Hughie Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Hugh "Hughie" Ferguson was a Scottish
footballer. He is only one of seven men in the entire history of the Football and Scottish Football Leagues to have scored 350 League goals. Despite his prolific scoring record, finishing his career with a goal average of 0.855 per game, he was never capped for Scotland
and his winning goal for Cardiff City
in the 1927 FA Cup Final
is remembered more for the mistake by Arsenal
goalkeeper Dan Lewis
.
final.
's Motherwell
for the start of the 1916–17 season (scoring both goals in the 2–2 draw with Raith Rovers
on 19 August 1916). He soon established himself as a prolific goalscorer at Fir Park
, becoming the top Scottish Football League
goalscorer on three occasions (1917–18; 1919–20; 1920–21), scoring 111 goals in total. His 43 goals in 1921 is the second highest season total of League goals in England or Scotland before the change to the offside law in 1925.
With Motherwell, Ferguson reached the Scottish Cup
quarter-finals in 1921 and 1922, the semi-finals in 1923, losing 2–0 to Celtic
, and achieved third place in the League in 1920.
Despite his performance, the dominance of Rangers
and Dunfermline Athletic
player Andy Cunningham
and, later, Middlesbrough
's high scoring Andy Wilson meant they were picked for Scotland ahead of Ferguson.
for a fee 0f £5,000, just £1,000 less than the record transfer fee at the time. In the previous few seasons, Cardiff had trawled far and wide for talented players and Ferguson was one of a list of notable Scots to wear the blue shirt; Scottish internationals Jimmy Blair and Jimmy Nelson
had both appeared for the club. He a goalscoring debut for the club on 7 November 1925 in a 5–2 win over Leicester City
.
Ferguson's most successful moment in English football occurred when he appeared for Cardiff in the 1927 Cup Final against Arsenal
. Having scored five times on the way to the final, in the 74th minute, collecting a throw from the right, Ferguson hurried a tame shot toward the Arsenal goal. Dan Lewis
, the Arsenal goalkeeper, appeared to collect the ball but, under pressure from the advancing Len Davies, clumsily allowed the ball to roll through his grasp; in a desperate attempt to retrieve the ball, Lewis only succeeded in knocking the ball with his elbow into his own net. Ernie Curtis
, the 19 year old centre-wing said of the goal:
Ferguson still features on the record books for Cardiff City, having scored five goals in the First Division
fixture with Burnley
on 1 September 1928 and his 32 goals in all competitions in the 1926–27 season stood until Robert Earnshaw
overtook it in March 2003. He also scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over the Corinthians in the 1927–28 Charity Shield
and his two goals won the Welsh Cup
later that same season for Cardiff against Bangor
; but despite a healthy return of 77 goals during his four seasons there his days at Ninian Park
were numbered.
in the following season for a fee of £500, but his days there were desperate; a despondent, demanding crowd seeking from the legendary goalscorer more than he could provide. He scored two goals for Dundee, before being dropped due to injury and a lack of form.
, gassing
himself at Dens Park
after a training session. He was aged 31, and left behind his wife Jessie and two children.
at the 1952
and 1956
Olympics.
Cardiff City
Dundee
Career
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...
footballer. He is only one of seven men in the entire history of the Football and Scottish Football Leagues to have scored 350 League goals. Despite his prolific scoring record, finishing his career with a goal average of 0.855 per game, he was never capped for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and his winning goal for Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in the 1927 FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final 1927
The 1927 FA Cup Final was won by Cardiff City, who beat Arsenal 1–0. It is most remembered for Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis's mistake which led to the only goal of the game. It was also the first ever Cup Final to be broadcast by BBC Radio...
is remembered more for the mistake by 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...
goalkeeper Dan Lewis
Dan Lewis (footballer)
Daniel "Dan" Lewis was a Welsh football goalkeeper, who is most notable for his time playing for Arsenal. He kept goal for Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final where a mistake by him saw Cardiff City win the cup.-Playing career:...
.
Early career
Renowned for his modesty and sense of fair play, Ferguson started his career with Parkhead Juniors in 1914. He appeared for the side in their victorious 1914–15 Scottish Junior CupScottish Junior Cup
The Scottish Junior Cup, known as The Emirates Junior Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual football competition organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association for all its member clubs. The competition has been held every year since the inception of the SJFA in 1886 and as of the...
final.
Motherwell
Ferguson joined John HunterJohn Hunter (footballer)
John "Sailor" Hunter was a Scottish football player and manager. He is most notable as Motherwell's first and longest-serving manager, guiding the team to their only League title in the 1931-32 season.-Playing career:...
's Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
for the start of the 1916–17 season (scoring both goals in the 2–2 draw with Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
on 19 August 1916). He soon established himself as a prolific goalscorer at Fir Park
Fir Park
Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premier League club Motherwell.- History :...
, becoming the top Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
goalscorer on three occasions (1917–18; 1919–20; 1920–21), scoring 111 goals in total. His 43 goals in 1921 is the second highest season total of League goals in England or Scotland before the change to the offside law in 1925.
With Motherwell, Ferguson reached the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
quarter-finals in 1921 and 1922, the semi-finals in 1923, losing 2–0 to 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...
, and achieved third place in the League in 1920.
Despite his performance, the dominance of 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...
and Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
player Andy Cunningham
Andy Cunningham (footballer)
Andy Cunningham was a Scottish footballer. His position was striker.-Playing career:Born in Galston, Ayrshire, Cunningham began his career with Newmilns FC before moving to Kilmarnock in 1909. After six seasons at Rugby Park he joined Rangers in 1915. He made his Rangers debut on 5 April 1915 in a...
and, later, 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...
's high scoring Andy Wilson meant they were picked for Scotland ahead of Ferguson.
