Asa Hartford
Encyclopedia
Richard 'Asa' Hartford is a retired Scottish
international midfielder
and footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.
in Glasgow
, but began his professional career at West Bromwich Albion
in 1967. During his time with West Brom, the team won the FA Cup Final
in 1968 (although he did not play in the final), were beaten Semi-Finalists in 1969 and reached the League Cup
final in 1970.
's Leeds United was cancelled when a suspected hole in-the-heart condition was found during a pre-transfer medical examination. He was eventually transfer listed by then West Brom coach Don Howe alongside favourites Len Cantello
and Jeff Astle
in April 1974 and his subsequent career made nonsense of the fears occasioned by Leeds' doubting staff.
for £210,000 (making his debut in a resounding 4-0 victory over West Ham United
), coming to prominence as a strong, talented midfielder (helping City win the 1976 League Cup final (a game famous for Dennis Tueart
's overhead winner)) as well as a regular Scottish international.
oddly ill-fated 1978 World Cup
campaign in Argentina
where Ally MacLeod
's selection vagaries exposed a talented Scottish squad to a needless first round exit. Brian Glanville
commenting, in his frequently updated 'The Story of the World Cup', wrote "The Scots had an abundance of fine midfield players at a time when most other countries looked for them desperately; Bruce Rioch
, Don Masson
, Asa Hartford, Archie Gemmill
, Lou Macari
, Graeme Souness
". (p. 214, 2005). Hartford’s international career (which began in 1972 against Peru
) came to an end in Seville
during the Spanish World Cup of 1982
when he recorded his fiftieth cap for Scotland in the game against Brazil
, thereby securing himself a place on the national team's Roll of Honour in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame
.
(in order to replace Archie Gemmill
) for £500,000 only to be smartly packed off to Everton
for £400,000 after 3 games. In October 1981 John Bond
brought him back to Maine Road
for £375,000. What followed were stints in the United States (Fort Lauderdale Sun
), Norwich City
(for whom he scored the winning goal in the 1985 League Cup final), Bolton Wanderers
and Oldham Athletic
, before he took up coaching/managerial roles with Stockport County
, Shrewsbury Town
and Boston United
where he made 15 appearances as a player at the age of 40.
(at Blackburn Rovers
), Joe Jordan
and Luigi ‘Lou’ Macari
(at Stoke City
) in various coaching/managerial roles before taking on an assistant managerial position at Manchester City with Alan Ball
in 1995 and stayed as the reserve team coach until May 2005 when Stuart Pearce
brought in his own coaching staff. He thereafter became a coach with Blackpool
in December 2005. He left Blackpool in May 2006.
On 29 June 2007 it was announced that he had been appointed Assistant Manager
at League Two team Macclesfield Town
but both he and Ian Brightwell
were sacked in February 2008 to be replaced by Keith Alexander
.
In April 2008 he was given a role with Accrington Stanley coaching the junior teams and the reserves.
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 midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.
Early career
He first played for Drumchapel AmateursDrumchapel Amateur F.C.
Drumchapel Amateur Football Club are a football club from the village of Duntocher, near Clydebank in Scotland. Formed in 1950 in the Drumchapel area of the city of Glasgow, they are nicknamed "The Drum". The club presently competes in the Central Scottish Amateur League and is viewed as one of the...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, but began his professional career at 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...
in 1967. During his time with West Brom, the team won 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...
in 1968 (although he did not play in the final), were beaten Semi-Finalists in 1969 and reached the 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...
final in 1970.
Hole-in-the-heart discovery
Given his role in the team it was no surprise that he would attract interest from the top clubs but in November 1971 a high profile transfer to Don RevieDon Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
's Leeds United was cancelled when a suspected hole in-the-heart condition was found during a pre-transfer medical examination. He was eventually transfer listed by then West Brom coach Don Howe alongside favourites Len Cantello
Len Cantello
Len Cantello is a former football midfielder.He started his career with West Bromwich Albion, playing 11 years for them, despite being transfer-listed in 1974. In 1979 he moved to Bolton Wanderers, spending three years with them, before moving two divisions down to Hereford United...
and Jeff Astle
Jeff Astle
Jeffrey "The King" Astle was an English footballer. He played 361 games for West Bromwich Albion, scoring 174 goals, and was one of the most iconic players in the history of the club...
in April 1974 and his subsequent career made nonsense of the fears occasioned by Leeds' doubting staff.
