Football During WWII

Pre-Match

Wartime football took a different shape in England leading up to the second Football League War Cup final. There were now two instead of ten regional leagues, yielding a North and South final. Preston North End beat Liverpool to secure their title as champions of the North, and scored twice against Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final match. Arsenal had a 3-1 semi-final win against Leicester City. Their last silverware was the 1937-38 First Division title and 1938 FA Charity Shield.

The Final

Preston North End 1-1 Arsenal
May 10, 1941
Wembley, London
Referee: F.S. Milner (Wolverhampton)
Attendance: 60,000
Goals: Andrew McLaren (Asst. Tom Finney), Denis Compton
Missed penalty: Leslie Compton (3')



60,000 came to see the final despite the fact that London was the target of over a hundred air raids that year. The First Lord of the Admiralty, A.V. Alexander, welcomed the players before kick-off. Three minutes in, the referee saw a dubious handball and gave Arsenal a penalty, which Leslie Compton sent wide of the net. There was, of course, no such thing as the internet or instantly available highlights, so some reports mistakenly stated that the Preston keeper had blocked the shot. An early goal by McLaren put Preston ahead. Arsenal had a handful of chances that were saved by Preston keeper Fairbrother. Sergeant Denis Compton equalized for the Gunners near the end of the first half. The match saw no more goals, which meant there would be a replay. A newsreel mentions that the replay was scheduled for May 24th, but it would be played on the 31st. The match was moved to Ewood Park, home to Blackburn Rovers. 

The Replay

Pre-Match

The Band of the Loyal Regiment, under Bandmaster Mr. E. G. R. Palmer, played a series of marches. Notable pieces included Keep Right On to the End of the Road, the anthem of Birmingham City FC since the 1950's, and John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever, which would become the official march of the U.S.A. over 4 decades later. The U.S. did not join the war until December 1941, but the government did support Britain and the other Allied nations under the Lend-Lease Act, signed in March of that year.

Preston North End 2-1 Arsenal
May 31, 1941
Ewood Park, Blackburn
Referee: F. S. Milner (Wolverhampton)
Attendance: 45,000
Goals: Robert Beattie (x2), Frank Gallimore (o.g.)



Both teams made changes to their lineups for the replay. A newspaper mentions Preston "were forced to reconstruct their defence" due to injury, moving Andrew Beattie to left-back for William Scott and putting 20-year-old Cliff Mansley in Beattie's place at left-half. Arsenal replaced Leslie Compton for Ted Drake in the centre forward position. Drake was injured during the game, and after attempting to play on at outside-right, left the pitch, leaving the Gunners at a disadvantage (the Football League did not allow substitutions until the mid-60's). As the newsreel mentions, Preston did much of the attacking, keeping Arsenal keeper George Marks on edge. Frank Gallimore put Arsenal on the scoreboard with an own goal, but Preston were quick to get back, and Robert Beattie's double sealed the deal for the Lilywhites. 

Post-Match

W.C. Cuff, president of the Football League, presented the Cup to Preston captain Tom Smith. Winning the Cup completed Preston's double, the first won by an English team during the war. Arsenal went on to win the Southern League final in 1942-43. The Gunners would become the only team to reach two War Cup finals, although they lost both (Blackpool were the winners in '43). 

The Players

Source: Preston Digital Archive

Preston's Andrew McLaren and Tom Finney were among some of the players who emerged through the local youth system. McLaren made 69 appearances for Preston, scoring 29 goals. The 19-year-old played a key role in getting Preston the double, scoring all 6 goals in their win against Liverpool that secured their Northern Regional League title in the 1940-41 season. He was the team's top scorer in 1947-48. 

Sir Tom Finney was known for his skills on the pitch as well as for his gentlemanly behavior, eliciting comparisons with the great Stanley Matthews, with whom he played for England. He was known by fans as the Preston Plumber, remaining in the business alongside his footballing career. Finney was called up to the Royal Armoured Corps in 1942, serving as a tank driver and fighting in North Africa and Italy under General Bernard Montgomery of the 8th Army. In April 1945, he took part in the battle to recapture Argentina. Not all players' careers continued into the post-war era, but Finney's did; he was just 24 when the war ended, and played frequently while in the Army. According to Finney, "the standard was still very high. You played with very elite company and it was wonderful morale for the men in the forces." Indeed, Finney played for the 8th Army Team as well as for a side called the Wanderers. He was part of an 8th Army side that played King Farouk's team, featuring the actor Omar Sharif. A one-club man, he scored an impressive 210 goals in 473 appearances for Preston, and was the first player to be named English footballer of the year twice.

