Jimmy Hagan
Encyclopedia
James Hagan (21 January 1918 – 26 February 1998) was an English
football
player and manager born in Washington, County Durham
, England
. He played between 1938 and 1958 for Sheffield United
and once for England
. As manager he had his greatest successes with S.L. Benfica in the early 1970s.
, 1948 versus Denmark
in Copenhagen
(0-0), does not do justice to one of the finest British footballers
of his era. A two-footed inside forward
with an astonishing repertoire of tricks, Jimmy was also a regular goalscorer. His career was interrupted by World War II
, but he remains a legend amongst Sheffield United fans for his performances during nearly 20 years service at "the Lane
".
Following in the footsteps of his father, Alf, a former Newcastle United, Cardiff City and Tranmere player, Hagan represented England at schoolboy level and after spells with Washington Colliery
and Usworth Colliery; he joined the groundstaff of Liverpool
before leaving for Derby County
at fifteen years of age. He stayed at the Baseball Ground
until the age of twenty when United's manager Teddy Davison
met his Derby counterpart George Jobey
and haggled over the £3,000 asking price, eventually agreeing to pay £2,925.
With a weekly wage of £7 per week plus a first-team appearance fee of £1, Hagan made his debut two days later on 5 November 1938 in a 2-1 victory against Swansea Town in Division 2
. His first goal came 21 days later at Bramall Lane
in a 3-1 victory over West Ham United. His first hat-trick for the club came in the last game of the 1938-39 season, with United needing to win to gain promotion instead of local rivals Sheffield Wednesday who having played all their 42 games were one point ahead on 53 with a superior goal average. Promotion was secured with a 6-1 win, Hagan contributing a goal.
After the war, Hagan initially refused to re-sign for United, missing the first four games of the 1946-47 season. Having got a job as a trainee chartered surveyor he only rejoined the team on a part-time basis. He continued to play for United until 1958, as captain between 1946 and 1949, despite United accepting what would have been a British record transfer fee of £32,500 from Wednesday in February 1951. Hagan rejected the transfer and Wednesday were relegated to the Second Division
.
He finally retired after playing against his former club, Derby County, on 14 September 1957, having scored 117 league goals in 361 league matches. His testimonial game was played on 10 March 1958 between a Sheffield XI and an International XI.
where he worked between 1958 and 1962. His period in charge saw Peterborough United
promoted to the Football League for the first time, and, in 1960-61, their first season in the league, they won Division 4, scoring 134 goals. This remains a record number of goals scored in the English leagues. After leaving Peterborough, he joined West Bromwich Albion in 1963 leading the team to the Football League Cup
in 1966. Sliding fortunes in the season thereafter put an end to this assignment.
His greatest successes were with S.L. Benfica in Lisbon
where he led the club between 1970 and 1973 to three successive Portuguese championships and once to the national cup, a record no coach has since been able to repeat at the helm of the Águias. In this period Benfica also attracted Europe-wide attention when the team reached the semi-finals of the European Cup of Champions, where the team was only narrowly defeated 0-1 on aggregate by the legendary Ajax of that era.
In 1972-73 Benfica became the first club in Portugal
ever to win the championship without defeats and won 28 matches - 23 consecutively - out of 30, and drew two, a feat only matched by FC Porto in 2010-2011. In that year Eusébio
also became Europe's top scorer with 40 goals, in what was his penultimate season as a Benfica player. The team scored 101 goals, breaking 100 only for the second time in their history.
Jimmy Hagan separated from the club in September 1973 after an argument concerning the line-up for the testimonial match for Eusébio. Eusébio, with whom Hagan enjoyed a lifelong friendship since those days, described the coach as "a strong disciplinarian".
"All the players thought his training schedules were too punishing and some were physically sick after the first training session. But after a while, they realised it was worth it as we started winning games. He gave us the extra strength and he is the reason Benfica won three successive championships."
In 1975, he managed Grupo Desportivo Estoril Praia for the First Portuguese League. In Lisbon
he also managed Benfica's local rivals Sporting in the 1976-77 season. He also had spells at Vitoria de Setubal, Belenenses and Boavista where he won the Portuguese Cup.
Boavista (1978–1979)
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and manager born in Washington, County Durham
Washington, Tyne and Wear
Washington is a town in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically part of County Durham, it joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He played between 1938 and 1958 for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and once for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. As manager he had his greatest successes with S.L. Benfica in the early 1970s.
Playing career
Just one full England capEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, 1948 versus Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
(0-0), does not do justice to one of the finest British footballers
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
of his era. A two-footed inside forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
with an astonishing repertoire of tricks, Jimmy was also a regular goalscorer. His career was interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but he remains a legend amongst Sheffield United fans for his performances during nearly 20 years service at "the Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
".
