Jimmy Hagan
born Washington, January 21, 1918, died 1998.
There are two major reasons why Jimmy Hagan is not a better known name from the past, one is World War II, the other that he spent the whole of his post war career with Sheffield United.
Hagan was born in the North East towards the end of the First World War and was really the rightful property of one or other of the regions giants, Newcastle United and Sunderland. Somehow both these clubs failed to recognise the youngsters talent despite the fact that he was selected to represent the England Schoolboys side. Had either of these clubs shown an interest it is likely that Hagan’s present profile would be significantly higher.
As it was Hagan would progress from playing for Washington Colliery FC, to being an amatuer at Liverpool, before signing as a professional with Derby County in 1935.
Hagan was consistently overlooked by the Rams in the immediate pre-war years and there seems no reasonable explanation for this, even though the club enjoyed several fine seasons at that time.
Perhaps the young Hagan’s personality was not to someones taste at Derby for although he had already shown himself to be quietly efficient as a scheming inside forward on the pitch, away from it he was a bundle of good humoured mischief.
Whatever the case Derby saw fit to allow Hagan to leave in the early part of the 1938-39 season for Sheffield United. It was not the smartest of moves.
Hagan not only settled instantly at Bramhall Lane but showed himself to be very much a star turn as United chased promotion from Division Two. Peripheral at Derby, Hagan was conductor in chief in Sheffield. Led by his prompting United clinched promotion to the first division as runners up behind Blackburn Rovers and, joyously for all Blades, one point ahead of Sheffield Wednesday.
Early on in the following season football was rudely interrupted by the start of the Second World War and just as Hagan’s career was really taking off it was put on hold indefinitely.
Many players saw their careers ravaged by the war, few suffered more than Hagan. Barely into his twenties and one of the best prospects in the game when football stopped he was approaching thirty when it started again in 1946.
Of course football did not really stop during the war but the games, performances and achievements are not officially recognised and scarcely remembered. It was at this time that Hagan was at his peak and he undoubtedly boasts one of the finest footballing “careers” of the war. As well as turning out for a ludicrously strong Aldershot side Hagan made countless representative appearances and was a regular in England’s wartime and Victory international sides.
His performances were generally distinguished and he played a major role in two emphatic victories over Scotland. In January 1942 Hagan opened the scoring against the Auld Enemy after just fifty seconds at Wembley, showing superb balance as he skated through the Scottish defence on a treacherous surface before sending a powerful drive into the back of the net. England would end up 3-0 winners.
Then, in October 1943, Hagan again opened the scoring against the Scots at Maine Road, Manchester and grabbed another later on as England went on to record an 8-0 win. Looking back over their illustrious careers both Tommy Lawton and Frank Swift would name that days England side as the greatest they ever played in.
For the record the forward line read; Stan Matthews, Raich Carter, Lawton, Hagan and Denis Compton. Not bad and it might have been able to save the follow on against Australia for good measure.
Tommy Lawton especially, and not surprisingly as a centre forward, had the highest regard for Hagan’s talents. He would not hesitate in saying, after scoring six goals in a game for Aldershot, that it had been “a personal triumph for Jimmy Hagan.”
There would be little of note in Hagan’s post war career unless you count yourself as one of the Bramhall Lane regulars of that period. Hagan remained a United regular for over a decade and was unquestionably the clubs star player of the time. Indeed, much like Wilf Mannion at Middlesborough, Hagan was almost considered to be Sheffield United. He would play on until he was approaching his fortieth birthday and thereby became the oldest player ever to turn out for the Blades.
Hagan would, incredibly, win only one official England cap. This came early on in the 1948-49 season when he was selected for a friendly in Copenhagen against Denmark. The game was an uninspiring goalless draw and marked the end of Tommy Lawton’s international career as well as Hagan’s. This was an unhappy end to the Lawton/Hagan partnership as they had played together regularly throughout the war in a variety of representative games, with England and also at Aldershot.
Lawton’s assessment of Hagan was always glowing and he echoed most other contemporary commentators when describing Hagan as “quiet, thoughtful,” and “a master crafsman.” Lawton also appreciated Hagan for his “very dry sense of humour” which was, as usual, to the fore during the trip to Denmark.
Another of Hagan’s colleagues in the forward line for that game, Len Shackleton, also reflected on this side of his character when he remembered that “nobody was safe from his pranks,” and Shackleton probably considered himself to be the master of such things.
Hagan would continue to hover around the edges of the England set up for some time without ever again getting the nod to again pul on an England shirt. As England prepared for their first appearance in the World Cup finals in Brazil in 1950 Hagan was part of an FA touring party visiting North America.
On this tour the FA XI encountered the United States side that would go on to humiliate England in Brazil and beat them 1-0. From that party Stan Matthews would be summoned into the final squad, as per usual Hagan was ignored.
The low profile of his club could hardly have helped Hagan’s international chances. Probably the biggest game Sheffield United were involved in post war was the 1947 championship decider against Stoke City . Unfortunately for the Blades it was Stoke who were in with the chance of winning the league title and Hagan was injured anyway, missing out as a United victory denied Stoke and sent the championship to Liverpool.
Hagan’s one winners medal came in 1953 when United won the second division championship four years after being relegated from Division One.
In an era when the maximum wage made it almost pointless to move clubs Hagan endeared himself still further to the Bramhall Lane crowd by turning down the opportunity to join Sheffield Wednesday in 1951. The £32,500 fee offered by the Hillsborough club, and accepted by United, would have set a new British record and gives an indication of Hagan’s gifts given that he was 32 when it was made.
It was hardly surprising that Hagan was able to prolong his playing career towards the end of the 1950’s. His game had always been characterised by a minimum of fuss and bother. He was a player who seemed to stroll through a game, instinctively moving into the right position to intercept or accept possession from a colleague. His range of passing was complete but more often than not he kept it simple, feeding his wingers to feet or slipping balls dangerously down the channels for his forwards to feed on. Being completely two footed meant his effectiveness was never diminished even in the tightest of corners.
Without being recognised as a goalscoring inside forward Hagan actually maintained an excellent scoring ratio throughout his career of almost one goal every three games. But that was always the case with him, much of what he did on the pitch could pass the spectator by or slip from the memory. His playing colleagues often remarked that Hagan was appreciated more by them than he was by the fans.
Many people within football felt the shrewd, tactical brain Hagan had always possessed as a player would stand him in good stead as a manager and so it proved. He led Peterborough United out of non league football and to the fourth division championship in their first season of league football and in 1966 he led West Bromwich Albion to victory in the League Cup.
Hagan was not one to pander to whim or temperament. When he refused to allow his players to train in tracksuits one winter Don Howe led a players strike. It was Howe who ended up leaving the club, however.
His most notable achievements were with the Portuguese giants Benfica who he led from 1970 to 1973. Under Hagan’s leadership the club won three successive titles and one domestic double, remaining unbeaten in the league in 1972-73 when Eusebio won the European Golden Boot after scoring 40 goals.
The legendary Eusebio certainly gained a healthy respect for Hagan and remained a lifelong friend. When Sheffield United erected a statue of Hagan at Bramhall Lane in 2001 Eusebio honoured his old boss by performing the unveiling ceremony.
Eusebio described Hagan as “a good player, a wonderful manager and a great man.” Sentiments that would probably be echoed by all who crossed his path during his forty or so years in the game.
Jimmy Hagan Career Statistics
CLUB GAMES GOALS
Derby County 30 7
Sheffield United 361 116
England 1 0
TOTAL 392 123