Cardiff City
In 1925, halfway through the season and after scoring his 285th goal for Motherwell, Ferguson departed for South Wales, joining FA Cup Finalists Cardiff CityCardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
for a fee 0f £5,000, just £1,000 less than the record transfer fee at the time. In the previous few seasons, Cardiff had trawled far and wide for talented players and Ferguson was one of a list of notable Scots to wear the blue shirt; Scottish internationals Jimmy Blair and Jimmy Nelson
Jimmy Nelson
Jimmy "T99" Nelson was an American jump blues and rhythm and blues shouter and songwriter. With a recording career that spanned over 50 years, Jimmy "T99" Nelson became a distinguished elder statesman of American music. His best known recordings are "T-99 Blues" and "Meet Me With Your Black Dress...
had both appeared for the club. He a goalscoring debut for the club on 7 November 1925 in a 5–2 win over Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
.
Ferguson's most successful moment in English football occurred when he appeared for Cardiff in the 1927 Cup Final against 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...
. Having scored five times on the way to the final, in the 74th minute, collecting a throw from the right, Ferguson hurried a tame shot toward the Arsenal goal. Dan Lewis
Dan Lewis (footballer)
Daniel "Dan" Lewis was a Welsh football goalkeeper, who is most notable for his time playing for Arsenal. He kept goal for Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final where a mistake by him saw Cardiff City win the cup.-Playing career:...
, the Arsenal goalkeeper, appeared to collect the ball but, under pressure from the advancing Len Davies, clumsily allowed the ball to roll through his grasp; in a desperate attempt to retrieve the ball, Lewis only succeeded in knocking the ball with his elbow into his own net. Ernie Curtis
Ernie Curtis
Ernest Robert "Ernie" Curtis was a Welsh professional footballer. During his career he made over 250 appearances in The Football League and was the youngest ever winner of the FA Cup to that date when he played in the 1927 FA Cup Final for Cardiff City aged 19 years and 317 days.-Club career:A...
, the 19 year old centre-wing said of the goal:
- "I was in line with the edge of the penalty areaPenalty areaThe penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
on the right when Hughie Ferguson hit the shot which Arsenal's goalie ( had crouched down for a little early. The ball spun as it travelled towards him, having taken a slight deflection so he was now slightly out of line with it. Len Davies was following the shot in and I think Dan must have had one eye on him. The result was that he didn't take it cleanly and it squirmed under him and over the line. Len jumped over him and into the net, but never actually touched it."
Ferguson still features on the record books for Cardiff City, having scored five goals in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
fixture with Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
on 1 September 1928 and his 32 goals in all competitions in the 1926–27 season stood until Robert Earnshaw
Robert Earnshaw
Robert Earnshaw is a Welsh footballer who plays for Cardiff City and Wales. He is the only player to have scored a hat-trick in the English Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two , the League Cup, the FA Cup and for his country at International level.Earnshaw was born in Mufulira,...
overtook it in March 2003. He also scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over the Corinthians in the 1927–28 Charity Shield
1927 FA Charity Shield
The 1927 Football Association Charity Shield was played on 12 October 1927. The game was played at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea, and was contested by the FA Cup holders Cardiff City and amateur side Corinthian...
and his two goals won the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
later that same season for Cardiff against Bangor
Bangor F.C.
Bangor Football Club is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1918, hails from Bangor and plays its home matches at Clandeboye Park. Club colours are gold and royal blue...
; but despite a healthy return of 77 goals during his four seasons there his days at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
were numbered.
Dundee
Ferguson returned to Scotland with DundeeDundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
in the following season for a fee of £500, but his days there were desperate; a despondent, demanding crowd seeking from the legendary goalscorer more than he could provide. He scored two goals for Dundee, before being dropped due to injury and a lack of form.
Death
Ferguson sank into depression and on 9 January 1930 committed suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, gassing
Gassing
Gassing can mean:* Emitting gas* Gassing , destructive gas generation in batteries* Gassing , passing newly spun yarn through a flame to remove the loose fibre ends* Harming or killing with gas, see Poison gas...
himself at Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...
after a training session. He was aged 31, and left behind his wife Jessie and two children.
Family
Ferguson's son Jack later went on to represent Britain in water poloWater polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
at the 1952
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
and 1956
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
Olympics.
Career statistics
Motherwell- 1916–17 - 24 League goals;
- 1917–18 - 35
- 1918–19 - 19
- 1919–20 - 33
- 1920–21 - 43
- 1921–22 - 32
- 1922–23 - 30
- 1923–24 - 28
- 1924–25 - 28
- 1925–26 - 12
- Total 284
Cardiff City
- 1925–26 - 19
- 1926–27 - 26
- 1927–28 - 18
- 1928–29 - 14
- Total 77
Dundee
- 1929–30 - 2; 17 appearances
- Total 2
Career
- 1916–17 - 1929–30 363 goals.
Honours
Cardiff City- FA CupFA CupThe 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...
winner: 1
-
- 1927FA Cup Final 1927The 1927 FA Cup Final was won by Cardiff City, who beat Arsenal 1–0. It is most remembered for Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis's mistake which led to the only goal of the game. It was also the first ever Cup Final to be broadcast by BBC Radio...
- FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
winner: 1
- FA Community Shield
- 19271927 FA Charity ShieldThe 1927 Football Association Charity Shield was played on 12 October 1927. The game was played at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea, and was contested by the FA Cup holders Cardiff City and amateur side Corinthian...
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winner: 1
- Welsh Cup
- 1928
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
runner-up: 1
- Welsh Cup
- 1929
- 1927
External links
- Details of the 1927 FA Cup Final
- Photo of Cardiff's Cup-winning side. Ferguson is on the bottom-right.
- Summary of Ferguson's career from the Scotsman