Association football at the 1956 Summer Olympics

1956 edition of the association football tournament during the Olympic Summer Games

Not to be confused with Australian football at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Association football at the 1956 Summer OlympicsTournament details

Host country| Australia
Dates| 24 November – 8 December 1956
Teams| 11
Venue(s)| 2 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions|  Soviet Union (1st title)
Runners-up|  Yugoslavia
Third place|  Bulgaria
Fourth place|  India
Tournament statistics
Matches played| 12
Goals scored| 53 (4.42 per match)
Attendance| 194,333 (16,194 per match)
Top scorer(s)|  Neville D'Souza
Todor Veselinović
Dimitar Milanov
(4 goals each)[1]

<- 1952

1960 ->

International football competition

The association football tournament at the 1956 Summer Olympics was won by the Soviet Union.[2][3]

Defending champions Hungary were forced to withdraw due to the Soviet invasion of their country. This was the first Olympic football tournament where all the medalists were communist countries, with Yugoslavia and Bulgaria took silver and bronze respectively.

## Background

[edit]

Following five withdrawals, the tournament featured three Eastern Bloc teams and four from Asia. The other sides included in the draw were the United States, the United Team of Germany (which was de facto West Germany), Great Britain and the hosts Australia, competing in their first Olympic football tournament.

The tendency of Eastern bloc countries to provide state-funding for their athletes put Western amateurs at a significant disadvantage. As a result, all Olympic football tournaments 1952 onwards were dominated by the Soviet Union and its satellites.[4][5]

## Venues

[edit]

Melbourne

Olympic Park Stadium | Melbourne Cricket Ground
Capacity: 40,000 | Capacity: 104,000

Olympic Park Stadium

Melbourne Cricket Ground

## Teams

[edit]

### Qualification

[edit]

Main article: Association football at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's qualification

* Australia (20)
* Bulgaria (15)
* United Team of Germany (15)
* Great Britain (16)
* India (18)
* Indonesia (20)
* Japan (18)
* Soviet Union (20)
* Thailand (13)
* United States (16)
* Yugoslavia (17)

### Squads

[edit]

Main article: Association football at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads

## First round

[edit]

German players Rudi Hoffmann (left) and Max Schwall (right)

Hungary announced their withdrawal on August 31, a day before the draw.[6] The draw was made with fifteen teams, India receiving a bye.[7] Four more teams withdrew after the final draw: China (boycotted the Games to protest the reception of Taiwan), Egypt (withdrew due to Suez Crisis), Turkey and Vietnam.

Therefore, only three games were played in the first round: as China and Turkey had been drawn against each other, their match was scratched.

The Soviet Union defeated the United Team of Germany 2–1, Great Britain defeated Thailand 9–0, and Australia defeated Japan 2–0.

24 November 1956

14:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Soviet Union | 2–1|  United Team of Germany

|
|

Isayev 23'
Streltsov 86' | Report | Habig 89'

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 12,000

Referee: Robert Mann (Great Britain)

* * *

26 November 1956

16:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Great Britain | 9–0|  Thailand

|
|

Twissell 12', 20'
Lewis 21' (pen.)
Laybourne 30', 82', 85'
Bromilow 75', 78'
Topp 90' | Report |

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 3,693

Referee: Nikolay Latyshev (Soviet Union)

* * *

27 November 1956

16:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Australia | 2–0|  Japan

|
|

McMillan 26' (pen.)
Loughran 61' | Report |

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 3,568

Referee: Reginald Lund (New Zealand)

Byes: Bulgaria (drawn against Egypt, who withdrew), India, Indonesia (drawn against Vietnam, who withdrew), USA and Yugoslavia (drawn against each other: match was postponed to the quarter-finals).

## Quarter-finals

[edit]

Yugoslavia defeated the United States 9–1.

Bulgaria led Great Britain 3–1 at half-time, when ratings from HMS Newcastle vaulted the fence and exhorted the team to show more grit, after which they were peacefully escorted off the field. The British team went on to lose 6–1.[8]

The Soviet Union drew their game against Indonesia 0–0 and won 4–0 in the replay.

The Indians defeated Australia 4–2 with a hat trick by centre forward Neville D'Souza, the first by an Asian in the Olympics. Prior to the game there had been debate, once again, as to whether the Indians should be shod. Sir Stanley Rous respected their decision either way, although in the end, the Indians decided to wear boots.

