Alan Hardaker
Encyclopedia
Alan Hardaker was an English
football
administrator for the Football League
, a wartime Royal Navy
officer
, and previously an amateur
footballer. He was born in Hull, Yorkshire, second son to John and Emma, and younger brother of Ernest.
and shorthand
. He initially went into the family removals and haulage business, until 1929, when he was sacked by his own father for playing dominoes
instead of working. He was able to use his qualifications to find immediate employment as an office junior in the town clerk's department at the Guildhall, Kingston upon Hull
.
He met Irene Mundy when he was seventeen and she a year younger. They married eight years later in North Ferriby
Church. They would go on to have four daughters and many grandchildren.
He had first taken up playing football at the High School, and so joined Municipal Sports F.C., the Guildhall team. He was even 'sent off' on one occasion during his time with them, for retaliation. Playing in the centre forward position, he scored one hundred goals in three seasons, although he claimed that most of these were only possible due to the quality of those playing alongside him.
After moving on to East Riding County League
champions Beverley White Star F.C. (now defunct), he was invited by Hull City
to play for their reserve side against Bradford Park Avenue's second string. He had been converted to full back by this time, and that was the position he took up for Hull City Reserves. From then on, he played for one or other of the teams on a regular basis for the next three seasons.
In 1935, he captained the East Riding County FA representative team when they won the Northern Counties Amateur Championship.
He was offered professional terms in 1936 by manager Jack Hill
, which he turned down, as by the age of 23 he had progressed to become Lord Mayor
's secretary at the Guildhall. After then playing 11 games for the Reserves in the Midland League, and coinciding with a change in team management, he was released by the club. He went on to play for Bridlington Central United (later known as Bridlington Town) of the East Riding Amateur League
, and then moved to the Yorkshire Amateur Football Club
in the Yorkshire League
.
, based at Scapa Flow
, and saw service on the "Northern Patrol", which protected convoys of Allied ships from German
vessels sent to attack.
In 1942, after subsequently serving on HMS Cumberland
, he became a lieutenant commander
, and transferred once again, this time to the de-commissioned torpedo training ship HMS Marlborough
secured at Eastbourne
. He then received a posting to Australia
as supply officer
to HMS Alert, a shore-based camp in Sydney
, and in December 1944 moved on to HMS Golden Hind, a Royal Navy manning depot, also in Sydney.
Whilst in that country, he was able to find the time to resume his sporting career, captaining the Royal Navy football side in organised matches for a single season. Hardaker remained in Australia until the end of the War, eventually deciding to retire from playing at the age of 34.
, Hardaker fulfilled the temporary position of clerk to the Education Committee back at the Guildhall, due to his previous job being already occupied. When he was refused permission to resume his post as Lord Mayor's secretary in Hull, he applied for an identical appointment in Portsmouth
, and was successful at interview. He and his young family moved there in August 1946. In 1950, he was removed from the active list of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve at his own request.
In 1951, the then Portsmouth F.C.
manager, Bob Jackson
, got in touch with Hardaker to say that Fred Howarth, the Football League
secretary, was considering retiring from the job, and recommended that he apply. Vernon Stokes, the chairman of Portsmouth F.C. at that time, also urged him to put in for it. Stokes later became chairman of The Football Association
Disciplinary Committee.
Seen to be answering an advertisement in the Daily Telegraph newspaper inviting applications, he duly submitted his curriculum vitae to the then Football League headquarters in Starkie Street, Preston, Lancashire. The Management Committee of the League drew up a shortlist of six candidates, which included Alan Hardaker, from an initial response of 410 applicants.
On 1 May 1951, he accepted the invitation to replace Howarth, although this was not to formally happen for another five and a half years, due to the seeming reluctance of the outgoing secretary to actually retire. Hardaker took up a junior position during this period, at a much reduced salary and receiving only a small pay rise each year thereafter. He later indicated in his autobiography that he felt "badly let down by Arthur Drewry
", the League President at that time.
Eventually, on 5 July 1955, a little more than four years after he had been taken on, he was confirmed as assistant secretary to Fred Howarth. Hardaker had used the intervening time to read every archived document since 1888 which related to the League and its business, and was better prepared to take on the top job.
