'LION of Vienna ' Nat Lofthouse, president of Bolton Wanderers, is just one of the host of legendary soccer stars taking part in a new BBC series.

Narrated by James Bolam, Kicking and Screaming, features a galaxy of football heroes including Sir Stanley Matthews, Tommy Lawton, and Tom Finney.

Rare interviews with all the surviving England managers and extraordinary archive footage of the game combine to trace the history of the sport from its origins as a rough and tumble mass street game to the play of millionaire superstars beamed by satellite around a football-hungry world. Nat and his contemporaries pop up throughout the six part series.

But programme two is devoted to them as it takes a long-hard look at the 'Golden Age' of soccer.

By today's standards players during the 40s and 50s received a pittance for their efforts. But what they lacked in wealth they made up for in taking great pride in playing for their team and country. When Nat signed for Wanderers back in 1939, aged 17, he received a handsome signing on fee of £10. But as Nat says: "I know £10 doesn't seem like much nowadays but I had no complaint on the money side.

"I was getting £10 which was four times more than my dad was getting as a coal bagger for the Co-op. He only got £2 10 shillings"

Now aged 70, the former Bolton centre forward, recalls proudly how he spent all his playing career with Wanderers - virtually unheard of for today's footballers. And he remembers back to his Castle Hill schooldays when he used to play football on the cobbled streets, using coats for goalposts. But from humble beginnings Nat went on to become a legend.

He scored 30 goals in 33 England appearances, was honoured 13 times by the Football League, added a further 21 goals (including six in one game against the Irish), and without taking wartime games into account, scored a club record of 285 goals in 505 games for Wanderers.

"The game has changed out of all recognition," he concludes.

"The strip's changed, the ball's changed, the training's changed, and the money has changed. But I still believe footballers take great pride in the game."

Asked how he thought he and his contemporaries would fare in today's soccer world, he said: "Well I don't know about me but people like Matthews and Finney would be seen as very good players - I've no doubt about that."

During his 56-year association with Wanderers Nat has served as player, trainer, coach, manager, chief scout, and, since 1986, president. "I'm very proud of my association with the town and its team and I like nothing better than talking about my happy memories.

"It was a real pleasure to talk to the BBC about my footballing days and it was wonderful to get together with boys from the old days." Kicking and Screaming starts its six week run on Monday, October 16.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.