Page 28 - Raynes Park Vale vs Sutton Common Rovers

RAYNES PARK VALE UP THE VALE

THE UNTOLD a two-year ban, reduced to one, the rebellion was put down. WIth
suspicion and danger, Sebes
and then sent to play for Honved.
sent a telegram from Barcelona:
Honved was the army team,
Hoved’s goalkeepers had been
which meant he was easier to
injured, and Grosics was needed
keep an eye on, but also they
on the tour. He got out, and then
GAME were the team favoured by the headed to South America with
Hungarian authorities. The likes MTK too, when it was time to go
UNORTHODOX, BUT mining town, his mother wanted of Ferenc Puskas and Sandor
EFFECTIVE him to train for the priesthood. Kocsis joined Grosics under the home.
He dutifully agreed, until the
tutelage of head coach Gustav The thing with those that
When Jimmy Dickinson played goalkeeper for the local team
Sebes in what was effectively a resist, though, is that they love
a pass down the left wing for Dorogi Banyasz was called
competitive training camp for the their country. Even more than
England in 1953, he must have up to the Second World War.
magical national side, statistically those who beat their chests
assumed that he was building Desperate, they asked Grosics
the greatest international side of and wave their flags as they
an attack. His own goalkeeper, to fill in, and he excelled. Their
all time. became iconic, copied by Lev how far behind English football commit atrocities. Unlike some
Gil Merrick, was rooted to his fortunates immediately saw an
Yashin a decade later, and he laid was. Between 1950 and 1956, of the biggest Hungarian stars,
line for almost the entire match, upturn, until Grosics himself was With this setup, Hungary were
the groundwork for goalkeepers Hungary lost just one match. Grosics felt the call of home
highlighting the slow demise of called up. imperious and Grosics was
for the next seven decades. Unfortunately, that was the one and eventually returned. His
an England team that considered unstoppable. Only 5 feet 8
Having survived the war and Hungary won the Olympics, and that counted; the World Cup final. punishment was to be kicked
themselves to be the best team inches, he had a prodigious
returned to Dorogi, he drew then the Central European Cup, out of the army, and sent to
in the world. What he couldn’t leap and fabulous athleticism, Hungarian football was booming,
the attention of those higher a forerunner to the European play in the rural mining town of
have counted on was something alongside his propensity to rush but Hungarian politics was dire.
up the football pyramid, and Championship. This set up the Tatanbaya. They were never a
so innovative, so wild, that even out of his box. His black shirt Protests against the government
in 1947 moved to Mateosz ‘Match of the Century’ against force in the league, but Grosics
the great Kenneth Wolstenholme were increasing, and Grosics
Budapest. It was here, in 1947, an England side that had never had one final act of resistance
was (almost) lost for words. anti-Communist sympathies
where he earned the first of lost to non-British opposition at left in him. 60km west of
Hungary’s goalkeeper Gyula were too strong to ignore. When
his international caps. He was, Wembley. Budapest, where the side now
Grosics, a national disgrace just Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest,
in every respect, a hero of the struggles in the third tier of
a few years earlier, raced out of The forwards, clearly, stole the he allowed his home to be used
Hungarian people.So it was a Hungarian football, sits the
his box and cleared the ball. And headlines. Hidegkuti scored a as a store for the resistance
shock when he was caught in Stadion Gyula Grosics. He has
thus, the sweeper-keeper was hat-trick, and Ferenc Puskas’ fighters who fought back. The
1949 attempting to defect to the outlasted the regime he hated.
born. Kenneth Wolstenholme drag back, allowing Billy Wright biggest clubs in Hungarian
West. He was never a believer
summed it up in three words: to slide past him as he fired in football - Honved and MTK - took Enjoy the game.
in communism, and concerned
‘unorthodox, but effective.’ at the near post, is perhaps the their players out of harm’s way,
by the regime’s use of sport as a
most famous goal of the era. But on tours of the West, but Grosics
Grosics’ path to international political tool. ‘Football cannot be
Grosics made an impression stayed behind. He was fortunate
football had hardly been smooth. named after political systems’, he Martyn Green
too, charging out of goal and to have a friend in the army who
He was born in a poor Hungarian defiantly declared. He was given
providing more evidence of just disposed of the weapons when www.theuntoldgame.co.uk
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