Herbert Lock
Encyclopedia
Herbert Lock was an English professional goalkeeper
who played for Southampton
and Rangers
in the early part of the twentieth century.
he played his early football for St. Mary's Guild before joining Southampton F.C.
in the summer of 1907. He immediately forced himself into the first team, replacing George Clawley
who had retired.
According to Holley & Chalk's "The Alphabet of the Saints" he was "a daring and acrobatic goalkeeper who was also noted for his uncanny anticipation when facing penalty kicks". He would pace up and down the goal line and eventually position himself slightly off–centre in the hope that the penalty
taker would shoot towards the larger target. Lock would invariably anticipate correctly and would make the save. During the 1908–09 season he saved eight of the twelve penalty kicks he faced.
In the 1907–08 season he was the regular choice for goalkeeper and played an integral part in Saints' run to the FA Cup
semi–final. In the 4th round match at Everton
on 7 March his heroics helped Saints to a 0–0 draw, denying Sandy Young late in the game by saving bravely at his feet. In the replay at The Dell
on 11 March Saints took a 2–1 lead at half–time which they extended thanks to a "magnificent" goal from Frank Costello
. Despite Everton pulling a goal back shortly afterwards, Lock and the rest of the Saints defence managed to keep the Everton forwards at bay and the Saints ran out 3–2 victors.
Lock was unable to play in the semi–final against the eventual cup–winners Wolverhampton Wanderers
as a result of a serious injury sustained on 14 March 1908 in a Southern League
match at Watford
's Cassio Road ground which put him out until the last fortnight of the season. The following season he was once more the automatic choice for the 'keeper's shirt until he was again injured in the match at Cassio Road on 27 March 1909. Lock vowed never to play at Cassio Road again and ensured that this would not happen by moving to Scotland in the 1909 close season.
to join Rangers
where he was to become a mainstay of their championship winning sides over the next few years. He immediately became the first–choice 'keeper replacing Harry Rennie
and in the 1909–10 season he played in all but two of Rangers' matches. The following season he was ever–present as Rangers took the title and in 1911–12 he only missed one league match as Rangers took the title for the third consecutive year. Thus, in his first three seasons, he only missed three out of a possible 112 league games.
He was considered to be on the reckless side, in terms of his own personal safety. A daring personality, he was expert at foiling forwards who had managed to run through on goal, leaving themselves "one on one" with the 'keeper. Invariably, just as the forward was about to shoot, Lock would throw himself at his feet to block the attempt. This recklessness resulted in several injuries during his career.
Injuries sustained in a Glasgow Cup
match against Partick Thistle
on 7 October 1912 put him out for the remainder of the season. He was replaced by John Hempsey
and was unable to reclaim his No.1 jersey until 17 January 1914. On his return he kept clean sheets in seven of his first nine matches but the team missed out on the title to arch–rivals Celtic
.
Over the next few years injuries, and war work in the Glasgow
shipyards, meant that he was in and out of the team and it was not until the 1919–20 season that he was again able to play a full complement of matches. His form this season was blistering and he kept clean sheets in 20 of the 35 league games he played. This included a run of ten games without conceding a goal from 24 January to 20 March 1920 as Rangers once again took the title.
Although he remained at Rangers until August 1921, he failed to appear for the first team in 1920–21 and returned to England
. In his twelve years with Rangers he made a total of 266 appearances, keeping a clean sheet in 109 of those matches – a rate of 41%.
where he joined Queens Park Rangers
in August 1921. His stay at Loftus Road
was short–lived and the following year he returned to Southampton where he acted as cover to Tommy Allen
. He made his first appearance for Saints for 14 years on 14 March 1923 in the FA Cup
Fourth Round replay against West Ham United
at Upton Park
after Allen was injured in the first match as he bravely thwarted Vic Watson
. Although Lock acquitted himself well in the two replays, he was unable to prevent West Ham going through to the White Horse Final
at Wembley.
He retained his place for the remainder of the 1922–23 season but Allen regained the No. 1 jersey for the start of the following season. In January 1924 Lock moved along the south coast to join Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic
where he played to the end of the season before retiring aged 37.
