Harry Hibbs (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Harry Hibbs


fullname = Henry Edward Hibbs
dateofbirth = birth date|1906|5|27|df=y
cityofbirth = Wilnecote, Staffordshire
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1984|4|23|1906|5|27|df=y
cityofdeath = Hatfield, Hertfordshire
countryofdeath = England
height =
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs = Wilnecote Holy Trinity
Tamworth Castle
years = 1925–1939
1953
clubs = Birmingham City
de Havilands
caps(goals) = 358 0(0)
manageryears = 1944–1951
1961–1962
1962–1963
managerclubs = Walsall
Ware Town
Welwyn Garden City
nationalyears = 1929–1936
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 025 0(0) Henry Edward ‘Harry’ Hibbs (May 27 1906 – April 23 1984) was an English football goalkeeper who played for Birmingham City and England between the Wars.

Playing career

Hibbs was born in Wilnecote, Staffordshire and, whilst training as a plumber,cite book | author=Graham Betts| title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing | year=2006|pages=p.127| isbn=1-905009-63-1] played for his local club sides Wilnecote Holy Trinity and Tamworth Castle, who had some torried seasons in the Birmingham and District Football League (the club conceding a total 164 goals over the 1922 and 1923 seasons). [ [http://www.fchd.info/TAMWORTC.HTM Tamworth Castle on Football Club History Database] ] Despite this, Hibbs came to the attention of Birmingham City when he was 17 years of age and impressed so much in trials that he was offered professional forms in May 1924. Amongst such club legends as Frank Womack and Joe Bradford, Hibbs became a regular feature of Billy Beer’s side but it was a barren period in the club’s history.

Leslie Knighton’s arrival from Bournemouth in 1928 signalled an improvement in fortunes for both Hibbs and Birmingham. Hibbs was part of a F.A. tour to South Africa and made three appearances for the Football League XI. His form on the FA tour earned him a call up for England and he was selected for the England national team to play Wales at Stamford Bridge on November 20 1929. England won the match 6-0, with a hat-traick from George Camsell [ [http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=169 England 6 - Wales 0; 20th November 1929 (Match summary)] ]

Prior to Hibbs' debut, the England selectors had tried 21 different goalkeepers in the nine years since Sam Hardy's retirement in 1920. Hibbs was almost a "carbon copy" of Hardy, unspectacular but highly reliable, preferring to do everything in as simple a manner as possible, a style that was to see him become England's most capped goalkeeper up to that time, as he was selected 25 times for England (ten clean sheets), becoming a main-stay well into the mid-1930s.

Birmingham reached the FA Cup final in 1931 where they came up against a strong West Bromwich Albion side, losing 2-1. (His cousin, Harold Pearson, who played on the winning side in the Cup Final, was selected to play for England against Scotland on April 9, 1932).

After over 389 games, his career with Birmingham came to an end a little while into the start of the Second World War. His testimonial coming against cross-city rivals Aston Villa on April 13, 1940, in the first Wartime benefit game.

Management career

In August 1944 Hibbs became coach of Walsall for 7 years. The highlight of this period was the club's appearance in the 1946 Third Division (South) final, in front of 20,000, at Stamford Bridge against Bournemouth and by the team of Ron Crutchley, Duggie Lishman, Reg Foules, ’Nutty' Newman and, goalkeeper, Jackie Lewis.

Hibbs went back to play in goal for Havillands F.C. between February 1953 and the following summer. He then left football altogether before coming back to carry out two managerial stints at Ware Town for the 1960-61 season and Welwyn Garden City for the 1962-63 season.

He died in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, in April 1984, one month before what would have been his 78th birthday.

Honours

;Birmingham
*FA Cup finalist: 1931

References

External links

* [http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=474 Profile on www.englandstats.com]
* [http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=478 Profile on www.englandfc.com]