat playing. Players Kevin Davies and John Terry laid flowers to remember him.
Nat Lofthouse was buried on January 26, 2011. Thousands of people came to say goodbye at Bolton Parish Church. More than 500 invited guests and members of the public attended his funeral. The chairman of Bolton, Phil Gartside, and Gordon Taylor, a former Bolton player, spoke about Nat's life. Former Bolton captain Kevin Davies and manager Owen Coyle were among those who carried his coffin.
Nat's Lasting Legacy
After Nat Lofthouse died, many people wanted a statue built to remember him. One year after his death, Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside announced plans for a statue to be placed outside the Reebok Stadium. The money for the statue was raised by public donations, with help from the club.
The statue was officially revealed on August 24, 2013. This was three days before what would have been Nat Lofthouse's 88th birthday. The date was moved to be on the same day as Bolton's home game against Queens Park Rangers.
In April 1998, a train company called Virgin CrossCountry named one of their trains Lion of Vienna in Nat Lofthouse's honour. This happened at Bolton station.
Honours
Player
Bolton Wanderers
- FA Cup: 1957–58; runner-up: 1952–53
- FA Charity Shield: 1958
Individual
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1952–53
See also
In Spanish: Nat Lofthouse para niños