He settled to live and work in Southampton
as a carpenter
and joiner
on the Southern Railway
. He died in Southampton on 16 March 1957 a few weeks after his 70th birthday.
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
who played for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in the early part of the twentieth century.
Southampton
Born in SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
he played his early football for St. Mary's Guild before joining Southampton F.C.
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in the summer of 1907. He immediately forced himself into the first team, replacing George Clawley
George Clawley
George Clawley was an English professional goalkeeper who played for Stoke, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries...
who had retired.
According to Holley & Chalk's "The Alphabet of the Saints" he was "a daring and acrobatic goalkeeper who was also noted for his uncanny anticipation when facing penalty kicks". He would pace up and down the goal line and eventually position himself slightly off–centre in the hope that the penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
taker would shoot towards the larger target. Lock would invariably anticipate correctly and would make the save. During the 1908–09 season he saved eight of the twelve penalty kicks he faced.
In the 1907–08 season he was the regular choice for goalkeeper and played an integral part in Saints' run to 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...
semi–final. In the 4th round match at 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...
on 7 March his heroics helped Saints to a 0–0 draw, denying Sandy Young late in the game by saving bravely at his feet. In the replay at The Dell
The Dell (Southampton F.C.)
The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001.-New stadium:Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club at the County Ground, having vacated the Antelope Ground in the summer of 1896...
on 11 March Saints took a 2–1 lead at half–time which they extended thanks to a "magnificent" goal from Frank Costello
Frank Costello (footballer)
Frederick "Frank" G. Costello was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Southampton and West Ham United prior to the First World War.-Playing career:...
. Despite Everton pulling a goal back shortly afterwards, Lock and the rest of the Saints defence managed to keep the Everton forwards at bay and the Saints ran out 3–2 victors.
Lock was unable to play in the semi–final against the eventual cup–winners Wolverhampton Wanderers
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...
as a result of a serious injury sustained on 14 March 1908 in a 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...
match at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
's Cassio Road ground which put him out until the last fortnight of the season. The following season he was once more the automatic choice for the 'keeper's shirt until he was again injured in the match at Cassio Road on 27 March 1909. Lock vowed never to play at Cassio Road again and ensured that this would not happen by moving to Scotland in the 1909 close season.
Rangers
In 1909 he moved to GlasgowGlasgow
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...
to join Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
where he was to become a mainstay of their championship winning sides over the next few years. He immediately became the first–choice 'keeper replacing Harry Rennie
Harry Rennie
Henry "Harry" George Rennie was a Scottish football goalkeeper who played for Morton, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Rangers, Kilmarnock and the Scotland national team....
and in the 1909–10 season he played in all but two of Rangers' matches. The following season he was ever–present as Rangers took the title and in 1911–12 he only missed one league match as Rangers took the title for the third consecutive year. Thus, in his first three seasons, he only missed three out of a possible 112 league games.
He was considered to be on the reckless side, in terms of his own personal safety. A daring personality, he was expert at foiling forwards who had managed to run through on goal, leaving themselves "one on one" with the 'keeper. Invariably, just as the forward was about to shoot, Lock would throw himself at his feet to block the attempt. This recklessness resulted in several injuries during his career.
Injuries sustained in a Glasgow Cup
Glasgow Cup
The Glasgow Cup is a knockout football tournament open to teams from Glasgow. It was competed for annually by senior Glasgow clubs from 1887 until 1988. It is now competed for between the youth teams of Rangers, Celtic, Clyde, Partick Thistle and Queen's Park.It is dominated by the Old Firm of...
match against Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
on 7 October 1912 put him out for the remainder of the season. He was replaced by John Hempsey
John Hempsey
John Hempsey was a former Scottish footballer. He played with Rangers, Greenock Morton and Kilmarnock.Hempsey began his career at Port Glasgow before moving to Greenock Morton in 1911. He joined Rangers a year later and would make 150 appearances during his eight year spell. After two loan spells...
and was unable to reclaim his No.1 jersey until 17 January 1914. On his return he kept clean sheets in seven of his first nine matches but the team missed out on the title to arch–rivals Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
Over the next few years injuries, and war work in the 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...
shipyards, meant that he was in and out of the team and it was not until the 1919–20 season that he was again able to play a full complement of matches. His form this season was blistering and he kept clean sheets in 20 of the 35 league games he played. This included a run of ten games without conceding a goal from 24 January to 20 March 1920 as Rangers once again took the title.
