FIFTY years ago today, a 26-year-old centre-forward from Bolton, playing in only his seventh international, gave such a heroic performance for England that he was given a nickname he would carry proudly for the rest of his days writes Gordon Sharrock.

Nat Lofthouse -- the Lion of Vienna.

A legend was born on May 25, 1952, when England triumphed in Austria in a game billed as the "Championship of Europe".

Half a century on, Bolton's most famous sporting son recalls the day The Lion roared.

IN the halcyon days back in the 1950s, there was no automatic England centre forward. Walter Winterbottom, whose team was picked by a committee of FA selectors, had the services of a variety of No 9s -- any one of whom Sven-Goran Eriksson would give his right arm to have in his World Cup squad.

Greats such as Tommy Lawton, Jack Rowley, Stan Mortensen, Jackie Milburn, Roy Bentley, Ronnie Allen and Tommy Taylor -- even the gifted and versatile Tom Finney -- were available.

But a three-match end of season tour of Europe in 1952 would see Nat Lofthouse -- the feared, free-scoring Bolton Wanderer -- cement his place among the greatest of all time.

Nat, the son of a coal-bagger for the Bolton Co-op, had joined his home town team on September 4, 1939 -- the day war broke out -- and proved a prolific marksman during the war years.

He scored twice on his debut in a 5-1 win against Bury in 1941 and, when league football resumed after the hostilities, scored twice again in a 4-3 defeat by Chelsea.

Doubles became something of a trademark for Lofthouse, who marked his England debut against Yugoslavia at Highbury netting both goals in 2-2 draw. Eight years later he would score the two goals that gave his beloved Wanderers one of their greatest triumphs -- the 2-0 win against Manchester United at Wembley when they lifted the FA Cup.

But it was the brace he bagged in Vienna in May 1952 that would earn him the alias that summed up perfectly the courage that was his greatest asset.

England went into the game on the back of a hard-earned 1-1 draw with Italy in Florence. On a wet Sunday afternoon, roared on by hundreds of British Servicemen in a 60,000 crowd in the Prater Stadium, Billy Wright and his team led twice but, going into the final few minutes, were hanging on at 2-2. Nat and Spurs' inside forward Eddie Baily had scored, but Gil Merrick's goal was taking a battering.

However, the Austrians' over-commitment to attack was to prove their downfall. Merrick confidently picked a cross off the head of Dienst and, in one movement, launched a massive throw towards the centre circle, where Finney deftly flicked the ball into his mate's path.

Without a second thought and with the screams of his team-mates telling him "You're on your own Nat!", he took off an a storming run to the heart of the Austrian defence.

Chased by desperate defenders, Nat went full-tilt towards a head-on collision with the on-rushing goalkeeper, Musil.

"I can't remember much about what happened after that," Nat recalls with painful memories of the shattering blow he took to his right shin as he pulled the trigger.

"I didn't see the ball go in the net. I only knew I'd scored when I heard someone shout 'It's in!'. But I remember the celebrations that night." His double in that 3-2 victory started a scoring streak that delivered nine goals in a five-match sequence, confirming Lofthouse as one of the most famous international centre-forwards.

He went on to play 33 games for England over eight magnificent years, scoring 30 goals including doubles on no fewer than 12 occasions.

The "Lion of Vienna" nickname was penned the following morning by Daily Express football writer Desmond Hackett.

"I've always been proud of the name," Nat says as he sits in his office at the Reebok Stadium and reflects on more than 60 years of service to football as player, trainer, coach, manager, chief scout and now president and honorary director of Bolton Wanderers.

"That was the most important event in my career, apart from winning the FA Cup with Bolton.

"But I always considered the praise I got as a tribute to the team. I was especially pleased that day for Walter Winterbottom because I always respected him." Years later, in a tribute to Nat, Hackett recalled the event which led to the creation of a legend.

"With minutes to go the score was 2-2," he reminisced. "The Austrians were pounding away like Wellington's troops at Waterloo. The ball was thrown out to Tom Finney. A quick slip and the ball was through to Nat.

"He thundered upfield, roared on by the English fans. The goalkeeper came raging forward but fearless Nat stayed until the last second.

"Then -- crash! In went the ball and out went Nat. Trainers rushed on and stretcher him off, but at the touchline he leapt off the stretcher to play out the last five minutes.

"Match over and the khaki-clad British troops poured onto the pitch in their hundreds to carry off the red-shirted English. It looked like a mass of poppies waving in a Flanders field of corn.

"The old eyes dim at the thought of that scene. I often think of the Austrians: that will teach them not to try to twist the lion's tail."