THE dedication of his second autobiography - "The Lion of Vienna" - said everything about one of the most famous Boltonians writes Gordon Sharrock

Celebrating 50 years as a Wanderer, Nat Lofthouse wrote: "To the people of Bolton. Without you, none of this would have been possible."

As far as "Lofty" was concerned, the town he was born in, played in, and lived in all his years, share the honours he won on the football grounds of the world and those bestowed on him since he hung up his boots.

After all, they took him to their hearts and cheered him as their hero during the 40s and 50s, when Wanderers took pride of place at the top of the football ladder.

No man was more proud, more devoted to his home town, and more grateful to its people than the one they dubbed "The Lion" for his amazing exploits in England's 1952 triumph in Austria.

Though totally unaware at the time he penned that 'Lion' nickname, Desmond Hackett of the Daily Express could not have chosen a more fitting beast, as he described the Bolton centre-forward's performance.

Lions are important to Nat Lofthouse.

"I've been privileged to travel the world," he reflects, "and I've seen some wonderful places. But it's always been nice to come home and see those two lions on the Town Hall Square!"

For all that, Nat could have turned his back on Bolton, on England in fact.

Italy's Fiorentina offered him £60 a week ("about eight times what I was on at Bolton"), a home for him and his late wife, Alma, and private schooling for his children, Jeff and Viv.

"Bolton wouldn't let me go," he recalled, "Oh, I'd have gone to Italy, all right! I don't mind admitting it. But I'm glad I didn't. I wouldn't swap Bolton for the world."

Lofthouse had just started laying the foundations of his glittering career: 30 goals in 33 England appearances, honoured 13 times by the Football League, adding a further 21 goals, and, without taking war-time games into account, a club record 285 goals in 505 games for Wanderers.

Yet he was always modest about his abilities. "I could run, shoot and head, and that was it," he readily admits.

But he did all right for a Castle Hill schoolboy, who shinned up a drainpipe to get into Burnden Park to see his Wanderers heroes -- Westwood, Goslin, Milsom -- play Manchester City in an FA Cup tie.

That was in 1933 when he was just eight. Six years later, he left school and signed for Wanderers.

"Bolton gave me £10 -- two of those big, white fivers. I took them home and laid them out on the table to show my mum. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I could see my dad's expression. I'd embarrassed him.

"He was a coal bagger for the Co-op and only earned about £3.15s.0d a week! When he retired, they gave him a small lamp standard -- he'd worked for them for more than 50 years! They gave me the Freedom of Bolton for playing football. Doesn't seem right does it?"

Not that Lofthouse Snr wasn't proud of young Nat. "He used to kid me, and tell me I'd never be as good as Joe Smith, but I remember him coming down to London to see me play for England for the first time against Yugoslavia at Highbury. He saw the 1953 FA Cup Final, but he'd died by the time 1958 came around."

That was Nat's, and Wanderers' finest hour. He scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Manchester United, and lifted the famous cup.

There has been nothing to match that honour since, but the Lion was delighted to see Wanderers work their back into the top flight with the promotions of 1978, 1995, 1997 and 2000.

Now club president he defends the club's honour as fiercely as the supporters he used to meet as he toured the pubs and clubs with the successful commercial team.

"Guys might have a moan and tell me Saturday's game was awful -- but they love the Wanderers just as I do and, in the end, I'd get some of them to join Lifeline or Goldline.

"I understand them. Everybody has a go at their own club. But you let an outsider try and have a go..!"