On New Year's Eve
in 1956, Howarth deposited his work keys on Alan Hardaker's desk and left the building for the last time, after 23 years service. On 6 January 1957 Hardaker was appointed by the Management Committee as the new Football League
secretary.
The unanimous choice, after consideration of Blackpool
and Leamington Spa
as possibilities, was the former Sandown Hotel in Clifton Drive, Lytham St Annes
, Lancashire, and this was purchased for £11,000. Hardaker was heavily involved in the six month renovation of the building to make it suitable for purpose, and this was completed at a total cost of £40,000. The previous premises sold for £3,250.
When Hardaker first joined the staff of the League, they numbered six as full time employees. As a measure of the expansion and diversification achieved during his time as secretary, by 1977 this had increased to 25. He enjoyed the complete confidence of the Management Committee, and was delegated by them many powers to act independently concerning certain matters. In his autobiography, he claims that, due to this measure of autonomy, he was perceived as "arrogant and high-handed" and had "frequently been called a dictator" by some club officials. He maintained, though, that his one aim in football had always been to "see the League prosper".
Following the passing of the Copyright Act 1956
, he suggested to the Management Committee that the lists of League fixtures published each year should be subject to copyright for use by companies such as football pools
promoters. He was duly given the go-ahead to implement a test case against Littlewoods Pools in 1959, and this the League won, meaning that a source of income would be secured for the clubs, as the Pools companies now needed to pay for the privilege of printing the fixtures on their coupons.
Hardaker was also required to attend the House of Commons
in London
to address members of Parliament
regarding the ending of the maximum wage
for football players, which Jimmy Hill
, the ex-Fulham
player and then chairman of the Professional Footballers Association, had led a campaign for. The PFA won their members' pay freedom in 1961. However, this did not affect the transfer
system, which still allowed clubs to retain players, even when their contracts had expired.
When an application to the High Court
was made in June 1963, submitted by the out-of-contract Newcastle United player George Eastham
, Hardaker was called to give evidence. Despite him arguing in favour of the contract structure as it then was (the League Management Committee had instructed him in how he should proceed), the case was lost, and thereafter the players could move more easily from club to club.
Hardaker was instrumental in designing the 1957 "Pattern of Football", which would have seen the existing 92 clubs, then occupying the four divisions of the League, increased to 100, with 20 teams in each of five divisions. The purpose of this was to reduce the number of weeks in the football season
, allowing for less fixture congestion. At the same time, there would be more opportunity to accommodate extra competitions, such as the Football League Cup
, which had been introduced during the 1960-61
season. The proposal was defeated after a vote by the member clubs, and the Pattern was discarded.
Although it is widely reported that the League Cup was Alan Hardaker's idea, in his autobiography he actually gives the credit to Sir Stanley Rous
, who was at that time secretary of the Football Association
. He relates the tale of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, which was a joint exercise by the FA and League to help regenerate football in Britain at the end of the Second World War. Sir Stanley apparently designed a separate knockout competition, to be entered by those clubs beaten in the early rounds of the FA Cup
proper, but the plan was never approved. It was this idea, in tandem with the blueprint of the already-implemented Scottish League Cup
north of the border, which prompted Hardaker to formulate the English League Cup.
The Press were not kind to Hardaker when the League Cup was first announced. He openly admits that the proposed competition received criticism not only from Fleet Street
, but from the League clubs themselves - entry into the competition was not compulsory, and Arsenal
, Luton
, Sheffield Wednesday
, West Bromwich Albion
, Wolves
and Tottenham
all refused to participate during the inaugural season.
However, the signing of TV contracts for the 1961-62
competition, and the money this would generate, helped persuade many of the abstainers to take part the following year, although various clubs still declined to enter each year. The award by UEFA
of a European cup competition place for the winner of the League Cup each year, plus the attraction of Wembley as a final venue, were also strong incentives for all the clubs to join, and this was achieved by 1967.
A much-quoted line from Alan Hardaker goes: "The FA Cup is football's Ascot
, the League Cup its equivalent of Derby Day
at Epsom
".