Both Bill Shankly and Stanley Matthews held Finney in high regard, comparing him with greats like Di Stefano, Eusebio, Pele, Cruyff and Puskas. According to Matthews, Finney was among the few players who "dictated the pace and course of a game" on a regular basis.

Sir Tom Finney passed away on February 14, 2014 at 91 years of age.

Bill Shankly and Sir Tom Finney in the '70s.

The 1941 Arsenal team had their own stars. Many, like Ted Drake and Eddie Hapgood, served in the RAF. Among the better-known are the Compton brothers. Centre half/right back Leslie Compton and outside-left Denis Compton were both footballers and cricket players, although Leslie was better known for football, and Denis for cricket. Both brothers were one-club men and have the distinction of scoring vital goals that tied games and led to replays. Denis Compton had the equalizer in the 1941 War Cup final. Nine years later, Leslie Compton tied the score in the FA Cup semi-final, leading Arsenal to a replay in which the Gunners emerged victorious. Both Comptons joined the British Army during the war. They continued playing football and cricket, representing various teams, including the Army Physical Training Corps and Civil Defence Services (pictured below). Denis served in India and played in over 120 friendly games. A centre-back-turned-forward, Leslie Compton had a 22-year playing career, making him one of Arsenal's longest-serving players. At 38 years old, he became the oldest player to debut for England in the post-war era. Together, the Comptons won the 1947 league title and 1950 FA Cup. They're part of only a handful of brothers to star in Arsenal's first team, and were the only brothers to have won both the national football and cricket championships.

Denis (front, 3rd from left) & Leslie Compton (5th from left). Photo: Sport & General, 1942

The Managers

Preston North End had a management committee from 1937-1949, one of several throughout their history. Robert Beattie, who scored a brace in the replay, was involved in coaching local youth along with some of the other older players. Scott, McLaren and Finney all came through Preston's youth programs.

BBC commentators George Allison and E.V.H. Emmett in the 1939 film The Arsenal Stadium Mystery.

Arsenal manager George Allison began his career as a journalist. Like some managers today, Allison provided commentary alongside his coaching career. He had the distinction of commentating on the first FA Cup final to be broadcast on the radio in 1927, in which Arsenal played Cardiff, as well as on the first-ever fully televised match in 1938, between England and Scotland. Allison held various positions at Arsenal, editing match programmes and serving as a secretary. He became managing director and later head coach, despite never having played professionally. Allison had a 13-year spell at the club, during which he won two pre-war First Division Championships, an FA Cup, and a Charity Shield. He was Arsenal's longest-serving manager until Arsene Wenger broke his record in 2009.

Russian Premier League, Week 11
Dynamo Moscow 0:2 Rubin Kazan
Venue: Arena Khimki
Referee: Igor Nizovtsev (Nizhniy Novgorod)
Goals: 0-1 Ozdoev (48), 0-2 Kanunnikov (71)
Cautions: Kuzmin (12), Ozdoev (41), Zhirkov (51), Buttner (53), Georgiev (68), Kanunnikov (90), Ryzhikov (90+2)

Ozdoev and Vainqueur vie for the ball. Source: Epsilon/Getty Images Europe

There isn't much to say about Dynamo Moscow's loss at home to Rubin Kazan that hasn't already been said when it comes to the Blue-and-Whites previous disappointments. Every problem with today's match has already been addressed and is no new discovery, but rather an annoying sequel that seems to have no ending. With the exception of Vladimir Gabulov in goal, most of the team had a rather poor, lackluster performance. It wasn't entirely expected, considering the team's recent form in the Europa League - a 3rd consecutive victory in the group stage. Unfortunately, Stanislav Cherchesov's side seemed to lack the flair and spark that characterized much of their European success. Say all you want about the month-long Premier League break and the postponed match against Amkar; coming off a 3rd Europa League win should have been enough of a motivator.

