Syd Owen

Sydney William Owen (February 28 1922 – January 1999) was an English footballer and football coach.

Owen was born in Birmingham. He made 388 first-team appearances for Luton Town. In 1959 he was the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and led Luton Town to the FA Cup Final. He became a highly valued member of Don Revie's coaching staff at Leeds United and later served Manchester United in a similar role.

He earned three caps for the England national football team. In a game of eight goals in Budapest on May 23 1954 Ivor Broadis was the only England player to score. In reply the speed, skill and movement of the Hungary `Golden Team´ featuring Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, Zoltán Czibor, Nándor Hidegkuti and József Bozsik rattled in 7. After the game bewildered centre half Owen said, “It was like playing people from outer space”. Tom Finney commented of Ivor Broadis, "I remember when he had taken his boots off after the Budapest match, he warned everyone, "Don't touch them unless you're wearing gloves, they're red hot". Broadis added, "It's the first time I've ever come off the pitch with a sunburned tongue!"" ["Puskas on Puskas", Robson Books Ltd, 1998] This is still England's record defeat. Owen was a member of the 1954 FIFA World Cup team.

External links

*soccerbase (manager)|1168|Syd Owen