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Pitch Publishing Ltd - Johnny Hubbard

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110 pages

English

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Johnny Hubbard was a tricky little winger and a huge Rangers star, one of the last surviving members the great 50s side. Known as 'The Penalty King' in recognition of his record 65 goals from 68 spot kicks, one of his goals was described by Sir Alex Ferguson as 'easily the best I've ever seen!' Aged just 18 he swapped the sunshine of Pretoria for the grey streets of Glasgow, leaving behind the flames of apartheid for a land where another chasm ran deep through society - religious bigotry. Hubbard's story provides an insight into life through a golden era in Rangers' history, and he also recalls his time with Bury when he was almost drawn into the world of match-fixing. When Johnny gave up the game in 1964, he turned to community service and was rewarded for his good work with an Honorary MBE.

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Publié par	Pitch Publishing Ltd
Date de parution	01 novembre 2016
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9781785311123
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0500€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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First published by Pitch Publishing, 2015
Pitch Publishing
A2 Yeoman Gate
Yeoman Way
Durrington
BN13 3QZ
www.pitchpublishing.co.uk
Johnny Hubbard with David Mason, 2015
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.
A CIP catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library
Print ISBN 978-1-78531-079-9
eBook ISBN: 978-1-78531-112-3
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Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Sir Alex Ferguson CBE
Preface by David Mason
Prologue
1 My African Childhood
2 Separatism And Apartheid
3 A Good Little Un
4 Who s That Team They Call The Rangers
5 Arrival At Ibrox - My Blue Heaven
6 The New Ranger
7 A New Adventure In An Old City
8 Settled At Ibrox And With A New Wife
9 Out Of A Jersey And Into A Uniform
10 Goodbye Mr Struth - Hello Mr Symon
11 The Penalty King And An Old Firm Hat-Trick
12 Back-To-Back Titles
13 The Clouds Gather
14 Life After Rangers
15 The Community Servant
Reflections by Craig Brown CBE (Former Scottish international team manager)
Johnny Hubbard - Rangers career details
Photographs
Dedication and Thanks from Johnny Hubbard
To the big umpire in the sky who delivered me into one great country and then another, while blessed with skills that allowed me to fulfil my dreams. Above all, he gave me a family to be proud of, with a beautiful wife, kids and grandchildren.
I also dedicate it to football fans everywhere and especially those of the greatest club there is - The Rangers.
Finally, I would like to thank my great friend David (Mason) for his patience and support. I cannot thank him enough for helping me to bring my story to print.
Acknowledgements
W HILST many have helped to contribute to the delivery of this story about a very special man, particular thanks are due to Jeff Holmes, Paul Camillin and Jane Camillin for helping to bring the publication to fruition, John Beckett for the first proof-reading, John Gilligan for being a good friend to Johnny, Colin Shearer for assisting in the promotion, Rangers Football Club and finally Craig Brown, Martin Ferguson and Alex Ferguson for their uniquely personal memories of the little man s wonderful career.
Foreword by Sir Alex Ferguson CBE
W HEN I was asked several years ago about the best goal I had ever seen, I had no hesitation in plumping for one scored by Johnny Hubbard against Celtic on New Year s Day, probably around 1955. I can still see it now - a corner for Celtic, who were shooting into the Broomloan Road end, was cleared out to the left-hand side, where little Johnny Hubbard was lurking midway in his own half. Bobby Evans, the stalwart Celtic midfield player, was closing him down as he received the ball. In a flash, Johnny danced past him and the excitement grew at the Rangers end as he flew forward, attacking the Celtic centre-half Alex Boden, whom he beat, then he went past Frank Meechan, the little left-back. It left him one-on-one with Celtic s goalkeeper Bell, whom Johnny also went past with relative ease, to leave him with a tap-in. The game ended 4-1 to Rangers with Johnny Hubbard scoring a hat-trick, but the highlight was that goal.
It is a pleasure to be asked to write this foreword for Johnny s autobiography, as the Rangers fans of that era will agree that his contribution to the club s history was huge. In a time when wingers hugged the touchline, Johnny was the typecast of that generation. Seldom did wingers stray from that position and it was the inside-forwards and wing-halves whose job it was to service them. It was a period when Rangers FC had a strong link with South Africa and Norman Arnison and Don Kichenbrand were prominent players at Ibrox around the same time as Johnny. It must have been a massive decision to leave his home country, but courage was something that Johnny didn t lack, as all fans will remember. Full-backs were not shrinking violets!
