Sid Hoar
Encyclopedia
Sydney Walter "Syd" Hoar (28 November 1895 – May 1967) was an English
football
er.
Hoar was born in Leagrave
, Luton
, Bedfordshire
, and joined his local side, Luton Town
as a fifteen-year-old in 1911. He was a regular in the Hatters youth team up until the outbreak of World War I
, when he joined the Army
and served in the trenches
of Northern France
. After being gassed
in an attack, he was invalided out of the war, and his football career looked in doubt. However, he managed to recover fully and returned to Luton Town after the end of the war, making himself known as a winger
who could play on either flank. Hoar played over 150 league matches for Luton between 1919 and 1924, as they played in the Southern League
and later the Third Division South
.
In late 1924, Hoar joined Arsenal
for £3,000, making his debut against Cardiff City
on November 29, 1924, and went on to make nineteen appearances that season; he also had trials with England
but never made it into the first team. By now, Hoar played more often on the right than the left, but the arrival of Joe Hulme
put in 1926 forced him out of the Arsenal first team and he spent most of 1926-27
on the sidelines. However, Hoar forced himself back in the side towards the end of the season, taking over Sam Haden
's spot on the left wing. Despite an injury in Arsenal's last game of that season, against Aston Villa
, Hoar regained fitness in time to play in the FA Cup Final
against Cardiff City; however he had a poor match and Arsenal lost 1-0 after a freak error by goalkeeper Dan Lewis
.
Hoar continued to be a regular on the Arsenal left wing for another season, missing only four games in 1927-28
and scoring nine times. But in the close season, Arsenal signed Welsh international
Charlie Jones, and Hoar played only six matches in 1928-29
. He left Arsenal in September 1929 for Clapton Orient
for a fee of £1,000. In all, he played 117 matches for Arsenal and scored 18 goals. Hoar was at Orient for a single season, before retiring in the summer of 1930. He died in 1967, at the age of 71.
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...
er.
Hoar was born in Leagrave
Leagrave
For other uses see Leagrave Leagrave is a former village and now a suburb of Luton in Bedfordshire in the northwest of the town. Connected by train from Leagrave station into London and Bedford by First Capital Connect...
, Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, and joined his local side, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
as a fifteen-year-old in 1911. He was a regular in the Hatters youth team up until the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when he joined the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and served in the trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
of Northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After being gassed
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
in an attack, he was invalided out of the war, and his football career looked in doubt. However, he managed to recover fully and returned to Luton Town after the end of the war, making himself known as a winger
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
who could play on either flank. Hoar played over 150 league matches for Luton between 1919 and 1924, as they played in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
and later the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
.
In late 1924, Hoar joined Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
for £3,000, making his debut against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
on November 29, 1924, and went on to make nineteen appearances that season; he also had trials with 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...
but never made it into the first team. By now, Hoar played more often on the right than the left, but the arrival of Joe Hulme
Joe Hulme
Joseph Harold Anthony "Joe" Hulme was an English footballer and cricketer.-Football career:Born in Stafford, Staffordshire Hulme usually played as a right-winger...
put in 1926 forced him out of the Arsenal first team and he spent most of 1926-27
1926-27 in English football
The 1926–27 season was the 52nd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the season in which George Camsell scored an astounding 59 goals in 37 league appearances for Middlesbrough-Honours:...
on the sidelines. However, Hoar forced himself back in the side towards the end of the season, taking over Sam Haden
Sam Haden
Samson Haden was a footballer who played in The Football League for Arsenal and Notts County. He also spent ten years as manager of Peterborough United.-References:...
's spot on the left wing. Despite an injury in Arsenal's last game of that season, against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Hoar regained fitness in time to play in the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
against Cardiff City; however he had a poor match and Arsenal lost 1-0 after a freak error by goalkeeper Dan Lewis
Dan Lewis (footballer)
Daniel "Dan" Lewis was a Welsh football goalkeeper, who is most notable for his time playing for Arsenal. He kept goal for Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final where a mistake by him saw Cardiff City win the cup.-Playing career:...
.
Hoar continued to be a regular on the Arsenal left wing for another season, missing only four games in 1927-28
1927-28 in English football
The 1927–28 season was the 53rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the season in which Dixie Dean scored an astounding 60 goals in 39 league appearances for Everton – 58.8% of their seasons total .-Honours:...
and scoring nine times. But in the close season, Arsenal signed Welsh international
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
Charlie Jones, and Hoar played only six matches in 1928-29
1928-29 in English football
The 1928–29 season was the 54th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
. He left Arsenal in September 1929 for Clapton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
for a fee of £1,000. In all, he played 117 matches for Arsenal and scored 18 goals. Hoar was at Orient for a single season, before retiring in the summer of 1930. He died in 1967, at the age of 71.