Following in the footsteps of his father, Alf, a former Newcastle United, Cardiff City and Tranmere player, Hagan represented England at schoolboy level and after spells with Washington Colliery
Washington Colliery
Washington Colliery F.C. is a football club originally formed by the local miners at the local "F-Pit" Colliery in Washington, Tyne & Wear.-History:...
and Usworth Colliery; he joined the groundstaff of Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
before leaving for Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
at fifteen years of age. He stayed at the Baseball Ground
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby County Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 1997. It was commonly referred to as the "BBG".As the name suggests, the stadium was...
until the age of twenty when United's manager Teddy Davison
Teddy Davison
Teddy Davison was an English footballer and manager who had a long and successful association with the football clubs of Sheffield, playing for Sheffield Wednesday for 18 years and later managing Sheffield United for 20 years. His fairness and diplomacy earned him the nicknames of "The George...
met his Derby counterpart George Jobey
George Jobey
George Jobey was an English football player and manager. He won the league championship as a player with his hometown club Newcastle United.-Career:...
and haggled over the £3,000 asking price, eventually agreeing to pay £2,925.
With a weekly wage of £7 per week plus a first-team appearance fee of £1, Hagan made his debut two days later on 5 November 1938 in a 2-1 victory against Swansea Town in Division 2
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. His first goal came 21 days later at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
in a 3-1 victory over West Ham United. His first hat-trick for the club came in the last game of the 1938-39 season, with United needing to win to gain promotion instead of local rivals Sheffield Wednesday who having played all their 42 games were one point ahead on 53 with a superior goal average. Promotion was secured with a 6-1 win, Hagan contributing a goal.
After the war, Hagan initially refused to re-sign for United, missing the first four games of the 1946-47 season. Having got a job as a trainee chartered surveyor he only rejoined the team on a part-time basis. He continued to play for United until 1958, as captain between 1946 and 1949, despite United accepting what would have been a British record transfer fee of £32,500 from Wednesday in February 1951. Hagan rejected the transfer and Wednesday were relegated to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
.
He finally retired after playing against his former club, Derby County, on 14 September 1957, having scored 117 league goals in 361 league matches. His testimonial game was played on 10 March 1958 between a Sheffield XI and an International XI.
Managerial career
Hagan started his managerial career with Peterborough UnitedPeterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
where he worked between 1958 and 1962. His period in charge saw Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
promoted to the Football League for the first time, and, in 1960-61, their first season in the league, they won Division 4, scoring 134 goals. This remains a record number of goals scored in the English leagues. After leaving Peterborough, he joined West Bromwich Albion in 1963 leading the team to the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1966. Sliding fortunes in the season thereafter put an end to this assignment.
His greatest successes were with S.L. Benfica in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
where he led the club between 1970 and 1973 to three successive Portuguese championships and once to the national cup, a record no coach has since been able to repeat at the helm of the Águias. In this period Benfica also attracted Europe-wide attention when the team reached the semi-finals of the European Cup of Champions, where the team was only narrowly defeated 0-1 on aggregate by the legendary Ajax of that era.
In 1972-73 Benfica became the first club in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
ever to win the championship without defeats and won 28 matches - 23 consecutively - out of 30, and drew two, a feat only matched by FC Porto in 2010-2011. In that year Eusébio
Eusébio
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM , commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans...
also became Europe's top scorer with 40 goals, in what was his penultimate season as a Benfica player. The team scored 101 goals, breaking 100 only for the second time in their history.
Jimmy Hagan separated from the club in September 1973 after an argument concerning the line-up for the testimonial match for Eusébio. Eusébio, with whom Hagan enjoyed a lifelong friendship since those days, described the coach as "a strong disciplinarian".
"All the players thought his training schedules were too punishing and some were physically sick after the first training session. But after a while, they realised it was worth it as we started winning games. He gave us the extra strength and he is the reason Benfica won three successive championships."
In 1975, he managed Grupo Desportivo Estoril Praia for the First Portuguese League. In Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
he also managed Benfica's local rivals Sporting in the 1976-77 season. He also had spells at Vitoria de Setubal, Belenenses and Boavista where he won the Portuguese Cup.
Sheffield United career statistics
| Season | Division | League Apps | League Goals | FA Cup Apps | FA Cup Goals | Other Apps | Other Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938–39 | Division Two | 28 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 11 |
| 1939–40 | East Midlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 8 |
| 1940–41 | North Regional | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 1941–42 | Northern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1942–43 | League North | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1943–44 | League North | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1944–45 | League North | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945–46 | League North | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 5 |
| 1946–47 | Division One | 33 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 15 |
| 1947–48 | Division One | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 6 |
| 1948–49 | Division One | 40 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 44 | 13 |
| 1949–50 | Division Two | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 7 |
| 1950–51 | Division Two | 36 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 17 |
| 1951–52 | Division Two | 26 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 12 |
| 1952–53 | Division Two | 37 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 18 |
| 1953–54 | Division One | 25 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 8 |
| 1954–55 | Division One | 28 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 8 |
| 1955–56 | Division One | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 8 |
| 1956–57 | Division Two | 27 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 32 | 10 |
| 1957–58 | Division Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 361 | 117 | 28 | 5 | 53 | 29 | 442 | 151 | |
Honours
Benfica (1970–1973)- Primeira Liga (3)
- 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73
- Taça de PortugalTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
(1) - 1971–72
Boavista (1978–1979)
- Taça de PortugalTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
(1) - 1978–79