Manchester City
Hartford moved on to Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for £210,000 (making his debut in a resounding 4-0 victory over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
), coming to prominence as a strong, talented midfielder (helping City win the 1976 League Cup final (a game famous for Dennis Tueart
Dennis Tueart
Dennis Tueart was an English footballer who played for Sunderland, Manchester City, Stoke City and Burnley at club level. On the international scene, he won six full caps for England.-Career:...
's overhead winner)) as well as a regular Scottish international.
International recognition
He played in Scotland’sScotland 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...
oddly ill-fated 1978 World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
campaign in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
where Ally MacLeod
Ally MacLeod
Alistair Reid MacLeod was a Scottish professional football player. He is perhaps better known for his time as a football manager, which included being in charge of Scotland at the 1978 FIFA World Cup....
's selection vagaries exposed a talented Scottish squad to a needless first round exit. Brian Glanville
Brian Glanville
Brian Lester Glanville is a leading English football writer and novelist.-Biography:Glanville was educated at Charterhouse School, where he played football to a high standard...
commenting, in his frequently updated 'The Story of the World Cup', wrote "The Scots had an abundance of fine midfield players at a time when most other countries looked for them desperately; Bruce Rioch
Bruce Rioch
Bruce David Rioch is an English-born football manager and former player. He was manager of Aalborg BK in the Danish Superliga, until his sacking on 23 October 2008....
, Don Masson
Don Masson
Donald "Don" Sandison Masson is a Scottish former footballer.-Club career:Masson began his career with Middlesbrough in 1964 before going on to Notts County in 1968...
, Asa Hartford, Archie Gemmill
Archie Gemmill
Archibald "Archie" Gemmill is a Scottish former footballer, most famous for a goal he scored against the Netherlands in the 1978 FIFA World Cup...
, Lou Macari
Lou Macari
Luigi "Lou" Macari is a Scottish former footballer and football manager of Italian descent.-Playing career:...
, Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
". (p. 214, 2005). Hartford’s international career (which began in 1972 against Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
) came to an end in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
during the Spanish World Cup of 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
when he recorded his fiftieth cap for Scotland in the game against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, thereby securing himself a place on the national team's Roll of Honour in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame
Scottish Football Hall of Fame
The Scottish Football Hall of Fame is located at the Scottish Football Museum. Inductees are picked each year by fans and a committee selects the eight finalists who are inducted at an annual dinner....
.
Latter career
At the beginning of the 1979-80 season he was transferred to Brian Clough’s European Champions at Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
(in order to replace Archie Gemmill
Archie Gemmill
Archibald "Archie" Gemmill is a Scottish former footballer, most famous for a goal he scored against the Netherlands in the 1978 FIFA World Cup...
) for £500,000 only to be smartly packed off to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
for £400,000 after 3 games. In October 1981 John Bond
John Bond (footballer)
John Frederick Bond is an English former professional football player and manager. His son Kevin Bond is also a former footballer.-Playing career:...
brought him back to Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
for £375,000. What followed were stints in the United States (Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. In 1983, the team was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun, but in 1985, changed its name to the South Florida Sun.-Origins:...
), Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
(for whom he scored the winning goal in the 1985 League Cup final), 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 Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
, before he took up coaching/managerial roles with Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
and Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
where he made 15 appearances as a player at the age of 40.
Coaching and management
Latterly, he joined ex-international team-mates Kenny DalglishKenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
(at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
), Joe Jordan
Joe Jordan (footballer)
Joseph "Joe" Jordan is a Scottish football coach and former player and manager. He is currently first team coach for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, under manager Harry Redknapp....
and Luigi ‘Lou’ Macari
Lou Macari
Luigi "Lou" Macari is a Scottish former footballer and football manager of Italian descent.-Playing career:...
(at Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
) in various coaching/managerial roles before taking on an assistant managerial position at Manchester City with Alan Ball
Alan Ball (footballer)
Alan James Ball, Jr., MBE was a professional English footballer and football club manager.He was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and played for various clubs, scoring more than 180 league goals in a career spanning 22 years...
in 1995 and stayed as the reserve team coach until May 2005 when Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
brought in his own coaching staff. He thereafter became a coach with Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in December 2005. He left Blackpool in May 2006.
On 29 June 2007 it was announced that he had been appointed Assistant Manager
Assistant Manager
An assistant manager is an employee of an organization with manager's authority. Examples of this position can be found in retail and other service businesses where the need to have more than one member of daily operations management is important....
at League Two team Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
but both he and Ian Brightwell
Ian Brightwell
Ian Robert Brightwell is an English former footballer, he played for six clubs, most notably spending twelve years with Manchester City...
were sacked in February 2008 to be replaced by Keith Alexander
Keith Alexander (footballer)
Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...
.
In April 2008 he was given a role with Accrington Stanley coaching the junior teams and the reserves.