Wikipedia

Sam Hardy (footballer)

Sam Hardy (26 August 1882 – 24 October 1966) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Sam Hardy
Personal information
Full name Sam Hardy[1]
Date of birth (1882-08-26)26 August 1882[2]
Place of birth Newbold, England[3]
Date of death 24 October 1966(1966-10-24) (aged 84)[3]
Place of death Chesterfield, England
Height 5 ft 9+1⁄2 in (1.77 m)[4]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1898–1900 Newbold Church School
1900–1903 Newbold White Star
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1903–1905 Chesterfield 71[5] (0)
1905–1912 Liverpool 219[6] (0)
1912–1921 Aston Villa 159[5] (0)
1921–1925 Nottingham Forest 102[5] (0)
Total 551[7] (0)
International career
1907–1920 England 21[8] (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

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In 1903, Chesterfield manager Jack Hoskin beat Derby County to sign Hardy, doing so under a lamp post in Newbold.[9] Hardy, something of a shrewd character, wouldn't sign the forms until Hoskin promised to pay him 18 shillings when the original offer was five shillings.[10][11] Hardy soon gained himself a reputation for being unfazeable and it wasn't long before he started attracting the attention of the top clubs in the country.

Liverpool manager Tom Watson had witnessed him play against his side in a Second Division fixture at Anfield, on 7 January 1905.[12] Although Liverpool won the match 6–1, Watson remembered that if it hadn't been for the performance of Hardy that day, Liverpool could well have gone on to record their biggest-ever win.[13] After 77 appearances, in which Hardy kept 30 clean-sheets, Watson approached both Chesterfield and Hardy and signed him in May 1905.[14] As part of the bargain, Liverpool offered Chesterfield a friendly match to be played at Chesterfield.[15] The transfer offer was originally £300. But the friendly never took place, and so Liverpool raised their offer and bought Sam Hardy for £340.[9][16][17][18][19] When he came to Liverpool, Ned Doig was their goalkeeper.[20] Hardy made his first team debut in the ninth game of the 1905–06 season, on 21 October 1905 at Anfield. The match was against Nottingham Forest.[16] Hardy played that day because Ned Doig was suffering from rheumatism.[21] Liverpool won the game 4–1 and Sam Hardy established himself as their first choice goalkeeper.[22]

By the end of his first season he had bagged a Football League First Division championship medal as Liverpool won their second title in five years. Hardy made 30 league (and 5 cup) appearances during the 1905–06 season as the Reds beat Preston North End by four points in the two points for a win system.[23][24]

In 1907, Hardy caught the eye of the Football Association committee who gave him his England debut on 16 February at Goodison Park; Ireland were the opponents and Hardy gained his first clean-sheet as England won 1–0.[25]

Hardy became one of the best goalkeepers of his generation over the next few seasons and by the time he was allowed to leave Anfield in 1912 he had earned himself the nickname 'Safe and Steady Sam'.[19] He had made 240 appearances between the sticks for the Reds, which included 63 clean-sheets.[26][27] Hardy was then transferred to Aston Villa in June 1912.[28][29] During his time at Aston Villa he won two FA Cups in 1913 and 1920.[30]

Like so many other professionals, his career was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. Hardy kept his eye in during the conflict playing for his own club, Villa, four times, along with Plymouth Argyle, and Nottingham Forest.[7] Forest did not concede any goals between 8 November 1915, and 2 January 1916 during part of the time Hardy was playing for them. Sam went into the Navy in 1916, but went back to Forest in 1918 and helped them to win a Midland title.[31]

In 1921 he left Villa after making 183 appearances.[32] He joined Nottingham Forest in August 1921.[33] The transfer fee was £1000, and Hardy helped them to the Second Division title by the end of his first season at the club in 1922.[34] He played his last game for Forest on 4 October 1924, after making 109 appearances for the team.[7][35]

By the end of his international days, Hardy had played for 13 years as England's goalkeeper, earning himself 21 caps.[36] He had seven clean sheets for the national team.[37]

Sam Hardy retired in 1925.[38] Upon retirement, he became a publican, keeping pubs and billiard halls in the Chesterfield area and remained so until his death aged 84 on 24 October 1966.[9][39]

Charlie Buchan regarded Sam Hardy as the best goalkeeper that he had ever played against.[39] Billy Walker and Herbert Chapman regarded Hardy as the best goalkeeper that they had seen.[34][40] In 1998 Hardy appeared on the BBC's Football League 100 Legends list.[41] He also was voted in at No. 94 in the official Liverpool Football Club web site poll.[42][43]

Personal life

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Hardy was a relative of Nottingham Forest manager Stan Hardy.[44] His son Jack Hardy, grandson Sam, nephew Edgar and cousins Ernest and Harry all became footballers.[45] He served as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Navy during the First World War.[1]

Honours

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Newbold White Star

  • Byron Cup: 1901–02[9]

