sport news The night England's famous five tore Italy apart in Turin trends now
England’s famous five forwards of the early post-war era played together for their country only six times and the day they demolished Italy in Turin, 75 years ago, lives on as the finest.
The Italians had been world champions for 14 years and, while the reign was extended artificially by World War II, Vittorio Pozzo’s team remained the swaggering footballing princes of Europe.
Walter Winterbottom’s England toppled them with a crushing 4-0 win to stun a capacity 58,000 crowd on a sultry evening inside the Stadio Comunale.
Tom Finney always considered it the greatest away win and the best team he played in during an international career that would go on for another decade and stretch to 76 caps.
Finney selected his all-time England XI for Sportsmail in 2009, five years before he died, and picked seven of this team, including the five forwards: himself, Stanley Matthews, Wilf Mannion, Stan Mortensen and Tommy Lawton.
(Left to right) England’s Don Howe, Tom Finney, Henry Cockburn, Billy Wright, Tommy Lawton, Stan Mortensen, Wilf Mannion, Stanley Matthews, Neil Franklin, Lawrence Scott and Frank Swift line up before their 4-0 victory in 1948
This was the 2-3-5 formation used by manager Walter Winterbottom on that day in 1948
Walter Winterbottom’s side crushed the reigning world champions at the Stadio Comunale
‘The game was billed as the match of the decade with the Italians predicting a resounding win by four goals to nil,’ said Winterbottom, in the biography written by his son-in-law Graham Morse. ‘In the event we won by that score, which thrilled us and surprised everyone.