Although he remained at Rangers until August 1921, he failed to appear for the first team in 1920–21 and returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In his twelve years with Rangers he made a total of 266 appearances, keeping a clean sheet in 109 of those matches – a rate of 41%.
Later career
His return to England took him to LondonLondon
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...
where he joined Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in August 1921. His stay at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
was short–lived and the following year he returned to Southampton where he acted as cover to Tommy Allen
Tommy Allen (footballer)
Thomas "Tommy" Allen was an English professional goalkeeper who played for Southampton in the 1920s and later for Coventry City.-Early career:...
. He made his first appearance for Saints for 14 years on 14 March 1923 in 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...
Fourth Round replay against 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...
at Upton Park
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
after Allen was injured in the first match as he bravely thwarted Vic Watson
Vic Watson
Victor Martin Watson was an English footballer who played most of his club football for West Ham United....
. Although Lock acquitted himself well in the two replays, he was unable to prevent West Ham going through to the White Horse Final
1923 FA Cup Final
The 1923 FA Cup Final was a football match between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United on 28 April 1923 at the original Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the first football match to be...
at Wembley.
He retained his place for the remainder of the 1922–23 season but Allen regained the No. 1 jersey for the start of the following season. In January 1924 Lock moved along the south coast to join Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
where he played to the end of the season before retiring aged 37.
He settled to live and work in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
as a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
and joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
on the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
. He died in Southampton on 16 March 1957 a few weeks after his 70th birthday.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | Domestic League | Domestic Cup1 | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Clean sheets | App | Clean sheets | App | Clean sheets | App | Clean sheets | Percentage | ||
| Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
1907-08 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 11 | 39.29% |
| 1908-09 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 7 | 20.59% | |
| Total | 55 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 18 | 29.03% | |
| Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
1909-10 | 32 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 9 | 23.68% |
| 1910-11 | 34 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 43 | 16 | 37.21% | |
| 1911-12 | 33 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 38 | 14 | 36.84% | |
| 1912-13 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 50.00% | |
| 1913-14 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 50.00% | |
| 1914-15 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 9 | 33.33% | |
| 1915-16 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 36.84% | |
| 1916-17 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 50.00% | |
| 1917-18 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 25.00% | |
| 1918-19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 62.50% | |
| 1919-20 | 35 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 26 | 60.47% | |
| 1920-21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | |
| Total | 221 | 93 | 17 | 8 | 28 | 8 | 266 | 109 | 40.98% | |
| Q.P.R. Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... |
1921-22 | 6 | Not known | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | Not known | N/A |
| Total | 6 | Not known | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | Not known | N/A | |
| Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
1922-23 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 38.46% |
| Total | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 38.46% | |
| Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899.... |
1923-24 | 13 | Not known | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | Not known | N/A |
| Total | 13 | Not known | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | Not known | N/A | |
| Career Totals | 306 | 113 | 28 | 11 | 28 | 8 | 362 | 132 | 38.71%2 | |
- 1 Includes all Domestic Cup competitions
- 2 Excludes Q.P.R. and Bournemouth
Medal auction
On 9 August 2010, four medals won by Lock came up for auction. These included his Scottish championship medals for 1911–12 and 1919–20, the 1912 Glasgow Cup Medal and the Benevolent Pickford Fund Cup winners medal for 1923.Honours
RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
- Scottish League championshipsScottish football championsThe Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
: 1910–11, 1911–12 & 1919–20 - Glasgow CupGlasgow CupThe Glasgow Cup is a knockout football tournament open to teams from Glasgow. It was competed for annually by senior Glasgow clubs from 1887 until 1988. It is now competed for between the youth teams of Rangers, Celtic, Clyde, Partick Thistle and Queen's Park.It is dominated by the Old Firm of...
: 1909, 1910 & 1911 - Glasgow Merchants and Charity Cup: 1911