Freddie Glidden

Football player infobox
playername = Freddie Glidden
fullname = Frederick Glidden
dateofbirth = birth date|1928|7|9
cityofbirth = Newmains
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height = height|ft=5|in=11
currentclub =
position = Defender
youthyears =
1945-1946
1946-1948
youthclubs = Murrayfield Rovers
West Calder Juveniles
Whitburn Juniors
Newtongrange Star
years = 1948-1959
1959-1962
clubs = Hearts
Dumbarton
caps(goals) = 165 (2)
097 (0)

Frederick "Freddie" Glidden (born 9 July 1928 in Newmains, Lanarkshire) is a retired Scottish professional footballer who spent most of his career with Heart of Midlothian.

Raised in Stoneyburn, Glidden played for several different juvenile sides as a forward before moving to a half-back role upon joining junior side Whitburncite book | last = Hoggan | first = Andrew | title = Hearts in Art | format = Hardback | year = 1995 | publisher = Mainstream | id = ISBN 1-85158-736-5] He earned selection for the Scottish junior international team in that role and eventually the chance to sign for League side Hearts.cite book | title = Heart of Midlothian Official Annual 1955 | format = Paperback| year = 1955 | publisher = Heart of Midlothian] He signed provisionally for Hearts in 1946 but spent two years farmed out to local junior side Newtongrange Star, where he played alongside future Hearts team-mate Willie Bauld.cite book | last = Robertson | first = Rob| coauthors = Kiddie, Paul | title = Hearts: Great Tynecastle Tales| publisher = Mainstream | year = 2005 |page=186| id = (ISBN 1-84596-003-3) ]

After returning to Hearts in 1948 and playing several seasons of reserve-team football, Glidden made his debut in November 1951 against Queen of the South. Although he played as a right-back on that occasion, it was as right-half that he gained a regular role in the first team later that season. In 1954, Hearts' Scottish international centre-half sustained a serious knee-injury and, after covering for Dougan during his enforced absence, Glidden took over the position on a permanent basis. He was part of the side that ended Hearts 48-year trophy drought by winning the 1954-55 League Cup and captained the team to Scottish Cup victory in 1955-56, a moment he recalls as the "sweetest" in his footballing career.

Glidden completed his set of domestic medals as Hearts won the League title for the first time since 1897 in the 1957-58 season but a recurring back injury during the following season limited his appearances and eventually led to his departure from Tynecastle. He joined Dumbarton in 1959 and played three seasons for the Second Division club before retiring in 1962.

Throughout his playing career Glidden has been registered on a part-time contract, simultaneously working in the West Lothian County Water Department. He later worked as a sub-postmaster in Edinburgh. He continued to follow former side Hearts and was a regular spectator at their home games for many years, although in 2006 he was a vocal critic of Vladimir Romanov's stewardship of the club.cite news|url=http://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=24&id=1841502006|title=Glidden no longer a Hearts fan|publisher=The Scotsman|date=2006-12-12]

References

Freddie Glidden was born on 7th september, 1927

External links

* [http://londonhearts.com/scores/players/gliddenfreddie.html Appearances] at londonhearts.com