A great player in the typical old fashioned style forward.
I will always remember the 1958 cup final when he scored the 2 goals to beat Man Utd. It was the days when you could shoulder barge the goalie, if my memory serves me right, it was how he got the first goal.
Perhaps Bolton should rename their ground as the Lofthouse Stadium- first step in reversing this ugly modern trend of naming stadia after corporate sponsors.
He finished just before I started watching football, but those of my parents generation were in awe of him.
They would talk of Big Sam and the duels with the Lion. Of the two Stans and Tommy Lawton.
It was a different era - an era of heavy balls and heavy pitches, of shoulder charges and boots with leather studs, of one club loyalty and maximum wages. Those days finished really at the end of the Lofthouse era.
Like most modernisation it hasn't all been good. Players just don't stick around at the same club like Lofthouse did.
I am glad I am able to watch football in the modern era with all its razamataz and technological innovation. A part of me though would love to go back, stand on the terrace and live those days again. They must have been magical innocent days when playing the game was most important and every big team had at least one star name.
RIP Big Man - up there in that stadium in the sky - Stan on the left and Tommy on the right, getting on the end of all those crosses. Bloody marvellous.
I had the pleasure of going to Wembley as a youngster to see England v Russia with Nat in the number 9 shirt. At one stage, just as the Goalkeeper was about to stop a pretty easy shot, Nat went charging towards him and frightened the poor bunger so much that he let the ball go between his legs into the net. Different days of course as when Bert Trautmann was charged into the net in a Cup Final. Never mind, at least he could take his £30 a week home or whatever. RIP Nat, a real character.
[cite]Posted By: bingaddick[/cite]He finished just before I started watching football, but those of my parents generation were in awe of him.
They would talk of Big Sam and the duels with the Lion. Of the two Stans and Tommy Lawton.
It was a different era - an era of heavy balls and heavy pitches, of shoulder charges and boots with leather studs, of one club loyalty and maximum wages. Those days finished really at the end of the Lofthouse era.
Like most modernisation it hasn't all been good. Players just don't stick around at the same club like Lofthouse did.
I am glad I am able to watch football in the modern era with all its razamataz and technological innovation. A part of me though would love to go back, stand on the terrace and live those days again. They must have been magical innocent days when playing the game was most important and every big team had at least one star name.
RIP Big Man - up there in that stadium in the sky - Stan on the left and Tommy on the right, getting on the end of all those crosses. Bloody marvellous.
before my time too but grew up on the same stories.
RIP
BTW Bing if you mean Tom Finney putting those crosses in, bit early yet for that isn't it?
Comments
There will be some sad people in Bolton and beyond.
RIP
And from the books I have read a great great guy.
Rip Mr lofthouse
I will always remember the 1958 cup final when he scored the 2 goals to beat Man Utd. It was the days when you could shoulder barge the goalie, if my memory serves me right, it was how he got the first goal.
A "God" in football terms.
Some archive footage of him in action:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/9363142.stm
They would talk of Big Sam and the duels with the Lion. Of the two Stans and Tommy Lawton.
It was a different era - an era of heavy balls and heavy pitches, of shoulder charges and boots with leather studs, of one club loyalty and maximum wages. Those days finished really at the end of the Lofthouse era.
Like most modernisation it hasn't all been good. Players just don't stick around at the same club like Lofthouse did.
I am glad I am able to watch football in the modern era with all its razamataz and technological innovation. A part of me though would love to go back, stand on the terrace and live those days again. They must have been magical innocent days when playing the game was most important and every big team had at least one star name.
RIP Big Man - up there in that stadium in the sky - Stan on the left and Tommy on the right, getting on the end of all those crosses. Bloody marvellous.
before my time too but grew up on the same stories.
RIP
BTW Bing if you mean Tom Finney putting those crosses in, bit early yet for that isn't it?
Yes sorry Tom!