Stan Hanson was an English footballer who played for 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....

 for his whole professional career.

Starting off as an amateur with Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 and Southport

Southport F.C.

Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...

 he turned down Aston Villa

Aston Villa F.C.

Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 to sign professional forms for Bolton in October 1935.

He did not make the goalkeepers shirt his own until the 1938-39 season

1938-39 in English football

The 1938–39 season was the 64th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...

 and then his career was interrupted by the Second World War

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...

, where he saw service in the Royal Artillery

Royal Artillery

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...

.

He returned to top flight football

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....

 and stayed playing with Bolton until he was nearly 40. He was Bolton's keeper in the Matthews' Cup Final. When he retired from football he stayed with the club as coach of the reserve side as well as running the post office near Burnden Park

Burnden Park

Burnden Park was the home of English FA Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers who played home games here between 1895 and 1997. As well as hosting an FA Cup Final replay it was the scene of one of the greatest disasters in English football and the subject of an L. S...

.

Stan Hanson had a brother, Alf Hanson

Alf Hanson

Adolph Jonathan "Alf" Hanson , son of a Norwegian mariner, was a football player for Liverpool and Chelsea, South Liverpool, Shelbourne, Ellesmere Port Town and Tranmere Rovers.-Life and playing career:...

, who also played for Liverpool as well as 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...

.

Further reading

• Ponting, Ivan & Hugman, Barry. "The Concise Post War History of Bolton Wanderers". Repvern Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-869833-27-9