Of course, I cannot write this piece without referring to his prowess in taking penalty kicks where he was a master and he went two years without failure until he missed against Airdrie at Broomfield. Their goalkeeper Walker was the man who went down in the history books as stopping Johnny s run. I was at that game and was stunned that he missed a penalty and like all the other Rangers fans couldn t believe it, however, his total of 60 goals from penalty kicks with only three missed was some going.
Having joined Rangers in 1949, he spent ten years at Ibrox, playing in 300 games and scoring 129 goals, which for a winger is quite exceptional and adding to his amazing record, he was the first South African to play and score in the European Cup. In 1959, he joined Bury and stayed there for three years before finishing his career at Ayr United. After retirement as a player he became a PE teacher and youth development coach as there was no way the grass was going to grow under his feet. His energy has never waned and every time I meet him, I am struck by his sheer personality. He still travels almost every week to see his beloved Rangers, with the same enthusiasm as if he was still a player. Remarkable is about the only way I can describe that love of life. This is not just a story of once upon a time there was a footballer . This is a journey of a young man from Pretoria in South Africa, eager to do well and prepared to succeed in a foreign country.
Well done Johnny Hubbard!
Sir Alex Ferguson CBE
Preface by David Mason (Rangers Football Club)
W HEN I joined The Rangers Football Club as club historian in 1986, the name Johnny Hubbard was already familiar to me. He was revered as one in a line of great wingers at Ibrox Park who despite his lack of physical stature, built a career that rightly placed him among the giants of the game. South African born and bred, he had been lured to Rangers and to Scotland in 1949, when he was just 18 years old. At that time, he was little more than a youngster with potential, but he eventually broke through to become an important component in the last great side that the legendary Rangers boss, Bill Struth assembled. He was to remain with the Light Blues for a decade, during which time he played 300 games and scored 129 goals. Indeed, he also became something of a legend through his prowess from the penalty spot. During his time with Rangers he successfully converted 60 penalty kicks into goals from 63 attempts, earning the title The Penalty King . Few disputed that he truly was the master of all from the spot. However, over the next few years I would learn that there was much more to Hubbard.
Here was a man who moved from continent to continent, swapping the bright blue African skies for the grey smog of Glasgow, simply to play the game he loved. The lure was professional football and although he knew little of Rangers before he arrived at Renfrew Airport, he could receive no better introduction to the club than in his first meeting with the man he still respectfully calls Mr Struth .
The manager was to become something of a fatherly figure to the young South African, and figures strongly in his story. Struth was a strict disciplinarian, who it was often said ruled his charges with an iron fist inside a velvet glove. In Hubbard s case, Struth never had to enforce any discipline or instil professionalism. Hubbard already had a focus that he had carried with him to Scotland - one that was borne of a determination to succeed.
Nearing the end of his own career, Struth nurtured Hubbard s along until ill health took its toll and Scot Symon took the managerial reins at Rangers. The transition of managers should have been seamless. Symon, a former player was, himself, one of Struth s boys and appeared of a similar mould.
For Hubbard, however, the change was not welcome and even though many years have passed since he pulled on the Rangers jersey for the last time, he remains embittered. His reflections prove an insight into life at Rangers in the last years of the great Bill Struth and the contrasts of the new era under Symon.
By the time I had been honoured with the opportunity to preside over the club s archives, Hubbard s playing days had long passed. After ten years at Ibrox he moved on to Bury Football Club, before he returned to Scotland with Ayr United. It was a move that would take him to a new home in Prestwick, where he still lives.
I was a young child when he finally hung up his boots but I did once get the chance to see him on the playing field. Then, as one of the younger players in a Rangers v Celtic Old Crocks match at Adamslie Park, Kirkintilloch, he showed more than a little skill in torturing the ageing Celtic defenders that day. Indeed, they knew him well - he still retains the enviable record of being the only foreign player to have scored a hat-trick for Rangers against their Old Firm rivals. That match in Kirkintilloch may have been meaningless to all but the charity that benefitted from the large gate money. To me, however, this was a chance to see some Rangers greats and if the Light Blues were the stars that day, there were none brighter than Hubbard.
When Johnny finally retired from the game in 1964, he did not turn his back on the game, or on sport in general. Inspired to give something back, he turned to community service, almost single-handedly at times, revitalising local interest in a variety of sports, including tennis, swimming, cricket and, of course, football. For many years he cajoled t