Jimmy Wardhaugh
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Wardhaugh was a Scottish
professional footballer
, most fondly remembered as part of the Terrible Trio Heart of Midlothian
forward line of the 1950s, alongside Willie Bauld
and Alfie Conn
. He was also the club's record League goal-scorer for almost 40 years, until his tally of 206 was surpassed by John Robertson
in 1997.
hamlet of Marshall Meadows, just north of Berwick-upon-Tweed
and less than a mile from the Scottish border, Wardhaugh was raised in Edinburgh
and began his career with Hearts in 1946. He played regularly in his first year at Tynecastle
but missed much of the following 1947-48 season
while undertaking his National Service in Worcestershire
.
On 9 October 1948, after a mediocre start to the 1948-49 season
Hearts' manager Davie McLean combined Wardhaugh with two fellow young forwards, Willie Bauld and Alfie Conn, for the first time. The combination of Wardhaugh's dazzling dribbling and non-stop running, Bauld's cerebral play and prodigious aerial ability, and Conn's energetic, tenacious style and powerful shooting perfectly complemented each other, and their first match as a forward combination ended in a 6-1 defeat of East Fife
. This was especially notable as the same opposition had defeated the Maroons 4-0 a matter of weeks earlier.
Quickly dubbed the Terrible Trio, they continued to score freely in the following 4 seasons, with Wardhaugh notching 77 goals, as Hearts became regular top 4 finishers, although defensive inconsistency ensured they failed to collect any silverware. During this period, Wardhaugh was subject of a £26,000 bid from Newcastle United
in 1952, which was accepted by Hearts. He was unable to agree terms with the Tyneside
club though, and the deal fell through.
In 1953-54
, Wardhaugh became the A Division
's top scorer with 27 goals as Hearts appeared set to win the League championship
. A stuttering end to their season saw Celtic
overtake them by the season's end but Wardhaugh would earn his first winner's medal later that calendar year. He scored seven times during Hearts progress to the League Cup
final in October 1954, including home and away goals against Celtic in the initial group stage. In the Hampden showpiece, he scored the third goal as Motherwell
were defeated 4-2, ending the Edinburgh side's 48-year wait for a major trophy.
The following season, 1955-56
, Wardhaugh was again the League's leading scorer with 28 goals, although Hearts were not close to challenging Rangers
for the title. Instead they focused upon the Scottish Cup
and Wardhaugh was part of the side which won Scottish football's Blue Riband
event with a 3-1 defeat of Celtic in the final.
By 1957, age and injuries had become an increasing problem for Conn and Bauld, and increasingly Wardhaugh found himself part of a new "trio", alongside young Scotland
internationals Jimmy Murray and Alex Young
. The new combination helped Hearts to the 1957-58
League Championship, with a record 132 goals scored in 34 games. For a third time, Wardhaugh was the League's top marksman, although he shared this honour with team-mate Murray, the pair both scoring 28 times.
Although Wardhaugh was part of the side that won the 1958-59
League Cup, he too was by this stage becoming a fringe player. Speculation linked him with a move to Hearts' city rivals Hibernian
but eventually it was Dunfermline Athletic
he joined, for a fee of £2,000 in 1959. He left Hearts having scored 375 goals for the side, and a record League total of 206, which was only surpassed by John Robertson 38 years later.
of the early 1950s in 1954 and also playing against Northern Ireland
in 1956. His selection could be viewed as controversial as, despite his Scottish parentage and sense of identity, he was born in England
, at a time when the home football associations had strict eligibility restrictions for their national sides. Other "Scots" such as Joe Baker
and Gordon Marshall
were obliged to seek selection for the English national team
due to their place of birth. However, for footballing purposes the Scottish Football Association
and the Football Association
considered their shared boundary to be the River Tweed
, allowing Wardhaugh to represent Scotland. His case was helped by the fact that Berwick Rangers
, based to the south of his Marshall Meadows birthplace, had competed in Scottish football since 1905. Wardhaugh also represented the Scottish League XI
and scored 8 goals in 9 appearances.
