Sam Hardy (footballer) explained

Sam Hardy
Full Name:Sam Hardy
Birth Date:1882 8, df=y[1]
Birth Place:Newbold, England[2]
Death Place:Chesterfield, England
Height:[3]
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthyears1:1898–1900
Youthclubs1:Newbold Church School
Youthyears2:1900–1903
Youthclubs2:Newbold White Star
Years1:1903–1905
Clubs1:Chesterfield
Caps1:71
Goals1:0
Years2:1905–1912
Clubs2:Liverpool
Caps2:219[4]
Goals2:0
Years3:1912–1921
Clubs3:Aston Villa
Caps3:159[5]
Goals3:0
Years4:1921–1925
Clubs4:Nottingham Forest
Caps4:102
Goals4:0
Totalcaps:551[6]
Totalgoals:0
Nationalyears1:1907–1920
Nationalteam1:England
Nationalcaps1:21[7]
Nationalgoals1:0

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

Football career

In 1903, Chesterfield manager Jack Hoskin beat Derby County to sign Hardy, doing so under a lamp post in Newbold. 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.[8] [9] 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.[10] 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.[11] After 77 appearances, in which Hardy kept 30 clean-sheets, Watson approached both Chesterfield and Hardy and signed him in May 1905.[12] As part of the bargain, Liverpool offered Chesterfield a friendly match to be played at Chesterfield.[13] The transfer offer was originally £300. But the friendly never took place, and so Liverpool raised their offer and bought Sam Hardy for £340.[14] [15] [16] [17] When he came to Liverpool, Ned Doig was their goalkeeper.[18] 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. Hardy played that day because Ned Doig was suffering from rheumatism.[19] Liverpool won the game 4–1 and Sam Hardy established himself as their first choice goalkeeper.[20]

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.[21] [22]

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.[23]

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'. He had made 240 appearances between the sticks for the Reds, which included 63 clean-sheets.[24] [25] Hardy was then transferred to Aston Villa in June 1912.[26] [27] During his time at Aston Villa he won two FA Cups in 1913 and 1920.[28]

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. 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.[29]

In 1921 he left Villa after making 183 appearances.[30] He joined Nottingham Forest in August 1921.[31] 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.[32] He played his last game for Forest on 4 October 1924, after making 109 appearances for the team.[33]

By the end of his international days, Hardy had played for 13 years as England's goalkeeper, earning himself 21 caps. He had seven clean sheets for the national team.[34]

Sam Hardy retired in 1925.[35] 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.

Charlie Buchan regarded Sam Hardy as the best goalkeeper that he had ever played against.[36] Billy Walker and Herbert Chapman regarded Hardy as the best goalkeeper that they had seen.[37] In 1998 Hardy appeared on the BBC's Football League 100 Legends list.[38] He also was voted in at No. 94 in the official Liverpool Football Club web site poll.[39] [40]

Personal life

Hardy was a relative of Nottingham Forest manager Stan Hardy.[41] His son Jack Hardy, grandson Sam, nephew Edgar and cousins Ernest and Harry all became footballers.[42] He served as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Navy during the First World War.[43]

