Johnny Hancocks
Encyclopedia
Johnny Hancocks was an English
footballer
, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers
.
of the Third Division South and played a full season of league football there.
The outbreak of World War II
halted his football career, as he joined the army in 1940 and became a physical training instructor. He did, however, manage to make several appearances for the army in representative games and also guested for Wrexham and Shrewsbury Town
.
With the resumption of league football, Hancocks was signed by First Division
side Wolverhampton Wanderers
on 11 May 1946 for £4,000, making his debut on August 31, 1946 in a 6-1 thrashing of Arsenal
. He claimed his first goal for the club in another 6-1 victory on 12 October, against Huddersfield Town, and added 9 more in his debut season. The following season he was even more prolific, finishing as joint top scorer (alongside Jesse Pye
) with 16.
Such form won him a call-up to the England team
. He made his international debut on 2 December 1948 in a 6-0 hammering of Switzerland
at Highbury
, during which Hancocks scored twice. Despite his goalscoring debut, the likes of Stanley Matthews
and Tom Finney
saw him overlooked until October 1949 for his next cap (vs Wales
), and he subsequently managed only one more cap (vs Yugoslavia
in November 1950).
Although international acclaim eluded him, Hancocks enjoyed success at club level as his goals helped fire Wolves to their first league title in 1953/54
. He also collected an FA Cup
winners medal in 1949, playing in the 3-1 final win
over Leicester City
, and later scored in the subsequent Charity Shield
draw with Portsmouth
.
He finished as top goalscorer for the club in the 1954/55
and 1955/56
seasons. In total, Hancocks scored 168 goals for Wolves in 378 appearances, making him the fourth highest goalscorer in the club's history. His tally of 158 top-flight goals is still a club record.
Despite his goals, he fell out of favour with manager Stan Cullis
, and after the signing of Harry Hooper in 1956, he was relegated to the reserves. After a season out in the cold, he left the Molineux
club to become player/manager of non-league Wellington Town
in 1957.
He took up the managerial reins in September 1959, and left the club later that year. He finished the 1959/60 season
with Cambridge United
. The following season he spent spells at Oswestry Town then GKN Sankeys, before retiring in 1961, aged 42.
After his playing career ended, he worked at the Ironfounders Maddock & Sons in his native Oakengates
, until taking retirement on his 60th birthday in 1979. He died on February 19, 1994 aged 74.
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...
footballer
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...
, most associated with 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...
.
Career
A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15. In October 1938, he turned professional with WalsallWalsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
of the Third Division South and played a full season of league football there.
The outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
halted his football career, as he joined the army in 1940 and became a physical training instructor. He did, however, manage to make several appearances for the army in representative games and also guested for Wrexham and 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...
.
With the resumption of league football, Hancocks was signed by 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....
side 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...
on 11 May 1946 for £4,000, making his debut on August 31, 1946 in a 6-1 thrashing of 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...
. He claimed his first goal for the club in another 6-1 victory on 12 October, against Huddersfield Town, and added 9 more in his debut season. The following season he was even more prolific, finishing as joint top scorer (alongside Jesse Pye
Jesse Pye
Jesse Pye was an English footballer. He played in the Football League for , and and scored twice in the 1949 FA Cup Final for the former....
) with 16.
Such form won him a call-up to the England team
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...
. He made his international debut on 2 December 1948 in a 6-0 hammering of Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
, during which Hancocks scored twice. Despite his goalscoring debut, the likes of Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
and Tom Finney
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....
saw him overlooked until October 1949 for his next cap (vs Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
), and he subsequently managed only one more cap (vs Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
in November 1950).
Although international acclaim eluded him, Hancocks enjoyed success at club level as his goals helped fire Wolves to their first league title in 1953/54
1953-54 in English football
The 1953–54 season was the 74th season of competitive football in England.-National team:The Marvellous Magyars shocked football by defeating England 6–3 at Wembley Stadium.-Honours:...
. He also collected an 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...
winners medal in 1949, playing in the 3-1 final win
1949 FA Cup Final
The 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second...
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...
, and later scored in the subsequent Charity Shield
1949 FA Charity Shield
The 1949 FA Charity Shield was the 27th FA Charity Shield, a pre-season exhibition football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. The match took place at Highbury, London, between the league champions Portsmouth and FA Cup winners Wolverhampton Wanderers...
draw with Portsmouth
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...
.
He finished as top goalscorer for the club in the 1954/55
1954-55 in English football
The 1954–1955 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955:-Overview:* Chelsea win the League Championship for the first time.* Newcastle United win the FA Cup....
and 1955/56
1955-56 in English football
The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. The First Division was won by Manchester United, the fourth time they had won that particular accolade.-Awards:Football Writers' Association...
seasons. In total, Hancocks scored 168 goals for Wolves in 378 appearances, making him the fourth highest goalscorer in the club's history. His tally of 158 top-flight goals is still a club record.
Despite his goals, he fell out of favour with manager Stan Cullis
Stan Cullis
Stanley Cullis was a professional footballer and manager, most notably for Wolverhampton Wanderers. During his term as manager between 1948 and 1964 Wolves became one of the strongest teams in the British game, winning the league title on three occasions, and playing a series of high-profile...
, and after the signing of Harry Hooper in 1956, he was relegated to the reserves. After a season out in the cold, he left the Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
club to become player/manager of non-league Wellington Town
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
in 1957.
He took up the managerial reins in September 1959, and left the club later that year. He finished the 1959/60 season
1959-60 in English football
The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First...
with Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
. The following season he spent spells at Oswestry Town then GKN Sankeys, before retiring in 1961, aged 42.
After his playing career ended, he worked at the Ironfounders Maddock & Sons in his native Oakengates
Oakengates
Oakengates is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, and now forms part of the new town of Telford...
, until taking retirement on his 60th birthday in 1979. He died on February 19, 1994 aged 74.
Honours
- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe 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....
- Champions: 1953–54
- Runners-up: 1949–50, 1954–55
- 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...
- Winners: 19491949 FA Cup FinalThe 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second...
- Winners: 1949
- FA Charity 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...
- Shared: 19491949 FA Charity ShieldThe 1949 FA Charity Shield was the 27th FA Charity Shield, a pre-season exhibition football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. The match took place at Highbury, London, between the league champions Portsmouth and FA Cup winners Wolverhampton Wanderers...
- Shared: 1949