Ivan Arthur " Ivor" Broadis (18 December 1922 – 12 April 2019) was an English professional footballer.
During a career spanning nineteen years from 1942 to 1961, Broadis represented Carlisle United, Sunderland, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Queen of the South, gaining 14 caps and scoring eight goals for England at international level. Broadis played at inside forward; after retiring from playing in 1961, he pursued a career as a football journalist. He was the oldest surviving England international footballer until his death in April 2019 at the age of 96.
Broadis recalled to the Northern Echo how he was in Italy when news of the Japanese surrender arrived. "Next day we flew hundreds of troops back to England, some of whom hadn't had leave for five years. I was navigator, so I kept passing round notes telling them where we were. It was very emotional when we came over the white cliffs of Dover and you could see all the bonfires down below. I have very fond memories of that."
Broadis continued to live in Carlisle, even after his move to Sunderland, and trained with Carlisle United under new manager Bill Shankly. One day Broadis arrived late for training. Shankly's version of what he said to Broadis: "What do you think you're doing? Who do you think you are? If you do the training we do you can train with us and we'll play five-a-side and you'll run your guts out as an example to everybody else". Shankly never said that he made Broadis as a footballer, "but I made him realise what was needed to be a player, and Ivor Broadis was one of the strongest and most dangerous inside forwards that ever played." Broadis' description of events with Shankly: "Bill always regarded himself as the man who saved me, really – the man who gave me to England. I would maybe be lapping round and I admit I could have put a lot more into it. "You sort of take the routine from the club you are with and that was not good enough for Bill. I was doing what I thought Sunderland would be doing, the way they were doing it. And that wasn't Bill's way. You had to come off jiggered. So Bill regarded himself as putting me right and I think there's a lot of truth in that. His strength was not Liverpool. It was the strength he could give to anybody." With Shankly's infectious enthusiasm he would ask Broadis, "Are you doing anything this afternoon? Aye, right then, if you're not, come down to the ground." They would upturn two Chimney-pot to each be a goal and play one-a-side.
Sunderland's big spending transfer fees on Broadis and others led to the club being known at this time as the "Bank of England club." Alongside the likes of England internationals Len Shackleton, Dickie Davis, Willie Watson and Wales' Trevor Ford, Broadis scored 27 goals in 84 Sunderland appearances.
Broadis remembers his playing days with affection but not entirely without regret. The inside-forward lamented, "The sad thing about that Sunderland side was that we should have won the League in 1950. They played me at centre-forward against a relegated Man City with three or four games to go and we lost. We finished third in the end. We should have won the league that year, it would have made such a difference." In Sunderland's highest post war finish they ended up 1 point behind retaining champions Portsmouth and also runners up Wolves. This is Broadis' highest ever league finish.
In his time at QoS he hit four goals on Boxing Day 1959 in a 7–1 home win over Queen's Park. The Doonhamers' other goals came from Percy Dunlop (2) and Bobby Black. The consolation goal for Queen's Park was scored by future Aberdeen and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. Broadis scored 20 goals in his 63 league games for Queens. Ivor Broadis. England International Newcastle Fans. Retrieved 17 December 2022 Broadis' performances prompted the offer of a contract from top division Hearts. Broadis decided that he would end his playing days with Queens, however, before moving on to the next step in his career. At the time of his 90th birthday he was the oldest surviving ex-Queens player.
In a game of eight goals in Budapest on 23 May 1954, Broadis was the only England player able to score. In reply, the speed, skill and movement of the Hungary 'Magical Magyars' featuring Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, Zoltán Czibor, Nándor Hidegkuti and József Bozsik scored seven. After the game, bewildered England centre half Syd Owen said, "It was like playing people from outer space". Tom Finney commented of 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!" This is still England's record defeat. Broadis had not played when Hungary won 6–3 at Wembley the previous November."Puskas on Puskas", Robson Books Ltd, 1998
Broadis played at the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Playing in all three England games, Broadis scored two goals, both against Belgium. Broadis was thus the first Englishman to score twice in a game in the World Cup finals, 30 minutes ahead of Nat Lofthouse who also scored two in the same 4–4 draw. Broadis was thus also part of the first England team to play in the World Cup quarter finals.
Exhibition game | ||||||||
1951–52 British Home Championship | ||||||||
Friendly | ||||||||
1952–53 British Home Championship | ||||||||
Friendly | ||||||||
Friendly | ||||||||
Friendly | ||||||||
Friendly | ||||||||
1953–54 British Home Championship | ||||||||
Friendly | ||||||||
Friendly | ||||||||
1954 FIFA World Cup | ||||||||
1954 FIFA World Cup | ||||||||
1954 FIFA World Cup knock out stage | ||||||||
Source: |
|
|