Honours

Newbold White Star

Liverpool

Aston Villa

Nottingham Forest

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FreeREG database - Sam Hardy Baptism: St John the Evangelist, Newbold, Derbyshire, 2 January 1883. Reg No.1504 . 4 Aug 2024 . FreeREG . Free UK Genealogy.
  2. Web site: Chesterfield FC: Player-based information – 1899–1909 . 6 December 2018.
  3. News: Few big transfers in the First Division of the Football League. Nottingham Forest . Trentsider . Athletic News . Manchester . 21 August 1922 . 5.
  4. Web site: Players - Sam Hardy: Appearances . LFCHistory.net . 4 August 2024.
  5. Web site: Players - Sam Hardy: Appearances: Other Clubs . LFCHistory.net . 4 August 2024.
  6. Web site: Sam Hardy . Football And The First World War . 4 August 2024.
  7. Web site: FA Legacy Number 321: Sam Hardy . Englandstats.com . 4 August 2024.
  8. Book: Basson, Stuart . Lucky Whites and Spireites . 1998 . 80 . 1874427-03-8.
  9. News: Sam Hardy Ill. Famous Goalkeeper's Critical Condition . Sheffield Independent . 3 October 1925 . 7 . British Newspaper Archive.
  10. Web site: Archives: Match Details from Liverpool - Chesterfield played on Saturday 7 January 1905 . LFCHistory.net . 7 August 2024.
  11. Book: Rippon . Anton . 2020 . Liverpool: The Story of a Football Club in 101 Lives . Pen & Sword White Owl . Barnsley . 33 . Google Books . 1 August 2024.
  12. News: Football: Important Capture by Liverpool. Sam Hardy Signed On . Liverpool Evening Express . 18 May 1905 . 7 . Findmypast . 7 August 2024 . subscription .
  13. News: Variety of Questions . The Derbyshire Times . 14 October 1905 . 11 . Findmypast . 6 August 2024 . subscription .
  14. Web site: Players - Sam Hardy: Player Profile . LFCHistory.net . 6 August 2024.
  15. Web site: Transfers for the 1905-1906 season . LFCHistory.net . 6 August 2024.
  16. Web site: Managers: Tom Watson: Players bought . LFCHistory.net . 6 August 2024.
  17. Book: Williams . John . 2011 . Red Men: Liverpool Football Club - The Biography . Random House . London . 93 . Google Books . 6 August 2024.
  18. News: Careers of Famous Footballers: Sam Hardy . Sunderland Daily Echo . 29 April 1913 . 3 . British Newspaper Archive.
  19. News: Liverpool v. Nottingham Forest . Nottingham Journal . 21 October 1905 . 8 . British Newspaper Archive.
  20. Web site: Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, 21 October 1905 . 11v11.com . 2 August 2024.
  21. Web site: Sam Hardy: Club Matches: Liverpool . 11v11.com . 2 August 2024.
  22. Web site: Liverpool league performance history: League Division One table at close of 1905-06 season . 11v11.com . 2 August 2024.
  23. Web site: England Match No.89 - Ireland - 16 February 1907 . Goodwin . Chris . Isherwood . Glen . 29 November 2022 . England Football Online . 2 August 2024.
  24. Web site: Appearances by Sam Hardy under Tom Watson . LFCHistory.net . 3 August 2024.
  25. Web site: Players - Sam Hardy: Clean sheets per season . LFCHistory.net . 3 August 2024.
  26. News: Villa's Capture. International Goalkeeper Signed On . Birmingham Daily Gazette . 15 June 1912 . 8 . British Newspaper Archive.
  27. Web site: Aston Villa v Chelsea, 02 September 1912 . 11v11.com . 3 August 2024.
  28. Web site: Sam Hardy: Club Matches: Aston Villa . 11v11.com . 3 August 2024.
  29. Book: Jackson . Alexander . 2022 . Football's Great War: Association Football on the English Home Front, 1914–1918 . Pen & Sword Military . Barnsley . 178 . Google Books . 6 August 2024.
  30. Web site: Player#237: Sam Hardy . AVFC History.co.uk . 5 August 2024.
  31. News: Sam Hardy Transferred. Famous Villa Goalkeeper To Play With Forest . Sporting Chronicle . 19 August 1921 . 6 . British Newspaper Archive.
  32. Book: Wright . Don . 2016 . Clough and Walker: Forest's Greatest Managers . Amberley Publishing Limited . Stroud . 19 . Google Books . 5 August 2024.
  33. Web site: Sam Hardy: Club Matches 1924/25 . World Football.net . 4 August 2024.
  34. Web site: England's Goalkeepers by Number of Clean Sheets . Goodwin . Chris . Isherwood . Glen . 14 July 2024 . England Football Online . 3 August 2024.
  35. News: The Notts Clubs. New Men For The County And The Forest . Daily News . 4 August 1925 . 10 . British Newspaper Archive.
  36. Web site: Sam Hardy . Simkin . John . Spartacus Educational . 10 August 2014.
  37. Book: Chapman, Herbert . Herbert Chapman on Football: The reflections of Arsenal's Greatest Manager . 1934 . 2010 . GCR Books Limited . Downham Market . 35 . Google Books . 5 August 2024.
  38. Web site: BBC News – Football – Legends list in full. news.bbc.co.uk . 6 December 2018.
  39. http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/100-pwstk-the-definitive-list 100 Players Who Shook The Kop
  40. Web site: 100 PWSTK – No.94: Sam Hardy . Mark . Platt . Liverpool F.C. . 25 May 2006. 10 August 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140812211146/http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/100-pwstk-no-94-sam-hardy. 12 August 2014.
  41. Web site: Nottingham Forest at 150: Flashback: The men that managed the Reds from 1912 to 1939. 3 November 2015. 21 September 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151107220033/http://www.nottinghampost.com/Nottingham-Forest-150-Flashback-8203-men-managed/story-28105725-detail/story.html. 7 November 2015.
  42. Web site: Getting Personal Goalkeepers are Different. www.goalkeepersaredifferent.com. 6 December 2018.
  43. Web site: Samuel Hardy Service Record . Football and the First World War . en . 6 December 2018.
  44. Web site: Chesterfield Club Past Players Past Players Sam Hardy . https://web.archive.org/web/20120415142717/http://www.chesterfield-fc.co.uk/page/PastPlayersDetail/0,,10435~78585,00.html . 15 April 2012 . dead . 6 December 2018.

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