Argentine tempers flare at a muddy Molineux
Part 9 of our look back at the famous floodlit friendlies that lit up Molineux in the 1950s
January 28, 1956 Wolves 5-1 San Lorenzo
Friendly Attendance: 32,408
WITH a 3pm kick-off, strictly speaking, this game didn’t start off as a floodlit friendly, but with the game being played in late January of 1956 the Molineux floodlights would have been used for the conclusion of the game.
Wolves welcomed South American opposition for the second time in recent years, this following the previous visit of Racing
Club of Buenos Aires in 1954.
This time the club greeted San Lorenzo also from Argentina. San Lorenzo had been champions four times of the Primera Division and boasted seven internationals in their team.
They had been in good recent form having completed a tour of Spain where they played six friendly games and finished the tour unbeaten.
Similar to the visit of the Racing Club, the Molineux faithful would again witness poor temperament, petulance and unsporting behaviour from several players of the South American club.
The Molineux pitch once again provided a sticky, muddy playing surface.
This combined with the game being played on a cold winter afternoon must have been some contrast to what the San Lorenzo players would have been used to in their native country.
The game started at a fast pace, with Wolves having won the toss for the kickoff. They found themselves a goal down after only 90 seconds as inside-forward Sanfilippo swerved past Billy Wright to give the visitors an early advantage.
But their lead didn’t last long and Wolves were back on level terms after six minutes when the referee Mervyn Griffiths awarded a penalty following a hand ball in the penalty box by the visiting full-back Martina, after a Norman Deeley header which had hit the crossbar.
The penalty had to be retaken after the first attempt was saved by San Lorenzo goalkeeper Galelli, who at only 17 years of age was deputising as cover for regular goalkeeper Blazina. However, the referee adjudged that he had moved off his line before the ball was kicked. The retaken penalty was successfully converted by
Johnny Hancocks.
Once Wolves had equalised a home victory was never in doubt. Wolves took a 3-1 lead into the half-time break with goals from
who controlled a long throw in from Hancocks to score from a narrow angle to give Wolves a 2-1 lead, and then a third from Dennis Wilshaw, who saw his cross end up going goal bound and deceiving Galelli, who was unable to prevent the ball dipping into the net.
After the interval the Wolves supporters were soon cheering more goals as Peter Broadbent got his second of the game and Wolves’ fourth, as his powerful shot from outside the visitors’ penalty box hit the back of the net.
Broadbent went on to complete his hat-trick with the home team’s fifth goal of an eventful game. There was still time for Wolves to be awarded another penalty, a decision that saw San Lorenzo’s Sanfilippo push referee Griffiths. This led to an incredible goalmouth scene that resulted in the game being held up for several minutes, with all the players on the field involved.
With peace eventually restored the penalty taken by Hancocks was saved by substitute and first team goalkeeper Blazina.
Angel Fernandez Roca, the trainer for San Lorenzo, was unhappy at the end of the game, not so much with the performance of the referee that had frustrated his players, but more the conditions the game was played in.
He was quoted as saying, “We wanted to show England how well we could play, but now no one will remember us.
“Of course, in Argentina we would never play football in such weather.”
Trouble followed the Argentine club with their next friendly game in England, which was played at Coventry City’s Highfield Road ground, and this time, rather than a delay, the game had to be cancelled altogether just before half-time.
Once again, the ill discipline and fiery temperament of the South American players was the reason, as one player kicked the referee and then refused to leave the field after being sent off for the offence.
Policemen had to wrestle the San Lorenzo team from the pitch and the crowd had to wait for half an hour until it was announced the game had been cancelled.
Broadbent bagged a hat-trick for Wolves’ fifth goal of an eventful match
Peter
Broadbent,