Hardaker was asked to give advice to the League clubs when they were ordered by the FA in 1965 to sign statutory declarations regarding payments to amateur players - in other words, to guarantee that no illegal dealings were being entered into, and thus leaving themselves legally vulnerable. His advice consisted of a recommendation that they (the League clubs) resign from the Football Association "as a matter of extreme urgency", in order to force the FA to back down on the issue. Having held a meeting in Manchester
, they duly handed in their resignations, all except for a few unnamed clubs.
After a meeting between the Football League Management Committee and the FA in London
, the demand for professional clubs to sign the declarations was withdrawn, and it was decided that only amateur clubs would be required to do so. The resignations were ignored.
In 1970, when a group of Midlands club chairmen proposed that the Football League handle its own disciplinary affairs, Hardaker was asked by them if this would be possible under FA regulations. He pointed out Association Rule 1(b), which gave provision for the game to be administered for amateur and professional clubs separately. This meant that the League could have full control of its own administration, but would stop short of a breakaway from the FA. Although the Rule was never implemented, when the League Management Committee brought the matter up with the FA, they were able to negotiate many concessions, both financial and in terms of the disciplinary system, which changed as a result.
Many other incidents of note came under his influence during his time as Football League secretary. In 1969, he was asked to comment on the planned introduction of pensions for those professional players over 35 years of age - he claimed that the reported comment "I wouldn't hang a dog on the evidence of people like that" was actually in answer to the proposal that former professional footballers should sit on disciplinary committees, and not about pensions.
At the start of the 1971-72
season, the League Management Committee issued a directive reminding referees of their obligations regarding maintaining discipline on the field of play. Unfortunately, the Committee neglected to circulate the information to the Press or the League clubs, and there was widespread confusion when referees vastly increased the number of cautions and dismissals during matches.
The threat of withdrawal of League clubs from the FA Cup in 1973, following an argument over the fee for televising the 1972 European Championship (qualifying)
quarter-final first leg between England
and West Germany, was eventually averted.
Television companies made several attempts to secure contracts with the Football League to show football matches live, in 1955, 1956 and 1967, but this would never happen in Alan Hardaker's lifetime, and he offered the opinion in his book that "regular live football would undermine the game's health". Before the start of the 1974-75
season, there was even the possibility that no League football highlights would appear on television, due to the League chairmen initially rejecting a three-year deal in 1973, worth £750,000. After protracted negotiation, they finally accepted the offer.
In 1976, there was friction over the handling of the player registration of ex-Manchester United
and Northern Ireland international
George Best
, following his transfer from Los Angeles Aztecs
of the USA
to Fulham
. It was discovered that, due to the terms of the contract and the method of registration, Aztecs might actually retain first call on the player. Hardaker acted to counter this situation "to protect the interests of all the Football League clubs".
, in recognition of his services to the League.
sports correspondent, the late Bryon Butler
, and in 1979 he was made Director General of the Football League, continuing to serve them until his sudden death from a heart attack in 1980.
The Alan Hardaker Trophy
was commissioned in 1990 as the award to be presented to the "man of the match" at each Football League Cup Final since that time. Hardaker's great-grandson, Tom, presented the trophy at the 2004 Final between Bolton Wanderers
and Middlesbrough
. The current holder is Ben Foster
of Birmingham City.
Print
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...
administrator for the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, a wartime Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, and previously an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
footballer. He was born in Hull, Yorkshire, second son to John and Emma, and younger brother of Ernest.
Education and early career
Alan Hardaker's education began at Constable Street Elementary School in Hull, and from there he was awarded a scholarship to Riley High School, leaving in 1928 with qualifications in typingTyping
Typing is the process of inputting text into a device, such as a typewriter, cell phone, computer, or a calculator, by pressing keys on a keyboard. It can be distinguished from other means of input, such as the use of pointing devices like the computer mouse, and text input via speech...
and shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
. He initially went into the family removals and haulage business, until 1929, when he was sacked by his own father for playing dominoes
Dominoes
Dominoes generally refers to the collective gaming pieces making up a domino set or to the subcategory of tile games played with domino pieces. In the area of mathematical tilings and polyominoes, the word domino often refers to any rectangle formed from joining two congruent squares edge to edge...
instead of working. He was able to use his qualifications to find immediate employment as an office junior in the town clerk's department at the Guildhall, Kingston upon Hull
Guildhall, Kingston upon Hull
The Guildhall is a building on Alfred Gelder Street in the City of Kingston upon Hull. The building is currently the headquarters of Hull City Council but is also used as a venue for conferences, civic receptions and formal dinners...
