John Hewie
Encyclopedia
John Davison Hewie is a former Scottish
international footballer who spent most of his career with Charlton Athletic
.
Hewie was born in Transvaal
to Scottish ex-pat parents and lived there for the first 21 years of his life. He developed a keen interest in sport while at school, notably tennis
and hockey
. Football however was his primary pastime and he honed his skills first with his employer's works team then local sides Arcadia and Johannesburg.
In October 1949 the opportunity arose for Hewie to turn professional with English side Charlton Athletic
, who had already imported several other South African-based players. He would spend the next 19 years in south-east London
, making over 500 appearances for the Addicks and playing in almost every position, including four times as a goalkeeper, when regular custodian Mick Rose was injured.
In 1956 he made his debut for the Scottish national side
, playing in a 1-1 draw against England
at Hampden Park
. His first appearance in a Scotland shirt occurred three years earlier when he was selected for a Scotland B game in Edinburgh
. Remarkably, this was the first occasion Hewie had set foot in Scotland. He made a total of 19 appearances for Scotland, predominantly at fullback, during which he scored twice. He was selected in the squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
and missed a penalty in the 2-1 defeat by France
.
Hewie briefly moved into a managerial role as his playing career ended, when he undertook the role of player-manager for non-league Kent
side Bexley United
. He returned to South Africa and first club Arcadia in 1968 and remained in the country of his birth until the early 1990s, at which point he returned to the United Kingdom. He currently lives in Spalding, Lincolnshire
and still attends Charlton Athletic matches when the opportunity allows.
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...
international footballer who spent most of his career with Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
Hewie was born in Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
to Scottish ex-pat parents and lived there for the first 21 years of his life. He developed a keen interest in sport while at school, notably tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
. Football however was his primary pastime and he honed his skills first with his employer's works team then local sides Arcadia and Johannesburg.
In October 1949 the opportunity arose for Hewie to turn professional with English side Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, who had already imported several other South African-based players. He would spend the next 19 years in south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, making over 500 appearances for the Addicks and playing in almost every position, including four times as a goalkeeper, when regular custodian Mick Rose was injured.
In 1956 he made his debut for the Scottish national side
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...
, playing in a 1-1 draw against 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...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. His first appearance in a Scotland shirt occurred three years earlier when he was selected for a Scotland B game 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...
. Remarkably, this was the first occasion Hewie had set foot in Scotland. He made a total of 19 appearances for Scotland, predominantly at fullback, during which he scored twice. He was selected in the squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
and missed a penalty in the 2-1 defeat by France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
.
Hewie briefly moved into a managerial role as his playing career ended, when he undertook the role of player-manager for non-league Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
side Bexley United
Bexley United F.C.
Bexley United Football Club were an English football club who played at Park View Road in Welling.There was a club of the same name which played in the Kent League before the war....
. He returned to South Africa and first club Arcadia in 1968 and remained in the country of his birth until the early 1990s, at which point he returned to the United Kingdom. He currently lives in Spalding, Lincolnshire
Spalding, Lincolnshire
Spalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. Little London is a hamlet directly south of Spalding on the B1172 road....
and still attends Charlton Athletic matches when the opportunity allows.