Kevin Hitchcock
Encyclopedia
Kevin Hitchcock is an English former football goalkeeper who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League
and Premier League playing for Mansfield Town
, Chelsea
and Northampton Town
.
, London
, and played non-league football
for Barking
before joining Nottingham Forest
in 1983 for a fee of £15,000. He spent time on loan to Mansfield Town
in 1984, and joined the club for a fee of £140,000 at the end of the 1983–84 season without having played for Forest's first team. He stayed with Mansfield for four seasons, helping the club to promotion
from the Fourth Division
in 1986, and played a major part in their 1987 Football League Trophy
victory against Bristol City
, saving two penalties in the shootout.
Hitchcock joined Chelsea
for £250,000 in March 1988, and made his debut on 26 March in a 1–0 defeat to Southampton
. He remained at Chelsea until 2001 and made 96 league appearances, 4 of which were from the bench. Bad luck with injuries left him stuck behind numerous other goalkeepers in the pecking order which was one of the main reasons for him making so few appearances in all that time at the club. He left Chelsea in 2001 to take up the post of goalkeeping coach at Watford
, who had just appointed Gianluca Vialli
, late of Chelsea, as their new manager. He left Watford in 2004 to link up with former Chelsea team-mate Mark Hughes
at Blackburn Rovers
, following him to Manchester City
in 2008. On December 19, 2009, he left the club alongside Mark Hughes
In March 2010, he was appointed goalkeeping coach at West Ham United, replacing Luděk Mikloško
, but as of June 2010 he left the club along with Steve Clarke
. In August 2010 he was appointed Fulham
's primary goalkeeping coach and he left Fulham in June 2011 with the arrival of new Fulham manager Martin Jol
, who appointed Hans Segers
as his new goalkeeping coach.
. His name is Tom Hitchcock
.
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...
and Premier League playing for Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
.
Career
Hitchcock was born in Canning TownCanning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
, 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...
, and played non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
for Barking
Barking F.C.
Barking Football Club is am English football club based in Barking, Greater London. The club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at Mayesbrook Park in Dagenham.-History:...
before joining Nottingham Forest
Nottingham 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 1983 for a fee of £15,000. He spent time on loan to Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
in 1984, and joined the club for a fee of £140,000 at the end of the 1983–84 season without having played for Forest's first team. He stayed with Mansfield for four seasons, helping the club to promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
in 1986, and played a major part in their 1987 Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
victory against Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, saving two penalties in the shootout.
Hitchcock joined Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
for £250,000 in March 1988, and made his debut on 26 March in a 1–0 defeat to 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...
. He remained at Chelsea until 2001 and made 96 league appearances, 4 of which were from the bench. Bad luck with injuries left him stuck behind numerous other goalkeepers in the pecking order which was one of the main reasons for him making so few appearances in all that time at the club. He left Chelsea in 2001 to take up the post of goalkeeping coach 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...
, who had just appointed Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia....
, late of Chelsea, as their new manager. He left Watford in 2004 to link up with former Chelsea team-mate Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
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....
, following him to Manchester City
Manchester 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...
in 2008. On December 19, 2009, he left the club alongside Mark Hughes
In March 2010, he was appointed goalkeeping coach at West Ham United, replacing Luděk Mikloško
Ludek Mikloško
Luděk "Ludo" Mikloško is a Czech retired football goalkeeper.-Career:Mikloško started his career in his native Czechoslovakia with Baník Ostrava...
, but as of June 2010 he left the club along with Steve Clarke
Steve Clarke
Stephen "Steve" Clarke is a Scottish association football player and coach, currently the assistant manager at Liverpool. He played for St. Mirren, Chelsea and Scotland, winning three major trophies with Chelsea towards the end of his career...
. In August 2010 he was appointed 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...
's primary goalkeeping coach and he left Fulham in June 2011 with the arrival of new Fulham manager Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
, who appointed Hans Segers
Hans Segers
Johannes Segers is a Dutch goalkeeper, who spent most of his playing career in England.-Career:Segers was born in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant. His early career was with home-town club PSV Eindhoven, before being signed for Nottingham Forest by Brian Clough during the 1983-84 season...
as his new goalkeeping coach.
Personal life
Hitchcock has a son, who plays as a forward at Blackburn RoversBlackburn 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....
. His name is Tom Hitchcock
Tom Hitchcock
Thomas Joseph Hitchcock is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Blackburn Rovers.-Football career:Hitchcock progressed through the youth system at Rovers academy after joining in 2007, the club recommended to him by his father, who was then goalkeeping coach at the club Kevin...
.