.
He met Irene Mundy when he was seventeen and she a year younger. They married eight years later in North Ferriby
North Ferriby
North Ferriby is a village and civil parish in the Haltemprice area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.-Geography:It is situated on the north bank of the Humber Estuary, approximately to the west of Hull city centre. To the north, atop a hill, lies Swanland via the B1231. South Ferriby is...
Church. They would go on to have four daughters and many grandchildren.
He had first taken up playing football at the High School, and so joined Municipal Sports F.C., the Guildhall team. He was even 'sent off' on one occasion during his time with them, for retaliation. Playing in the centre forward position, he scored one hundred goals in three seasons, although he claimed that most of these were only possible due to the quality of those playing alongside him.
After moving on to East Riding County League
East Riding County League
The East Riding County League is a football competition based in England. It has a total of six divisions including the East Riding County League Premier Division which sits at level 14 of the English football league system and is a feeder to the Humber Premier League.-Member clubs 2011-12:*Premier...
champions Beverley White Star F.C. (now defunct), he was invited by Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
to play for their reserve side against Bradford Park Avenue's second string. He had been converted to full back by this time, and that was the position he took up for Hull City Reserves. From then on, he played for one or other of the teams on a regular basis for the next three seasons.
In 1935, he captained the East Riding County FA representative team when they won the Northern Counties Amateur Championship.
He was offered professional terms in 1936 by manager Jack Hill
Jack Hill (footballer)
John "Jack" Henry Hill was an English footballer who played in his club career with various teams, including Burnley and Newcastle United between 1920 and 1934. He made eleven appearances for England, eight as captain...
, which he turned down, as by the age of 23 he had progressed to become Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
's secretary at the Guildhall. After then playing 11 games for the Reserves in the Midland League, and coinciding with a change in team management, he was released by the club. He went on to play for Bridlington Central United (later known as Bridlington Town) of the East Riding Amateur League
East Riding Amateur League
The East Riding Amateur League is a football competition based in and around Kingston upon Hull, England. It has a total of three divisions headed by the Premier Division, which nominally sits at level 14 of the English football league system and is a feeder to the Humber Premier League.-Member...
, and then moved to the Yorkshire Amateur Football Club
Yorkshire Amateur F.C.
Yorkshire Amateur A.F.C. are a football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. They were formed in 1918, and two years later became founding members of the Yorkshire Football League...
in the Yorkshire League
Yorkshire Football League
The Yorkshire Football League was a football competition founded in 1920 which existed until 1982 when it merged with the Midland League to become the Northern Counties East League.-Original League:...
.
World War II
Both his sporting career and his professional life were interrupted by the imminent outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, and in his official capacity as Lord Mayor's secretary he was asked to help start the Humber Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in readiness for hostilities. He joined them on 12 June 1939, as a payroll lieutenant initially assigned to the light cruiser HMS Calcutta moored in Hull docks. However, after the War began, he was transferred to HMS NewcastleHMS Newcastle (C76)
The seventh HMS Newcastle was a Town-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy. She belonged to the Southampton subclass. In the Second World War following extensive battle damage sustained in the Mediterranean, she spent some time being repaired in New York.She also saw action in the Korean...
, based at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, and saw service on the "Northern Patrol", which protected convoys of Allied ships from German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
vessels sent to attack.
In 1942, after subsequently serving on HMS Cumberland
HMS Cumberland (57)
HMS Cumberland was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that saw action during the Second World War.-Career:Cumberland served on the China Station with the 5th Cruiser Squadron from 1928 until 1938, returning to the UK in March 1935 for a refit...
, he became a lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
, and transferred once again, this time to the de-commissioned torpedo training ship HMS Marlborough
HMS Marlborough (1912)
HMS Marlborough was an Iron Duke-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named in honour of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and launched in 1912. In World War I she served in the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow...
secured at Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. He then received a posting to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as supply officer
Supply Officer
Supply Officer was a specialisation in the British Royal Navy which has recently been superseded by the Logistics Officer, recognising the need to align with the nomenclature and function of similar cadres in the British Army and Royal Air Force...
to HMS Alert, a shore-based camp in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and in December 1944 moved on to HMS Golden Hind, a Royal Navy manning depot, also in Sydney.
