R. I. P. Nathaniel Lofthouse (27 August 1925 - 15 January 2011)
Today has been a bad day for my beloved Bolton Wanderers.
As a lifelong fan I have never been more winded over football news as I have been today, and I once cried over football results (in my defense it was after we were relegated by Fulham in 2000 and we had traveled all the way to Old Wembly to see the game). It isn't over any transfer news, it isn't even the fact that we got beat by Stoke City 2-0 today. It was an away game and we have been having a pretty good run of things so far this term. I have heard the booking calls were dodgy but not even that annoys me. We could have been hammed 5-0 today and it wouldn't have mattered.
Today former Bolton Wanderers and England football Captain Nat Lofthouse passed away at the age of 85. Nicknamed 'The Lion of Vienna' he was the greatest player to have ever graced the club which he began playing for in 1941. His goal record (which leaves him ranked as the 7th highest goal scorer in the top English league) is only surpassed by the even greater contribution he made to the club as its Captain and even after his retirement as a trainer. This guy was the club hero despite having been out of the game for over forty years and it is easy to understand why. In the modern game it is expected that the star players will look on while clubs engage in sometimes frankly shameless bid wars, each vying to pay these sportsmen the more ridiculous sum of money than anyone else. Despite being beyond even Beckham for his day Lofthouse stuck completely to club he was raised supporting and never in his long career played in any other colours for any sum of money. His reputation in my opinion is nothing short of completely deserved.
While there have been a number of much more easily recognized public figures passing away recently, even Pete Postlethwaite's (himself an OBE holder like Nat) death didnt sadden me as greatly as this. For myself, my dad (and his dad), his brothers and my cousins this fine gentleman was an example of everything that is good and enjoyable about football, athletic achievement, entertainment that enthuses (I can think of no other event where I am swearing so frantically next to my dad one minute and hugging him the next, usually while jumping up and down with joy) and an appreciation of sportsmanship.
Thank you for all those thing Nat I am only sorry I never got to see you play. I envy my dad and his brothers for that.
Rest In Peace.
As a lifelong fan I have never been more winded over football news as I have been today, and I once cried over football results (in my defense it was after we were relegated by Fulham in 2000 and we had traveled all the way to Old Wembly to see the game). It isn't over any transfer news, it isn't even the fact that we got beat by Stoke City 2-0 today. It was an away game and we have been having a pretty good run of things so far this term. I have heard the booking calls were dodgy but not even that annoys me. We could have been hammed 5-0 today and it wouldn't have mattered.
Today former Bolton Wanderers and England football Captain Nat Lofthouse passed away at the age of 85. Nicknamed 'The Lion of Vienna' he was the greatest player to have ever graced the club which he began playing for in 1941. His goal record (which leaves him ranked as the 7th highest goal scorer in the top English league) is only surpassed by the even greater contribution he made to the club as its Captain and even after his retirement as a trainer. This guy was the club hero despite having been out of the game for over forty years and it is easy to understand why. In the modern game it is expected that the star players will look on while clubs engage in sometimes frankly shameless bid wars, each vying to pay these sportsmen the more ridiculous sum of money than anyone else. Despite being beyond even Beckham for his day Lofthouse stuck completely to club he was raised supporting and never in his long career played in any other colours for any sum of money. His reputation in my opinion is nothing short of completely deserved.
While there have been a number of much more easily recognized public figures passing away recently, even Pete Postlethwaite's (himself an OBE holder like Nat) death didnt sadden me as greatly as this. For myself, my dad (and his dad), his brothers and my cousins this fine gentleman was an example of everything that is good and enjoyable about football, athletic achievement, entertainment that enthuses (I can think of no other event where I am swearing so frantically next to my dad one minute and hugging him the next, usually while jumping up and down with joy) and an appreciation of sportsmanship.
Thank you for all those thing Nat I am only sorry I never got to see you play. I envy my dad and his brothers for that.
Rest In Peace.