28 November 1956

16:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Yugoslavia | 9–1|  United States

|
|

Veselinović 10', 84', 90'
Antić 12', 73'
Mujić 16', 35', 56'
Papec 20' | Report | Zerhusen 42'

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 5,292

Referee: Maurice Swain (New Zealand)

* * *

29 November 1956

16:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Soviet Union | 0–0 (a.e.t.)|  Indonesia

|
|

| Report |

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 3,228

Referee: Shigemaru Takenokoshi (Japan)

1 December 1956

10:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Soviet Union | 4–0|  Indonesia

|
|

Salnikov 17', 59'
Ivanov 19'
Netto 43' | Report |

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 6,735

Referee: Reginald Lund (New Zealand)

* * *

30 November 1956

16:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Bulgaria | 6–1|  Great Britain

|
|

Dimitrov 6'
Kolev 40', 85'
Milanov 45', 75', 80' | Report | Lewis 30'

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 6,748

Referee: Ron Wright (Australia)

* * *

1 December 1956

14:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Australia | 2–4|  India

|
|

Morrow 17', 41' | Report | D'Souza 9', 33', 50'
Kittu 80'

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 7,413

Referee: C.H. Wensveen (Indonesia)

## Semi-finals

[edit]

Yugoslavia defeated India 4–1. It would be their third consecutive Olympic final, after losing both in 1948 and 1952.

The Soviets defeated Bulgaria 2–1. Normal time finished 0–0, and Bulgaria scored first in extra time before conceding two goals in the last six minutes of the game.

4 December 1956

16:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Yugoslavia | 4–1|  India

|
|

Papec 54', 65'
Veselinović 57'
Salam 78' (o.g.) | Report | D'Souza 52'

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 16,626

Referee: Nikolay Latyshev (Soviet Union)

* * *

5 December 1956

16:30 AEST (UTC+10)

Soviet Union | 2–1 (a.e.t.)|  Bulgaria

|
|

Streltsov 112'
Tatushin 116' | Report | Kolev 95'

Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne

Attendance: 21,079

Referee: Robert Mann (Great Britain)

## Bronze medal match

[edit]

Bulgaria took Bronze defeating India 3–0.

7 December 1956

14:15 AEST (UTC+10)

Bulgaria | 3–0|  India

|
|

Diev 37', 60'
Milanov 42' | Report |

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Attendance: 21,236

Referee: Nikolay Latyshev (Soviet Union)

## Gold medal match

[edit]

Yugoslavia were playing Red Star Belgrade's Dragoslav Šekularac in this tournament; he would feature in the 1960 European Nations' Cup final again versus the USSR. They lost 1–0 to a second half Anatoli Ilyin goal, with the Soviet Union winning the title.

1956 Summer Olympics Football Final

8 December 1956

14:15 AEST (UTC+10)

Soviet Union | 1–0|  Yugoslavia

|
|

Ilyin 48' | Report |

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Attendance: 86,716

Referee: Ron Wright (Australia)

Team details

Soviet Union

Yugoslavia

|

|  |

|

GK |  | Lev Yashin
RB |  | Boris Kuznetsov
LB |  | Anatoli Bashashkin
RH |  | Mikhail Ogonkov
CH |  | Igor Netto
LH |  | Anatoli Maslenkin
OR |  | Boris Tatushin
IR |  | Anatoli Isayev
CF |  | Nikita Simonyan
IL |  | Sergei Salnikov
OL |  | Anatoli Ilyin
Manager:
Gavriil Kachalin
|  |

|

GK |  | Petar Radenković
RB |  | Mladen Koščak
LB |  | Nikola Radović
RH |  | Ivan Santek
CH |  | Ljubiša Spajić
LH |  | Dobroslav Krstić
OR |  | Dragoslav Šekularac
IR |  | Zlatko Papec
CF |  | Sava Antić
IL |  | Todor Veselinović
OL |  | Muhamed Mujić
Manager:
Aleksandar Tirnanić

## Bracket

[edit]

Indian team at a tussle against Bulgaria in the bronze-medal match. | First round  |  | Quarter-finals  |  | Semi-finals  |  | Final