Whilst in that country, he was able to find the time to resume his sporting career, captaining the Royal Navy football side in organised matches for a single season. Hardaker remained in Australia until the end of the War, eventually deciding to retire from playing at the age of 34.
Post-War career
For a short while after returning to Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Hardaker fulfilled the temporary position of clerk to the Education Committee back at the Guildhall, due to his previous job being already occupied. When he was refused permission to resume his post as Lord Mayor's secretary in Hull, he applied for an identical appointment in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, and was successful at interview. He and his young family moved there in August 1946. In 1950, he was removed from the active list of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve at his own request.
In 1951, the then Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
manager, Bob Jackson
Bob Jackson (footballer)
Bob Jackson was the manager of the English football club Portsmouth F.C. from 1947-1952. Jackson led Pompey to the only two top league titles in their history in the 1948/49 and 1949/50 seasons. He departed in the summer of 1952 to take over at ambitious second division club Hull City, but could...
, got in touch with Hardaker to say that Fred Howarth, the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
secretary, was considering retiring from the job, and recommended that he apply. Vernon Stokes, the chairman of Portsmouth F.C. at that time, also urged him to put in for it. Stokes later became chairman of 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...
Disciplinary Committee.
Seen to be answering an advertisement in the Daily Telegraph newspaper inviting applications, he duly submitted his curriculum vitae to the then Football League headquarters in Starkie Street, Preston, Lancashire. The Management Committee of the League drew up a shortlist of six candidates, which included Alan Hardaker, from an initial response of 410 applicants.
On 1 May 1951, he accepted the invitation to replace Howarth, although this was not to formally happen for another five and a half years, due to the seeming reluctance of the outgoing secretary to actually retire. Hardaker took up a junior position during this period, at a much reduced salary and receiving only a small pay rise each year thereafter. He later indicated in his autobiography that he felt "badly let down by Arthur Drewry
Arthur Drewry
Arthur Drewry was the 5th President of FIFA, serving from 1955 to 1961. He was elected as President on June 7, 1955 at the FIFA Conference in Lisbon where he succeeded Rodolphe William Seeldrayers from Belgium who had only been President for 15 months following the death of Jules Rimet...
", the League President at that time.
Eventually, on 5 July 1955, a little more than four years after he had been taken on, he was confirmed as assistant secretary to Fred Howarth. Hardaker had used the intervening time to read every archived document since 1888 which related to the League and its business, and was better prepared to take on the top job.
On New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
in 1956, Howarth deposited his work keys on Alan Hardaker's desk and left the building for the last time, after 23 years service. On 6 January 1957 Hardaker was appointed by the Management Committee as the new Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
secretary.
As Football League secretary
One major change which took place at the Football League two years after Hardaker's appointment was a shift in location for the organisation's headquarters. The Starkie Street premises were little more than a converted town house, and the incoming League President at that time, Joe Richards, decided to ask Hardaker to look for more appropriate offices outside Preston.The unanimous choice, after consideration of Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
and Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
as possibilities, was the former Sandown Hotel in Clifton Drive, Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
, Lancashire, and this was purchased for £11,000. Hardaker was heavily involved in the six month renovation of the building to make it suitable for purpose, and this was completed at a total cost of £40,000. The previous premises sold for £3,250.
When Hardaker first joined the staff of the League, they numbered six as full time employees. As a measure of the expansion and diversification achieved during his time as secretary, by 1977 this had increased to 25. He enjoyed the complete confidence of the Management Committee, and was delegated by them many powers to act independently concerning certain matters. In his autobiography, he claims that, due to this measure of autonomy, he was perceived as "arrogant and high-handed" and had "frequently been called a dictator" by some club officials. He maintained, though, that his one aim in football had always been to "see the League prosper".
Following the passing of the Copyright Act 1956
Copyright Act 1956
The Copyright Act 1956 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received its Royal Assent on 5 November 1956. The Copyright Act 1956 expanded copyright law in the UK and was passed in order to bring UK copyright law in line with international copyright law and technological...
