This autumn, for the first time in its 70-year history, the Ballon d’Or awards are to be held in London, England.

The change of location has substantial meaning behind it, not least because the inaugural recipient of the golden ball was Sir Stanley Matthews, a player who embodied the very best traits of Englishness in his every action.

The legendary Blackpool and Stoke winger was a true ambassador of football, dedicating a lifelong devotion to his craft, a commitment to enthral, and to fair play. 

Moreover, as the Ballon d’Or becomes of septuagenarian age it is fitting in such a landmark year to celebrate the finest present-day exponents of the beautiful game in the beating heart of the country that first conceived of it.

And so, to England’s capital we go, temporarily departing the elegant Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the host venue of the Ballon d’Or since 2019. Prior to that, ceremonies were held at various settings around Paris, including the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower.

Sea Air and a China Plate

On December 18th, 1956, it was in the shadow of an altogether different famous tower that a 41-year-old Matthews received his honour, proudly taking receipt of his trophy in a wood-panelled room within Blackpool Town Hall.

These days we are accustomed to the Ballon d’Or awards being an extremely glamourous and prestigious occasion, attended by a wealth of high-achieving players and coaches. There is musical entertainment. It is televised and livestreamed across the globe.

League-winning coaches sit alongside Champions League-winning footballers, many of whom adorn tuxedos.

Contrasting this in scale, at the tail-end of 1956, Matthews accepted his trophy from Gabriel Hanot, the visionary editor of L’Equipe who first formulated the Ballon d’Or. Elsewhere in the room was a small handful of dignitaries, including the town’s mayor who commissioned a china plate to commemorate the day.

Shy without his boots on, Matthews gave a truncated speech, thanking Hanot and graciously crediting his club and international team-mates for the part they had to play. There was a smattering of applause. Then everyone went home.

The Eternal First Debate

If such a low-key gathering differs greatly to the grandeur of the 21st century incarnation of the Ballon d’Or one thing was as true then, as now. Not everyone agreed on the eventual winner.

A clutch of French journalists each selected three European-based players and the feeling from some, on the official announcement, was that the ‘Wizard of Dribble’ won out based on his outstanding career-long canon of work rather than especially impressing that calendar year.

This was, let’s not forget, the winter of 1956, mere months after Real Madrid and Reims played out an inaugural and thrilling European Cup final – a competition that was also invented by the remarkable Hanot.

Leading the line for Los Blancos that night – and scoring his team’s opening strike as Real triumphed 4-3 - was the great Alfredo Di Stefano, then 30 years old and still a decade away from retiring. Reims meanwhile were spearheaded by the modern technician Raymond Kopa, a brilliant forward whose movement and skillset offered up a snapshot of the future.

Both of these colossal talents would be duly recognised by Ballon d’Or soon after, Di Stefano winning in two of the next three years, Kopa in 1958.

Pioneer Without Pomp

Of course, debate against Matthews being the worthiest winner of the first Ballon d’Or was no reflection on his immense standing in the game, or indeed the sizable respect he warranted globally.

The tricky wide-man was universally revered and he would go on to astound one and all several more times until he departed the muddy pitches to national fanfare at the seasoned age of 50.

It was plainly that some believed, in this instance, he was being acclaimed for his longevity, his two decades at the zenith of the sport gaining him a statesmanlike stature.

But was this newly created award a lifetime achievement merit? Or – as Hanot envisioned – an honour to salute greatness in the here and now?

It’s pertinent to point out that in the 1955-56 season, Matthews did not win the FWA Football of the Year award, that trophy going to Bert Trautmann of Manchester City.

For balance, however, there are other factors that are pertinent too.

Chiefly, that Matthews was not a ‘relic’ from a bygone era, admired for his durability over impact. He was a pioneer, continually pushing the boundaries in diet and fitness, and adopting methodologies that at the time were considered quirky at best by scoffing team-mates, but which are now cornerstones of modern-day practices.

He was years ahead of the curve. Decades.

Furthermore, Matthews was 41 when he was decorated and thousands of opposition fans were not packing out grounds every week to witness a legend of the recent past. They went to be enlivened by his genius. Enraptured by his dribbling skills that were still second to none.

It was for this reason why he won in 1956 and a historic honours roll containing incredible stars such as Cruyff, Beckenbauer and Messi would look that bit lighter without him there.

So it was that in December 1956, Sir Stanley Matthews accepted his ultimate accolade in a small town hall in Blackpool. And though it was only a ceremony of sorts, and though this year’s gala is being held 250 miles south of the Lancashire coastline, it can be stated that this autumn football is coming home. Back to where the Ballon d’Or all began.