Rubin Kazan came off a 5-0 thrashing of Mordovia Saransk, and were themselves in need of points to keep up with the other top 5 contenders. Their solid defense, combined with the absence of accuracy in Dynamo's attack, led to the Blue-and-Whites' first RPL defeat since their game against Zenit in September. The teams seemed to start off on an equal footing, but as halftime drew near, it became evident that the hosts needed to step things up. Surprisingly, they did - thanks to Mathieu Valbuena, whose solo efforts resulted in save after save from Rubin keeper Sergei Ryzhikov. One player doesn't make the team, however, and Dynamo failed to carry the momentum into the second half. Only three minutes in, Magomed Ozdoev, on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow, scored his first goal for Rubin. Getting away from several players, including William Vainqueur, Ozdoev found plenty of space in front of goal and left Gabulov powerless. Rubin looked threatening on the counter, and one of these attacks led to their second goal. After a typical ineffective Dynamo corner, Rubin captain Kuzmin had a brilliant run that ended in a far post delivery to Maksim Kanunnikov. Douglas, who wasn't focused on marking his man, posed no problem for the Rubin forward, who netted in the visitors' second of the evening. The absence of captain Gokdeniz Karadeniz and Carlos Eduardo in midfield did not slow down the Volzhane. In fact, manager Rinat Bilyaletdinov noted ex-Dynamo forward Vladimir Dyadyun's excellent performance in place of Karadeniz. Rubin are not an easy opponent, even without Karadeniz and Eduardo in midfield. Together with goalkeeper Ryzhikov, they have one of the strongest defenses in the league, especially in away games, and that was clearly visible all throughout the 90 minutes. That being said, Dynamo still lacked accuracy on the finish, and sometimes, there wasn't much of a finish at all.

The usual suspects in Kozlov and Douglas made mistakes in defense, and were responsible for both of the opposition's goals. Douglas, who seemed to be improving in recent games, may be going back to his previous problematic spell. Kevin Kuranyi was bashed by the commentators upon coming off, although he rarely saw the ball and was subbed off in the second half. Aleksandr Kokorin came off the bench to help in the attack, but although he saw more of the ball, he had only one shot on goal and was unable to put Ryzhikov to the test. Even in moments when the opposition was a player down (Ozdoev was receiving attention off the pitch) or gave up plenty of space, the Blue-and-Whites failed to take advantage, and looked almost like a hockey team that can't make use of the power play.

Valbuena was undoubtedly Dynamo's top performer. Dynamo goalkeeper Gabulov may be the most-improved; except for one fumble where he let go of the ball in front of the net, he was at the ready for most of Rubin's attempts. Rubin goalkeeper Ryzhikov was deservedly named Man of the Match. All of Dynamo's shots on target saw excellent saves by the keeper.

The usual problems in the attack - no accuracy on the finish and few chances on target - are ever present for Dynamo. Lots of balls were going through the top, another issue for the Blue-and-Whites - they would have had far more chances if they had kept the ball lower. Set pieces were rarely a challenge for Rubin to defend, and are something Cherchesov's side need to work on.

When it comes to tactics, Bilyaletdinov clearly outplayed Cherchesov, parking the bus when needed and launching his team into swift counter-attacks. Rubin may have had less possession, but made the most of their chances, and could have netted in more. The game could have ended 4:2 or 4:3 to Rubin, had both sides made the most of their attempts.

All in all, a disappointment, but hopefully a wake-up call for Cherchesov and co.

Dear Mr. Garber,

Lets get right down to business. You blamed Jurgen Klinsmann, the best coach the US national team has had for years, for publicly critiquing the state of Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley's fitness, and, in your opinion, the state of Major League Soccer. What Klinsmann really said - had you been listening - is that it is more difficult to maintain one's form in MLS in comparison with some of Europe's top leagues. A season of English football, for instance, can have about twice the number of possible games as MLS, depending on what stage a team enters, and how long that team remains in, the domestic cup tournaments and European competition. More games results in more playing time, and the high level of players in the Premier League in more competition between them for a spot in the line-up.

Last season's Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City played 57 games in all competitions, while the 2013 MLS Cup winners Sporting Kansas City played 45 games. A bigger gap is visible when comparing two teams that placed 7th in last season's EPL and MLS - Manchester United played a total of 55 games in all competitions, while the Vancouver Whitecaps played just 38 games.

What you should have pointed out instead of pointing fingers is that US internationals like Dempsey and Bradley who play or have played in the top European leagues bring their priceless experience to MLS, and only help to improve the quality and popularity of the league. Those who continue their careers abroad while representing the USMNT (Brad Guzan, Tim Howard, Fabian Johnson, Tim Ream...) improve the latter.

The fact is, Mr. Garber, that Jurgen Klinsmann has done a lot for the USMNT. Aside from tactical improvements and a Round of 16 finish in the World Cup, he brought and continues to cultivate a much-needed team spirit, something a lot of coaches cannot do.