, he suggested to the Management Committee that the lists of League fixtures published each year should be subject to copyright for use by companies such as football pools
Football pools
A football pool, often collectively referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, with the potential to win huge money. Entries were traditionally...
promoters. He was duly given the go-ahead to implement a test case against Littlewoods Pools in 1959, and this the League won, meaning that a source of income would be secured for the clubs, as the Pools companies now needed to pay for the privilege of printing the fixtures on their coupons.
Hardaker was also required to attend the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 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...
to address members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
regarding the ending of the maximum wage
Maximum wage
A maximum wage, also often called a wage ceiling, is a legal limit on how much income an individual can earn. This is a related economic concept that is complementary to the minimum wage used currently by some states to enforce minimum earnings...
for football players, which Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
, the ex-Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
player and then chairman of the Professional Footballers Association, had led a campaign for. The PFA won their members' pay freedom in 1961. However, this did not affect the transfer
Transfer (football)
In professional association football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between professional clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one professional association football club to another. In general, the players can only be...
system, which still allowed clubs to retain players, even when their contracts had expired.
When an application to the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
was made in June 1963, submitted by the out-of-contract Newcastle United player George Eastham
George Eastham
George Edward Eastham, OBE is an English former footballer. He is known for playing for Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City, as well as a non-playing member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad...
, Hardaker was called to give evidence. Despite him arguing in favour of the contract structure as it then was (the League Management Committee had instructed him in how he should proceed), the case was lost, and thereafter the players could move more easily from club to club.
Hardaker was instrumental in designing the 1957 "Pattern of Football", which would have seen the existing 92 clubs, then occupying the four divisions of the League, increased to 100, with 20 teams in each of five divisions. The purpose of this was to reduce the number of weeks in the football season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
, allowing for less fixture congestion. At the same time, there would be more opportunity to accommodate extra competitions, such as the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, which had been introduced during the 1960-61
1960-61 in English football
The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions...
season. The proposal was defeated after a vote by the member clubs, and the Pattern was discarded.
Although it is widely reported that the League Cup was Alan Hardaker's idea, in his autobiography he actually gives the credit to Sir Stanley Rous
Stanley Rous
Sir Stanley Ford Rous, CBE was the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international referee.-Early Life:...
, who was at that time secretary of 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...
. He relates the tale of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, which was a joint exercise by the FA and League to help regenerate football in Britain at the end of the Second World War. Sir Stanley apparently designed a separate knockout competition, to be entered by those clubs beaten in the early rounds of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
proper, but the plan was never approved. It was this idea, in tandem with the blueprint of the already-implemented Scottish 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...
north of the border, which prompted Hardaker to formulate the English League Cup.
The Press were not kind to Hardaker when the League Cup was first announced. He openly admits that the proposed competition received criticism not only from Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
, but from the League clubs themselves - entry into the competition was not compulsory, and 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...
, Luton
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...
, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
all refused to participate during the inaugural season.
However, the signing of TV contracts for the 1961-62
1961-62 in English football
The 1961–62 season was the 82nd season of competitive Football in England.-Overview:The season was notable for the remarkable achievement of Ipswich Town winning the League Championship. Under the managership of Alf Ramsey, the club progressed from the old Third Division South to the First Division...
competition, and the money this would generate, helped persuade many of the abstainers to take part the following year, although various clubs still declined to enter each year. The award by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
of a European cup competition place for the winner of the League Cup each year, plus the attraction of Wembley as a final venue, were also strong incentives for all the clubs to join, and this was achieved by 1967.
A much-quoted line from Alan Hardaker goes: "The FA Cup is football's Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
, the League Cup its equivalent of Derby Day
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
at Epsom
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
".
Hardaker was asked to give advice to the League clubs when they were ordered by the FA in 1965 to sign statutory declarations regarding payments to amateur players - in other words, to guarantee that no illegal dealings were being entered into, and thus leaving themselves legally vulnerable. His advice consisted of a recommendation that they (the League clubs) resign from the Football Association "as a matter of extreme urgency", in order to force the FA to back down on the issue. Having held a meeting in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, they duly handed in their resignations, all except for a few unnamed clubs.
After a meeting between the Football League Management Committee and the FA in 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...
, the demand for professional clubs to sign the declarations was withdrawn, and it was decided that only amateur clubs would be required to do so. The resignations were ignored.
