Colin Grainger vs Brazil 1956

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Teofilo Cubillas

Teofilo Cubillas

Still hanging around waiting for the revolution...
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This is just a fabulous, fabulous read!

www.theguardian.com

How it feels when you score two goals against Brazil on your England debut

Colin Grainger was trembling with nerves on his way to Wembley. By the time he left the pitch, he felt like he belongedBy Colin Grainger with Hyder Jawad, via The Blizzard
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

"I joined up with the England squad at Lancaster Gate on Monday 4 May 1956, five days before the match, and I felt as small and as insignificant as I had when I turned up for my first day as a professional with Sheffield United. "
 



That is a great article, particularly for those of us of a certain age. The Guardian have taken the item from elsewhere, and that item was put up on here a few weeks ago. If you use the search button in the top right corner, you will find there are responses to it. And it can help keep the 'thread police' off the case and save accusations of repetition. But I enjoyed reading it again, and I think the pictures were different in this version.
As a kid, I really liked Grainger. It surprised me recently when looking at old programmes to find that I had seen him play for Leeds against United in 1961. He either didn't do much that day, or Alzheimer's is setting in. :(
 
Very enjoyable a Blade scoring two goals against Brazil at Wembley on his debut. Another stat the Pigs can't compete with.

" The players I introduced myself to first were all from Manchester United Tommy Taylor Roger Bryne and Duncan Edwards "

All three lost their lives two years later killing off the cream of Englands youth and with it the very real possibility that England would have had a very good chance of winning the World Cup in 1958. That same year Brazil unearthed a 17 year old who lit up the World Cup in Sweden a certain Pele. Without the brilliant Edwards England tamely failed at the Group stage including the first ever goalless draw in the World Cup against the same Brazil team they had beaten so comprehensively 2 years earlier. Colin G's international career only lasted 11 months and he never made it to Sweden.
 



Blade for Sale said:
1st black player (at any level)?
Click to expand...
It was thought at the time that he was the first black England player at any level but a research some years ago revealed that Benjamin Odeje played for England schoolboys in 1971

www.bbc.co.uk

First black England player revealed to be Benjamin Odeje

BBC London uncovers evidence that Benjamin Odeje - not Laurie Cunningham or Viv Anderson - was the first black footballer to represent England at any level.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
Brilliant read about one of my first Blades heroes - thanks for that!
I could never understand why Billy Wright won over 100 caps for England and not one for Joe Shaw; I know I was biased but to me Joe was a better and more cultured footballer.
I always felt Hodgy was superior to Hopkinson too so maybe I was a tad blinkered. I have to concede I thought Ron Springett was brilliant, so maybe not so biased after all?

How does a 41 year old winger play for England? By the time he was 50 and up against Graham Shaw he was probably a bit past his prime, and I remember thinking Graham Shaw went easy on him - or was it that he didn't really feel confident enough to put a tackle in?
 
Blend-it-like-Harris said:
How does a 41 year old winger play for England? By the time he was 50 and up against Graham Shaw he was probably a bit past his prime, and I remember thinking Graham Shaw went easy on him - or was it that he didn't really feel confident enough to put a tackle in?
Click to expand...

Stan Matthews played only 1 game in the 1964-65 season and that was on his 50th birthday against Fulham. He played in only 9 league matches during the 1963-64 season and not sure if any of the 9 games were against the Blades. Matthews couldnt have played competively against the Blades between summer 1956 and summer 1963 because Blackpool were a division above us between 1956-57 and 1960-61 and we were a division above Stoke in 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons.
 
Silent Blade said:
Stan Matthews played only 1 game in the 1964-65 season and that was on his 50th birthday against Fulham. He played in only 9 league matches during the 1963-64 season and not sure if any of the 9 games were against the Blades. Matthews couldnt have played competively against the Blades between summer 1956 and summer 1963 because Blackpool were a division above us between 1956-57 and 1960-61 and we were a division above Stoke in 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons.
Click to expand...
Not quite senile yet mate, and I definitely saw Matthews playing for Stoke up against Graham Shaw. It's not something you make up, and it's not something you forget either.
 
Blend-it-like-Harris said:
Brilliant read about one of my first Blades heroes - thanks for that!
I could never understand why Billy Wright won over 100 caps for England and not one for Joe Shaw; I know I was biased but to me Joe was a better and more cultured footballer.
I always felt Hodgy was superior to Hopkinson too so maybe I was a tad blinkered. I have to concede I thought Ron Springett was brilliant, so maybe not so biased after all?

How does a 41 year old winger play for England? By the time he was 50 and up against Graham Shaw he was probably a bit past his prime, and I remember thinking Graham Shaw went easy on him - or was it that he didn't really feel confident enough to put a tackle in?
Click to expand...
Totally agree with the first 2 paragraphs, even the comment about Springett (though it hurts). I might have found the match you recall which saw Graham Shaw marking Matthews. It wasn't the league matches in 1963-64 - Matthews was out injured for both fixtures, and Bernard Shaw played both games for United, as Graham was out injured as well. The programme for the home match refers to a friendly arranged during the great freeze of early 1963, played on Feb 23rd, and it says that it was a wonderful opportunity for Blades fans to see Matthews' skills - he was 48 at the time. Perhaps it was because it was a friendly that the tackling was gentle. I don't think I saw that game. The crowd was just over 10,000.

Edit -apologies, while I was hunting through the programmes, you have answered this yourself.
 
HodgysBrokenThumb said:
Totally agree with the first 2 paragraphs, even the comment about Springett (though it hurts). I might have found the match you recall which saw Graham Shaw marking Matthews. It wasn't the league matches in 1963-64 - Matthews was out injured for both fixtures, and Bernard Shaw played both games for United, as Graham was out injured as well. The programme for the home match refers to a friendly arranged during the great freeze of early 1963, played on Feb 23rd, and it says that it was a wonderful opportunity for Blades fans to see Matthews' skills - he was 48 at the time. Perhaps it was because it was a friendly that the tackling was gentle. I don't think I saw that game. The crowd was just over 10,000.

Edit -apologies, while I was hunting through the programmes, you have answered this yourself.
Click to expand...

If you have a copy of the 1963 United-Stoke friendly programme I think i'm correct in saying it's of the few United home one's from the 60s that would fetch a few bob (about £70 off the top of my head)
 
SUFC Handsworth said:
If you have a copy of the 1963 United-Stoke friendly programme I think i'm correct in saying it's of the few United home one's from the 60s that would fetch a few bob (about £70 off the top of my head)
Click to expand...
That’s tomorrow sorted! I’ll have a good look, but I don’t think I have it.:(
 



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