Alan Hardaker facts for kids

Alan Hardaker OBE (born July 29, 1912 – died March 4, 1980) was a very important person in English football. He worked as a top administrator for the Football League. Before that, he was a Royal Navy officer during World War II. He also played football as an amateur. Alan was born in Hull, England.

Early Life and Football

Alan Hardaker started school at Constable Street Elementary School in Hull. He won a scholarship to Riley High School. He learned typing and shorthand there. After school, he first worked in his family's moving business. But in 1929, his father fired him for playing dominoes instead of working!

Luckily, Alan quickly found a job. He became an office junior at the Hull Guildhall. This was the main city office.

He met Irene Mundy when he was 17. They got married eight years later. They had four daughters and many grandchildren.

Playing Football

Alan started playing football at High School. He joined the Guildhall team, Municipal Sports FC. Once, he was sent off (given a red card) for reacting badly to another player.

He played as a centre forward and scored 100 goals in three seasons. He always said his teammates helped him score so many goals.

Later, he played for Beverley White Star. Then, Hull City invited him to play for their reserve team. By this time, he had changed his position to full back. He played regularly for Hull City's reserve team for three seasons.

In 1935, Alan was the captain of the East Riding County FA team. They won the Northern Counties Amateur Championship.

In 1936, Hull City offered him a professional contract. But Alan turned it down. He was 23 and had become the Lord Mayor's secretary at the Guildhall. He was released by Hull City later that year. He then played for Bridlington Central United and Yorkshire Amateur Football Club.

World War II Service

In 1939, World War II was about to begin. This stopped Alan's football and office career. As the Lord Mayor's secretary, he helped set up the Humber Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR).

He joined the RNVR on June 12, 1939. He started as a lieutenant on the ship HMS Calcutta. After the war began, he moved to HMS Newcastle. This ship was based at Scapa Flow. He helped protect Allied ships from German attacks.

In 1942, he became a lieutenant commander. He moved to HMS Marlborough, a training ship. Later, he was sent to Australia. He worked as a supply officer at HMS Alert in Sydney. In December 1944, he moved to HMS Golden Hind, another naval base in Sydney.

While in Australia, Alan found time to play football again. He captained the Royal Navy football team for one season. He stayed in Australia until the war ended. At 34, he decided to stop playing football.

Career in Football Administration

After the war, Alan returned to Great Britain. He worked temporarily at the Guildhall again. He wanted his old job back as Lord Mayor's secretary, but it was taken. So, he applied for the same job in Portsmouth and got it. He and his family moved there in August 1946.

Joining the Football League

In 1951, Portsmouth manager Bob Jackson suggested Alan apply for a job at the Football League. The League secretary, Fred Howarth, was thinking of retiring. Alan applied and was one of six people chosen from 410 applicants.

On May 1, 1951, Alan accepted the job. He was to replace Howarth, but it took over five years for Howarth to actually retire. During this time, Alan worked in a junior role with a lower salary. He felt let down by the League President at the time.

On July 5, 1955, Alan was confirmed as assistant secretary. He had used the time to read every document about the League since 1888. This made him very prepared for the top job.

On New Year's Eve 1956, Fred Howarth finally left. On January 6, 1957, Alan Hardaker became the new Football League secretary.

Leading the Football League

Two years after Alan became secretary, the Football League headquarters moved. The old office was just a converted house. The new League President asked Alan to find better offices.

They chose the former Sandown Hotel in Lytham St Annes. It cost £11,000. Alan was very involved in renovating the building. It cost £40,000 to make it suitable.

When Alan first joined the League, there were only six full-time employees. By 1977, there were 25! Alan had the full trust of the League's Management Committee. They gave him a lot of power to make decisions on his own. Some club officials called him "arrogant" or a "dictator." But Alan said his main goal was always to help the League succeed.

Important Changes

After the Copyright Act 1956 was passed, Alan had an idea. He suggested that the League's fixture lists (game schedules) should be copyrighted. This meant companies like football pools promoters would have to pay to use them.

In 1959, the League won a test case against Littlewoods Pools. This meant clubs would get money from pools companies.

Alan also spoke to members of Parliament about player wages. Jimmy Hill, a former player, led a campaign to remove the maximum wage for footballers. In 1961, players won the right to earn more. However, clubs could still keep players even after their contracts ended.

In 1963, a player named George Eastham went to court. He wanted to move clubs after his contract ended. Alan Hardaker had to give evidence. Even though he argued for the old contract system, the League lost the case. After this, players could move more easily between clubs.

The League Cup

Alan helped design the "Pattern of Football" in 1957. This plan would have increased the number of League clubs to 100. It aimed to reduce the number of games in a season. This would also make room for new competitions, like the Football League Cup. This cup competition started in the 1960–61 season. However, the clubs voted against Alan's plan.

Many people say the League Cup was Alan Hardaker's idea. But in his book, he gave credit to Stanley Rous, who was the FA secretary. Rous had an idea for a knockout competition for teams knocked out of the FA Cup early. This idea, along with the Scottish League Cup, inspired Alan to create the English League Cup.

When the League Cup was first announced, the newspapers were not kind. Alan admitted that clubs also criticized it. Some big clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur refused to play in the first season.

But then, TV contracts were signed for the 1961–62 competition. The money from TV helped persuade many clubs to join. Also, the winner of the League Cup would get a place in a European competition. Playing the final at Wembley was also a big draw. By 1967, all clubs were taking part.

Alan Hardaker famously said: "The FA Cup is football's Ascot, the League Cup its equivalent of Derby Day at Epsom".

Other Events

In 1965, the FA asked clubs to sign declarations about payments to amateur players. Alan advised the League clubs to resign from the FA. This was to force the FA to back down. Most clubs handed in their resignations. After a meeting, the FA withdrew their demand for professional clubs.

In 1970, some club chairmen wanted the Football League to handle its own discipline. Alan pointed out a rule that allowed separate administration for amateur and professional clubs. This meant the League could control its own affairs. Although the rule wasn't fully used, the League gained many benefits from the FA.

Alan was also involved in other important moments. In 1969, he commented on pensions for older professional players.

At the start of the 1971–72 season, referees were told to be stricter. But the League forgot to tell the media or the clubs. This caused confusion when many players were cautioned or sent off.

In 1973, there was a disagreement over TV fees for a football match. League clubs threatened to withdraw from the FA Cup. But the issue was resolved.

Television companies tried to get contracts to show live football matches. This never happened during Alan's lifetime. He believed that "regular live football would undermine the game's health." Before the 1974–75 season, there was a chance no League highlights would be on TV. The League chairmen initially rejected a three-year deal. But after long talks, they accepted the offer.

In 1976, there was a problem with the player registration of George Best. He transferred from the US to Fulham. Alan acted to protect the interests of all Football League clubs.

Honours and Later Years

On June 12, 1971, Alan Hardaker was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for his great service to the League.

In 1977, Alan published his autobiography, Hardaker of the League. He wrote it with Bryon Butler, a BBC Radio football reporter. In 1979, he became the director general of the Football League. He continued to work there until he died suddenly from a heart attack in 1980.

The Alan Hardaker Trophy was created in 1990. It is given to the "man of the match" at each Football League Cup Final. Alan's great-grandson, Tom Coyle, presented the trophy at the 2004 Final.

In 2011, actor Neil Dudgeon played Alan Hardaker in United. This was a BBC TV drama about the 1958 Munich air disaster.