In 1970, when a group of Midlands club chairmen proposed that the Football League handle its own disciplinary affairs, Hardaker was asked by them if this would be possible under FA regulations. He pointed out Association Rule 1(b), which gave provision for the game to be administered for amateur and professional clubs separately. This meant that the League could have full control of its own administration, but would stop short of a breakaway from the FA. Although the Rule was never implemented, when the League Management Committee brought the matter up with the FA, they were able to negotiate many concessions, both financial and in terms of the disciplinary system, which changed as a result.
Many other incidents of note came under his influence during his time as Football League secretary. In 1969, he was asked to comment on the planned introduction of pensions for those professional players over 35 years of age - he claimed that the reported comment "I wouldn't hang a dog on the evidence of people like that" was actually in answer to the proposal that former professional footballers should sit on disciplinary committees, and not about pensions.
At the start of the 1971-72
1971-72 in English football
The 1971–72 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in England.-FA Cup:Leeds United overcame holders Arsenal to win the 1972 FA Cup Final...
season, the League Management Committee issued a directive reminding referees of their obligations regarding maintaining discipline on the field of play. Unfortunately, the Committee neglected to circulate the information to the Press or the League clubs, and there was widespread confusion when referees vastly increased the number of cautions and dismissals during matches.
The threat of withdrawal of League clubs from the FA Cup in 1973, following an argument over the fee for televising the 1972 European Championship (qualifying)
1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
The qualifying round for the 1972 European Football Championship consisted of 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams. Each group winner progressed to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals were played in two legs on a home-and-away basis...
quarter-final first leg between 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...
and West Germany, was eventually averted.
Television companies made several attempts to secure contracts with the Football League to show football matches live, in 1955, 1956 and 1967, but this would never happen in Alan Hardaker's lifetime, and he offered the opinion in his book that "regular live football would undermine the game's health". Before the start of the 1974-75
1974-75 in English football
The 1974–75 season was the 95th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Dave Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Manchester City, Sheffield United and...
season, there was even the possibility that no League football highlights would appear on television, due to the League chairmen initially rejecting a three-year deal in 1973, worth £750,000. After protracted negotiation, they finally accepted the offer.
In 1976, there was friction over the handling of the player registration of ex-Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Northern Ireland international
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...
George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
, following his transfer from Los Angeles Aztecs
Los Angeles Aztecs
The Los Angeles Aztecs were a soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974-81. The team was based in Los Angeles, California and part-owned by Elton John.-History:...
of the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. It was discovered that, due to the terms of the contract and the method of registration, Aztecs might actually retain first call on the player. Hardaker acted to counter this situation "to protect the interests of all the Football League clubs".
Honoured
On 12 June 1971 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division)Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, in recognition of his services to the League.
Controversy
Hardaker was known for his xenophobia and insular thinking. It was his decision to boycott Chelsea's attempt to enter the first ever European Cup competition in 1955 when Secretary of the Football League. His understanding of dealing with football in Europe amounted to "Too many wogs and Dagoes", which he conveyed to a Times journalist.Later years
In 1977, Alan Hardaker published his autobiography, "Hardaker of the League", which he co-wrote with noted BBCBBC
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...
sports correspondent, the late Bryon Butler
Bryon Butler
Ewart Bryon Butler was an English writer and broadcaster, best known as the BBC's football correspondent from 1968 to 1991....
, and in 1979 he was made Director General of the Football League, continuing to serve them until his sudden death from a heart attack in 1980.
The Alan Hardaker Trophy
Alan Hardaker Trophy
The Alan Hardaker Trophy has been awarded to the Man of the Match at every Football League Cup final since 1990. The winners to date include:...
was commissioned in 1990 as the award to be presented to the "man of the match" at each Football League Cup Final since that time. Hardaker's great-grandson, Tom, presented the trophy at the 2004 Final between Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. The current holder is Ben Foster
Ben Foster (footballer)
Benjamin Anthony "Ben" Foster is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Birmingham City, and internationally for the England national team.-Stoke City:...
of Birmingham City.
- Hardaker of the League, Alan Hardaker with Bryon ButlerBryon ButlerEwart Bryon Butler was an English writer and broadcaster, best known as the BBC's football correspondent from 1968 to 1991....
, Pelham Books 1977, ISBN 0-7207-1015-4.