PLAYER OF THE SEASON: FERENC PUSKÁS
— Published in 1987 —

Öcsi Puskás has been one of the best in Hungarian football for years. Often, it was only because of one of his slip-ups, indiscipline or exhibitions that he was not promoted to the first team. This year he was great again. His football was inimitable. His unprecedented diligence, his passion for the ball, his tirelessness, his speed, his vision, made him a master of the pitch. He directed and executed, encouraged and led, like a general rushing to the front line, greeting his teammates with words (and what sharp words!) and by example. He had the game in his blood; he handled the ball as if it were part of his left foot.

As he got angry and quarrelled when the game didn't go his way, or when one of his partners made annoying mistakes, so he rejoiced in every successful move he and his partners made. In the autumn of 1950 he played in tremendous form, yet his performance in the Salgótarján match in December (6:0!) was almost a "one-off". With great spirit, he kneaded the mud, in which everyone else, even the so technical Kocsis, Szojka and Csuberda, got stuck. With his wonderful ball technique, it was as if he knew no difference between hard ground and muddy sea. He was the only one who was in control of the ball even on this "bottomless" ground.

After that, against Előre and in the final match of the year, Honvéd were losing in the first half, but Puskás was not scared. He was confident, cheerful, smiling and laughing, encouraging and reassuring his teammates. He giggled, laughed and finally belly-clutched when Kocsis scored three goals in a row. At half-time (3:3), he told jokes to the whole crowd, and even knocked over Textiles, because he wanted to tell Hidegkuti the latest tip he had heard, and so he continued the second half. He even patted Master Kallós, the popular referee, on the back, laughing, when he gave and then withdrew his fourth goal (Puskás scored three in this game, as did Kocsis. In fact, he headed one of the three — not one of his favourite solutions).