Liverpool

Aston Villa

Nottingham Forest

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Samuel Hardy | Service Record". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  2. ^ "FreeREG database - Sam Hardy Baptism: St John the Evangelist, Newbold, Derbyshire, 2 January 1883. Reg No.1504". FreeREG. Free UK Genealogy. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Chesterfield FC: Player-based information – 1899–1909". Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  4. ^ Trentsider (21 August 1922). "Few big transfers in the First Division of the Football League. Nottingham Forest". Athletic News. Manchester. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b c "Players - Sam Hardy: Appearances: Other Clubs". Retrieved 4 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  6. ^ "Players - Sam Hardy: Appearances". Retrieved 4 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  7. ^ a b c "Sam Hardy". Retrieved 4 August 2024 – via Football And The First World War.
  8. ^ "FA Legacy Number 321: Sam Hardy". Retrieved 4 August 2024 – via Englandstats.com.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Chesterfield | Club | Past Players | Past Players | Sam Hardy". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  10. ^ Basson, Stuart (1998). Lucky Whites and Spireites. p. 80. ISBN 1874427-03-8.
  11. ^ "Sam Hardy Ill. Famous Goalkeeper's Critical Condition". Sheffield Independent. 3 October 1925. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Archives: Match Details from Liverpool - Chesterfield played on Saturday 7 January 1905". Retrieved 7 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  13. ^ Rippon, Anton (2020). Liverpool: The Story of a Football Club in 101 Lives. Barnsley: Pen & Sword White Owl. p. 33. Retrieved 1 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ "Football: Important Capture by Liverpool. Sam Hardy Signed On". Liverpool Evening Express. 18 May 1905. p. 7. Retrieved 7 August 2024 – via Findmypast.
  15. ^ "Variety of Questions". The Derbyshire Times. 14 October 1905. p. 11. Retrieved 6 August 2024 – via Findmypast.
  16. ^ a b "Players - Sam Hardy: Player Profile". Retrieved 6 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  17. ^ "Transfers for the 1905-1906 season". Retrieved 6 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  18. ^ "Managers: Tom Watson: Players bought". Retrieved 6 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  19. ^ a b Williams, John (2011). Red Men: Liverpool Football Club - The Biography. London: Random House. p. 93. Retrieved 6 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ "Careers of Famous Footballers: Sam Hardy". Sunderland Daily Echo. 29 April 1913. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "Liverpool v. Nottingham Forest". Nottingham Journal. 21 October 1905. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, 21 October 1905". Retrieved 2 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  23. ^ "Sam Hardy: Club Matches: Liverpool". Retrieved 2 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  24. ^ "Liverpool league performance history: League Division One table at close of 1905-06 season". Retrieved 2 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  25. ^ Goodwin, Chris; Isherwood, Glen (29 November 2022). "England Match No.89 - Ireland - 16 February 1907". England Football Online. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Appearances by Sam Hardy under Tom Watson". Retrieved 3 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  27. ^ "Players - Sam Hardy: Clean sheets per season". Retrieved 3 August 2024 – via LFCHistory.net.
  28. ^ "Villa's Capture. International Goalkeeper Signed On". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 15 June 1912. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ^ "Aston Villa v Chelsea, 02 September 1912". Retrieved 3 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  30. ^ "Sam Hardy: Club Matches: Aston Villa". Retrieved 3 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  31. ^ Jackson, Alexander (2022). Football's Great War: Association Football on the English Home Front, 1914–1918. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. p. 178. Retrieved 6 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  32. ^ "Player#237: Sam Hardy". Retrieved 5 August 2024 – via AVFC History.co.uk.
  33. ^ "Sam Hardy Transferred. Famous Villa Goalkeeper To Play With Forest". Sporting Chronicle. 19 August 1921. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  34. ^ a b Wright, Don (2016). Clough and Walker: Forest's Greatest Managers. Stroud: Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 19. Retrieved 5 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  35. ^ "Sam Hardy: Club Matches 1924/25". Retrieved 4 August 2024 – via World Football.net.
  36. ^ Goodwin, Chris; Isherwood, Glen (8 December 2022). "England Players – Sam Hardy". England Football Online. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  37. ^ Goodwin, Chris; Isherwood, Glen (14 July 2024). "England's Goalkeepers by Number of Clean Sheets". England Football Online. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  38. ^ "The Notts Clubs. New Men For The County And The Forest". Daily News. 4 August 1925. p. 10 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  39. ^ a b c d Simkin, John. "Sam Hardy". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  40. ^ Chapman, Herbert (2010) [1934]. Herbert Chapman on Football: The reflections of Arsenal's Greatest Manager. Downham Market: GCR Books Limited. p. 35. Retrieved 5 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  41. ^ "BBC News – Football – Legends list in full". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  42. ^ 100 Players Who Shook The Kop Archived 12 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ Platt, Mark (25 May 2006). "100 PWSTK – No.94: Sam Hardy". Liverpool F.C. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  44. ^ "Nottingham Forest at 150: Flashback: The men that managed the Reds from 1912 to 1939". 3 November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  45. ^ "Getting Personal | Goalkeepers are Different". www.goalkeepersaredifferent.com. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
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