. He possessed a keen interest in sports generally and his writing was not limited to football coverage. His first role was with the Edinburgh Evening News
, where he developed a particular enthusiasm for ice hockey
and was responsible for the paper's coverage of the local Murrayfield Racers
. Later he worked for the Scottish Daily Express as well as editing Hearts' official matchday programme.
In the 1970s he worked as a publicity officer for the BBC
while continuing to cover live sport events. It was after one such occasion, a match between East Fife
and Hearts on January 2, 1978, that he died, collapsing on his way back to his Edinburgh home. His death came less than a year after that of his friend and Terrible Trio team-mate Bauld.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional footballer
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...
, most fondly remembered as part of the Terrible Trio Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
forward line of the 1950s, alongside Willie Bauld
Willie Bauld
William "Willie" Russell Logan Gavin Chalmers Bauld was a footballer who played for Newtongrange Star, Heart of Midlothian, Edinburgh City and the Scotland national team.-Heart of Midlothian:...
and Alfie Conn
Alfie Conn, Sr.
Alfred "Alfie" Conn was a Scottish professional footballer, most commonly remembered as part of the Terrible Trio of the Heart of Midlothian side of the 1950s, along with Willie Bauld and Jimmy Wardhaugh...
. He was also the club's record League goal-scorer for almost 40 years, until his tally of 206 was surpassed by John Robertson
John Grant Robertson
John Robertson is a former professional association football player and is currently the manager of East Fife. His playing career included spells at Newcastle United, Dundee and Livingston but he is best known for his two spells at Heart of Midlothian...
in 1997.
Career
Born in the small NorthumbrianNorthumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
hamlet of Marshall Meadows, just north of Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
and less than a mile from the Scottish border, Wardhaugh was raised in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and began his career with Hearts in 1946. He played regularly in his first year at Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
but missed much of the following 1947-48 season
1947-48 in Scottish football
The 1947–48 season was the 51st season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: Hibernian Relegated: Airdrie, Queen's Park-Scottish League Division B:Champions: East Fife, Albion Rovers...
while undertaking his National Service in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
On 9 October 1948, after a mediocre start to the 1948-49 season
1948-49 in Scottish football
The 1948–49 season was the 52nd season of competitive football in Scotland. Rangers became the first team to win the Scottish domestic treble. Scottish League Division "C" was disbanded...
Hearts' manager Davie McLean combined Wardhaugh with two fellow young forwards, Willie Bauld and Alfie Conn, for the first time. The combination of Wardhaugh's dazzling dribbling and non-stop running, Bauld's cerebral play and prodigious aerial ability, and Conn's energetic, tenacious style and powerful shooting perfectly complemented each other, and their first match as a forward combination ended in a 6-1 defeat of East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
. This was especially notable as the same opposition had defeated the Maroons 4-0 a matter of weeks earlier.
Quickly dubbed the Terrible Trio, they continued to score freely in the following 4 seasons, with Wardhaugh notching 77 goals, as Hearts became regular top 4 finishers, although defensive inconsistency ensured they failed to collect any silverware. During this period, Wardhaugh was subject of a £26,000 bid from Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in 1952, which was accepted by Hearts. He was unable to agree terms with the Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
club though, and the deal fell through.
In 1953-54
1953-54 in Scottish football
The 1953–54 season was the 57th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: CelticRelegated: Airdrieonians, Hamilton Academical-Scottish League Division B:...
, Wardhaugh became the A Division
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
's top scorer with 27 goals as Hearts appeared set to win the League championship
Scottish football champions
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
. A stuttering end to their season saw Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
overtake them by the season's end but Wardhaugh would earn his first winner's medal later that calendar year. He scored seven times during Hearts progress to the League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
final in October 1954, including home and away goals against Celtic in the initial group stage. In the Hampden showpiece, he scored the third goal as Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
were defeated 4-2, ending the Edinburgh side's 48-year wait for a major trophy.
The following season, 1955-56
1955-56 in Scottish football
The 1955–56 season was the 59th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:Following league reconstruction League Division One was expanded from 16 to 18 teams with Airdrieonians and Dunfermline Athletic being promoted...