Klinsmann has a right to truthfully comment on his players. There's nothing wrong with his statements, nor are they in any way against MLS - anything of the sort is merely your own personal fantasy.

In blaming Klinsmann for comments that are "detrimental" to MLS, you yourself have done that which you so unjustly blamed him for. So if anyone's "sending a negative message" to players, it's you.

Addressing his players' form and deciding to include or exclude anyone from a World Cup roster are his responsibilities as head coach.

Perhaps you should stick to doing your job without interfering with his.

Sincerely,
Aleks V
Founder, Editor-in-Chief
GoalChatter

Football During WWII

Source: fc-dynamo.ru

Football During WWII

A year before the Soviet Union was invaded by Germany, the 6th edition of the Soviet football championship was underway.

Although the derbies between both Dynamo teams and Spartak Moscow were usually at the forefront at different points in time, a match between two of the best known Dynamo sides garnered no less attention. 60,000 would witness a game of open football from kick-off to final whistle. With 13 goals, including an own goal and a penalty scored by the same player, the match tallied the most goals ever scored in the Soviet and subsequently post-Soviet championship. It was also the most goals Dynamo Moscow would score in the domestic tournament.

Before the match, both teams occupied the middle of the table, Dynamo Kiev in 5th place with 7 points and Dynamo Moscow in 10th with 4 points. It would be Dynamo Kiev's 7th match and Dynamo Moscow's 5th.

The wet pitch didn't stand in the way of a goal fest. The first half sees the hosts open the score with an early goal by Nikolai Dementyev. An equalizer by Petr Laiko comes just two minutes later. The tides reverse when Shchegotskiy puts Kiev ahead after a corner kick, only to be followed by another fast equalizer from Sergei Solovyov, ending the first half in a 2:2 draw. The second half kicks off with a series of corners, leading up to the Moscow side scoring 3 goals in less than 2 minutes. The rest, as is often said, is history. The hosts scored their last goal on the 82nd minute, but conceded two more goals before the match was over.


Post-Match

After the game, Dynamo Moscow moved up to 7th place in the league table, trailing just a point behind the 4-way tie for 3rd place. One would think the Moscow Dynamo manager Boris Arkadiev would be pleased that his team got the 3 points and netted in 8 goals; yet he was paying more attention to the fact that they conceded 5. Instead of praise, he had criticism for keeper Yevgeni Fokin as well as the defenders.

The second leg of the tournament saw Fokin keep a clean sheet as Dynamo Moscow scored 7 goals against Dynamo Kiev. Solovyov, Semichastniy and Ilyin once again made the scoreboard. Arkadiev's team would go on to win the championship that year, with an incredible goal difference of 26:3. Dynamo Kiev would finish 8th in the league, leading to the exit of their manager, Mikhail Pechyoniy. It would be twelve years before they won against their Moscow namesakes.

Dynamo Kiev play Dynamo Moscow in June 1945:



The Referee

Vladimir Vonog refereed in the Soviet championship during the 1930's. As a player, he was part of the RSFSR national football team's victorious tour of Scandinavia and Estonia in 1923. He was a man of many talents, being a footballer as well as a successful bandy player. He is considered the first Soviet bandy player to be awarded the title of Honoured Master of Sport. He died in 1942 during the Siege in Leningrad. Since 1952, the bandy players of the Kirov Plant, where he was an organizer of physical culture, have held a Cup tournament in his honour.



Five players from the derby, Radikorskiy, Semichastny, Stankevich, S. Solovyov and Dementyev, would feature in Dynamo Moscow's famous tour of Britain in 1945. 

Sergei Solovyov. Photo: fcdynamo.ru

Sergei Solovyov, who scored a goal and made several assists, was a prolific striker at Dynamo Moscow, netting in 21 goals in 23 games. He was the Soviet championship's top scorer in the 1948 season, netting in 25 goals. He holds the record for scoring the fastest hat-trick in the Soviet championship (3 goals in 3 minutes in a 1948 game against Torpedo Moscow). Solovyov totaled 209 appearances and 135 goals for Dynamo Moscow. To this day, he remains the team's all-time top scorer.

Nikolai Dementyev, one of the players to score a double, would feature in Dynamo Moscow's famous 1945 tour of Britain 5 years later. He signed for rivals Spartak Moscow in 1946.

Mikhail Semichastny captained the team for many years and was Dynamo Moscow's first top scorer in the 1936 spring Soviet championship. He started off as a forward, but was switched to a defensive role after becoming known for playing well with his head. He was named Honoured Master of Sports in 1945 and was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor in 1957. Semichastny went on to have a two-year coaching stint at Dynamo, after which he had various jobs in both football and hockey.