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  Yugoslavia |
|  |  | November – Olympic Park
|  bye |  |  |
|  Yugoslavia | 9
|  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  United States | 1  |  |
|  United States |  |  |
|  | December – MCG
|  bye |  |  |
|  |  Yugoslavia | 4
| November  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  India | 1  |  |
|  Australia | 2 |  |
|  |  | December – MCG |
|  Japan | 0  |  |
|  Australia | 2
|  |  |
|  |  |  India | 4 |  |
|  India |  |  |  |
|  | December – MCG
|  bye |  |  |
|  |  Yugoslavia | 0
|  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  Soviet Union | 1
|  Indonesia |  |  |
|  |  | December – Olympic Park |
|  bye |  |  |
|  Indonesia | 0
| November  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  Soviet Union | 4 |  |
|  Soviet Union | 2 |  |
|  | December – Olympic Park
|  United Team of Germany | 1  |  |
|  |  Soviet Union (a.e.t.)  | 2
|  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  Bulgaria | 1  |  |
|  Bulgaria |  |  |  |
|  |  | December – MCG |
|  bye |  |  |
|  Bulgaria | 6
| November  |  |  | December – MCG
|  |  |  Great Britain | 1  |  |
|  Great Britain | 9 |  |  |  |  India | 0

|  Thailand | 0  |  |  |  Bulgaria | 3

## Goalscorers

[edit]

There were 53 goals scored in 12 matches, for an average of 4.42 goals per match.

4 goals

* Neville D'Souza
* Todor Veselinović
* Dimitar Milanov

3 goals

* Ivan Petkov Kolev
* Jack Laybourne
* Muhamed Mujić
* Zlatko Papec

2 goals

* Bruce Morrow
* Todor Diev
* George Bromilow
* Jim Lewis
* Charlie Twissell
* Sergei Salnikov
* Eduard Streltsov
* Sava Antić

1 goal

* Frank Loughran
* Graham McMillan
* Georgi Dimitrov
* Ernst-Günter Habig
* Laurie Topp
* Kittu
* Anatoli Ilyin
* Anatoli Isayev
* Valentin Ivanov
* Igor Netto
* Boris Tatushin
* Al Zerhusen

1 own goal

* Muhamed Abdus Salam

## Medalists

[edit]

Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

|
|

Soviet Union |  Yugoslavia |  Bulgaria
Lev Yashin
Nikolai Tishchenko
Mikhail Ogonkov
Aleksei Paramonov
Anatoli Bashashkin
Igor Netto
Boris Tatushin
Anatoli Isayev
Eduard Streltsov
Valentin Ivanov
Vladimir Ryzhkin
Boris Kuznetsov
Iosif Betsa
Sergei Salnikov
Boris Razinsky
Anatoli Maslenkin
Anatoli Ilyin
Nikita Simonyan
Yury Belyayev
Anatoli Porkhunov | Sava Antić
Ibrahim Biogradlić
Mladen Koščak
Dobroslav Krstić
Luka Liposinović
Muhamed Mujić
Zlatko Papec
Petar Radenković
Nikola Radović
Ivan Santek
Dragoslav Šekularac
Ljubiša Spajić
Todor Veselinović
Blagoja Vidinić | Stefan Bozhkov
Todor Diev
Georgi Dimitrov
Milcho Goranov
Ivan Petkov Kolev
Nikola Kovachev
Manol Manolov
Dimitar Milanov
Georgi Naydenov
Panayot Panayotov
Kiril Rakarov
Gavril Stoyanov
Krum Yanev
Yordan Yosifov
Pavel Vladimirov
Iliya Kirchev

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Olympic Football Tournament Melbourne 1956 – Top goalscoring players. FIFA.com
2. ^ "Football at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
3. ^ Esamie, Thomas (sources: Sydney Morning Herald; personal records of Alan Garside Snr) (25 October 1999). "Games of the XVI. Olympiad: Football Tournament (Melbourne, Australia, 24th November – 8th December 1956)". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. ^ "Australian Online Soccer Museum". Archived from the original on 3 November 2005. Retrieved 3 November 2006.
5. ^ Fútbol en los Juegos OlímpicosArchived 5 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine by José M. Martín, 8 August 2021
6. ^ Hungarian Eleven not entering, The Guardian, 1 September 1956
7. ^ It's Britain v Thailand in Olympics, Birmingham Evening Mail, 1 September 1956
8. ^ "News .....taken from "The Socceroos and their Opponents" by Laurie Schwab". Australian Online Soccer Museum. Australian Soccer Preservation Society. Archived from the original on 27 August 2006.

## External links

[edit]

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