, Wardhaugh was again the League's leading scorer with 28 goals, although Hearts were not close to challenging Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
for the title. Instead they focused upon the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
and Wardhaugh was part of the side which won Scottish football's Blue Riband
Blue ribbon
The blue ribbon is a term used to describe or symbolize something of high quality. The usage came from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners—and prior to that from Cordon Bleu which referred to the blue ribbon worn by a particular order...
event with a 3-1 defeat of Celtic in the final.
By 1957, age and injuries had become an increasing problem for Conn and Bauld, and increasingly Wardhaugh found himself part of a new "trio", alongside young Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
internationals Jimmy Murray and Alex Young
Alex Young (footballer)
Alex Young is a former Scottish footballer. He was a prolific goal-scorer in Everton's 1962-63 championship season.-Biography:...
. The new combination helped Hearts to the 1957-58
1957-58 in Scottish football
The 1957–58 season was the 61st season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: HeartsRelegated: East Fife, Queen's Park-Scottish League Division Two:...
League Championship, with a record 132 goals scored in 34 games. For a third time, Wardhaugh was the League's top marksman, although he shared this honour with team-mate Murray, the pair both scoring 28 times.
Although Wardhaugh was part of the side that won the 1958-59
1958-59 in Scottish football
The 1958–59 season was the 62nd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:The last day of the season saw Rangers holding a 2 point lead over Hearts, with the clubs having an identical goal average....
League Cup, he too was by this stage becoming a fringe player. Speculation linked him with a move to Hearts' city rivals Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
but eventually it was Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
he joined, for a fee of £2,000 in 1959. He left Hearts having scored 375 goals for the side, and a record League total of 206, which was only surpassed by John Robertson 38 years later.
International selection
Wardhaugh was selected twice for the Scottish national side, making his debut against the famous Hungarian sideHungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
of the early 1950s in 1954 and also playing against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
in 1956. His selection could be viewed as controversial as, despite his Scottish parentage and sense of identity, he was born in 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...
, at a time when the home football associations had strict eligibility restrictions for their national sides. Other "Scots" such as Joe Baker
Joe Baker
Joseph Henry "Joe" Baker was an England international footballer. Born in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland...
and Gordon Marshall
Gordon Marshall (footballer born 1939)
Gordon Marshall is a former Anglo-Scottish professional football goalkeeper who played in the top flights of both Scotland and England in a 22-year senior career.-Club career:...
were obliged to seek selection for the English national team
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...
due to their place of birth. However, for footballing purposes the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
and the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
considered their shared boundary to be the River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
, allowing Wardhaugh to represent Scotland. His case was helped by the fact that Berwick Rangers
Berwick Rangers F.C.
Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, although they play in the Scottish Football League Third Division...
, based to the south of his Marshall Meadows birthplace, had competed in Scottish football since 1905. Wardhaugh also represented the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
and scored 8 goals in 9 appearances.
Post-retirement
Wardhaugh retired in 1961 and started a new career in sports journalismJournalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. He possessed a keen interest in sports generally and his writing was not limited to football coverage. His first role was with the Edinburgh Evening News
Edinburgh Evening News
The Edinburgh Evening News is a local newspaper based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is published daily . It has a circulation of 68,000 and is owned by Johnston Press, which also owns The Scotsman and many regional titles throughout the UK.Much of the copy contained in the Evening News concerns local...
, where he developed a particular enthusiasm for ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and was responsible for the paper's coverage of the local Murrayfield Racers
Murrayfield Racers
The Murrayfield Racers were an ice hockey team in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1952 changing their name to the Racers in 1966. The team won the British Championship 4 times in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972...
. Later he worked for the Scottish Daily Express as well as editing Hearts' official matchday programme.
In the 1970s he worked as a publicity officer for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
while continuing to cover live sport events. It was after one such occasion, a match between East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
and Hearts on January 2, 1978, that he died, collapsing on his way back to his Edinburgh home. His death came less than a year after that of his friend and Terrible Trio team-mate Bauld.
External links
- Appearances at londonhearts.com
- Jimmy Wardhaugh, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database