Harold "Harry" Hanford (9 October 1907 – 1996) was a Welsh footballer who made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing for Swansea Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Exeter City. He was capped seven times for Wales at senior international level.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Harold Hanford[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 9 October 1907 | ||
| Place of birth | Blaengwynfi, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 26 November 1995 (aged 88) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Ton Pentre | |||
| – | Blaengwynfi | ||
| 1927–1935 | Swansea Town | 201 | (0) |
| 1935–1939 | Sheffield Wednesday | 88 | (1) |
| 1939–1940 | → Swindon Town (wartime guest) | ||
| 1946–1947 | Exeter City | 36 | (0) |
| – | Haverfordwest Athletic | ||
| International career | |||
| 1933–1939 | Wales | 7 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
In the book by Geraint H Jenkins, 'Proud to be a Swan', Hanford is described as "a muscular, lantern-jawed stopper". Despite having been at the club for only a short time, he is a "veteran" of the Swansea City side struggling under the management of James Thomson towards the end of the 1920s. An inspirational figure in the side who, in times of economic hardship, regularly rallied the troops with the help of the "legendary" Joe Sykes and record Football League appearance holder for the Swans, Wilfred Milne.[2]
Hanford was part of the giant killing Swansea Town side that saw off First division Stoke City in the third round of the 1935 FA Cup. Swansea were having a difficult season in division two that year but, goals from S Lowery (2) Hughie Blair and Walter Bussey helped them see off Stoke at the Vetch Field.[3] Hanford played alongside Wilfred Milne, who still holds the club record for most appearances in the English Football League (586). However, the Swans went on to lose to Derby County in the fourth round.[4]
References edit
- ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 113. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
- ^ Jenkins, Geraint (2012). Proud to be a Swan. Talybont, Aberystwyth: yLolfa. p. 39. ISBN 9781847714817.
- ^ "The Giant Killers".
- ^ "Swansea City football club match record: 1935". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
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