MX23RW : Tuesday, April 23 08:03:39| >> :60:83:83:

On this day: Sir Bobby Charlton makes England debut

Fifty-six years ago today, Sir Bobby Charlton made a scoring debut for England against Scotland.

Many have tried, but no England international has been able to score more goals for the Three Lions than Sir Bobby Charlton.

From his 106 outings for his country, the attacking midfielder found the net on a record 49 occasions.

It all started for the Manchester United player 56 years ago today, just two months after he had survived the Munich air disaster that claimed 20 lives, including those of eight of his teammates.

Despite that devastation, a 20-year-old Charlton was included in the England starting lineup for the British Championships encounter against rivals Scotland at Hampden Park.

A close fixture was anticipated, what with the winner going on to share the trophy with Northern Ireland, but from the moment that Charlton crossed for Bryan Douglas to head the game's opening goal in the 22nd minute, the visitors dominated the contest.

Then, before the break, Douglas turned provider with a low pass to West Bromwich Albion frontman Derek Kevan, who found the bottom corner of the net.

England's next goal in the 65th minute would prove to be a memorable moment for debutant Charlton. Sir Tom Finney was the architect, crossing from the left for the Man United youngster to send a volley beyond the reach of Scotland goalkeeper Tommy Younger.

There was still enough time remaining in the closing stages for the away side to score a fourth goal through Kevan as he squeezed the ball inside Younger's near post from a narrowing angle.

Yet, it was Charlton's performance that had captured the imagination, so much so that he was taken to the 1958 World Cup by manager Walter Winterbottom. Surprisingly he was not used in Sweden, but he remained a permanent fixture within the squad up until his retirement from international football in 1970.

SCOTLAND: Younger; Parker, Haddock, Evans; Docherty, Ewing; Murray, Forrest, McColl; Mudie, Herd

ENGLAND: Hopkinson; Howe, Langley, Wright; Slater, Clayton; Charlton, Douglas, Finney; Kevan, Haynes

ID:150640: cacheID:150640:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3613:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Members of Manchester United board the BEA Elizabethan to Belgrade.
Read Next:
Remembering the Busby Babes 55 years on
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal33235577265174
2Liverpool33228375324374
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea31138106152947
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves33127144653-743
12Fulham34126165054-442
13Bournemouth33119134860-1242
14Crystal Palace3399154256-1436
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton33108153448-1430
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3337233188-5716


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!