Sergei Ilyin was one of the best outside-left forwards in Soviet football. He became an Honoured Master of Sport in 1940. The legendary player made 105 appearances for Dynamo Moscow in the championship, scoring 49 goals. He played 104 games in the Soviet Cup between 1931 and 1944, netting in 83 goals. Ilyin was successful in both football and bandy, earning numerous awards in both sports simultaneously.

Dynamo Kiev, spring 1941.

Petr Laiko, who had the game's first equalizer, was the first Master of Sports in Football from Dnipropetrovsk. He made 80 appearances for Dynamo Kiev, scoring 30 goals. He captained the team and scored their 100th goal in the Soviet championship. Laiko, along with a number of his fellow teammates, ended up in Kazan during the war, where they played for Dynamo Kazan. He returned to Kiev at the end of the war, but his playing career would continue at Stal Dnipropetrovsk (now FC Dnipro).

Konstantin Shchegodskiy

Forward Konstantin Shchegodskiy also wore the captain's armband at Dynamo. The 1940 season saw his return to the team after a most difficult period in his life. He had been wrongfully arrested in the fall of 1938 and spent a year in prison during which he was brutally tortured. It took another year for him to recover his health. During the war, he was involved in the partisan movement and was also a military physical training instructor in the fourth division of the army fire brigade of the Mykilska Slobidka. He was part of a unit that joined the armed convoy and came under fire from the fascist aviation. The survivors scattered, and it was over two months before Shchegodskiy would reach his troops, after which he was appointed senior instructor of military physical training at the Kharkov division of the fire brigade. He joined Petr Laiko and other players in Kazan, where he played for the local Dynamo team. In 1944, he won the Spartakiad of the Republics of Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. He began his coaching career upon returning to Ukraine in fall 1945, starting as a player-coach for Pishchevik Odessa.

Vladimir Greber, who scored an own goal and penalty, ironically debuted for Dynamo Kiev in a match against the Moscow Dynamo in 1936, the first-ever official match between the two teams. A player for whom penalties were a specialty, he is considered one of the top Soviet midfielders of the 1930's. During WWII, Greber fought on the front, and was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 2nd Class and the Order of the Red Star for his services and courage. Although he played for the reserves after the war, he played only one more match for the first team in May 1946, the last game of his playing career. He went on to have short coaching stints at various teams.

Three of Dynamo Kiev's players in that match, Aleksei Klimenko, Nikolai Korotkikh, and Vladimir Balakin, would represent FC Start in the infamous 'Death Match' against the German side Flakelf in 1942. It is questionable whether the game had any relation to the fate of the players who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. There are still many myths surrounding the match. The three players, along with a handful of others, were arrested in August 1942. Balakin was the only one to be released. Korotkikh was the last to be arrested. He was tortured to death by the gestapo after they found out he worked for the NKVD. Both Klimenko and Korotkikh were among the victims of the Syrets concentration camp (Babi Yar) in 1943.

The Managers

Boris Arkadiev coaching Lokomotiv Moscow in 1952.

Dynamo Moscow's Boris Arkadiev led the team to the 1940 Soviet league title. He took to the helm at a time when the team was lacking discipline. "Among those I see in front of me...are outstanding masters of sport," he said. "But your position requires you to work harder than ever before." In other words, "to those whom much is given, much is required". He was a master tactician, devoting a lot of time to theory and lectures before and after games, and was known for making the "W-M" formation work at Dynamo. He was also great at spotting young, promising talent, bringing the likes of Solovyov, Dementyev, Stankevich and others to the team. Upon Germany's invasion of the USSR, Arkadiev requested to join the Red Army, but was instead employed as a military training instructor. His association with the Army led to his most successful coaching spell at CSKA, which yielded 5 league titles and 3 Soviet Cups. He also won a Soviet Cup with Lokomotiv.

Dynamo Kiev's Mikhail Pechyoniy spent four years of his playing career and only one year as manager at the club. As a player, he took part and scored in Dynamo Kiev's first international match, a 4:3 loss to a Lower Austria XI. Pechyoniy took to managing Dynamo in 1939, but left at the end of the 1940 season after two consecutive 8th place finishes. He evacuated to Kazakhstan during the war and coached Dinamo Alma-Ata from 1942-43. He returned to Ukraine after the war, spending the rest of his life in Lviv, where he coached Spartak Lviv and a number of youth teams.