Gerry Hitchens facts for kids
Hitchens in 1960
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gerald Archibald Hitchens | ||
| Date of birth | 8 October 1934 | ||
| Place of birth | Rawnsley, Staffordshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 13 April 1983 (aged 48) | ||
| Place of death | Hope, Clwyd, Wales | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1952–1953 | Highley Miners Welfare | ||
| 1953–1955 | Kidderminster Harriers | 14 | (6) |
| 1955–1957 | Cardiff City | 95 | (40) |
| 1957–1961 | Aston Villa | 132 | (78) |
| 1961–1962 | Inter Milan | 39 | (17) |
| 1962–1965 | Torino | 89 | (28) |
| 1965–1967 | Atalanta | 58 | (10) |
| 1967 | → Chicago Mustangs (loan) | (1) | |
| 1967–1969 | Cagliari | 19 | (4) |
| 1969–1971 | Worcester City | 51 | (25) |
| 1971 | Merthyr Tydfil | 6 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1961–1962 | England | 7 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gerald Archibald Hitchens (born 8 October 1934 – died 13 April 1983) was a talented English footballer. He played as a centre forward, which means he was usually the main goal scorer for his team. Gerry was known for his powerful shots and ability to score many goals.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Gerry Hitchens was born in a small village called Rawnsley, Staffordshire, near Cannock, England. Before becoming a professional footballer, he worked as a coal miner.
He started playing football for local teams in Shropshire. From 1952 to 1953, he played for Highley Youth Club and Highley Miners Welfare. He even played in a county cup final for the Miners team.
During this final, a scout from Kidderminster Harriers noticed his skills. In September 1953, Gerry was offered a contract to play for Kidderminster Harriers. After playing for their reserve team for a while, he joined the first team. He played 14 games and scored 6 goals for them.
Becoming a Professional Player
Gerry's talent quickly caught the eye of bigger clubs. In January 1955, he joined Cardiff City for £1,500. He made a fantastic start, scoring a goal just three minutes into his first game! This was against Wolverhampton Wanderers in April 1955.
He soon became Cardiff City's main centre-forward. He was the top goal scorer for the team in the next two seasons.
In 1957, Aston Villa bought Gerry for £22,500. He spent four successful seasons with Aston Villa. During his time there, he scored an amazing 96 goals in 160 games.
Playing for England
Gerry's great performances led to him being called up for the England national team. He made his debut in 1961 and scored a goal after only 90 seconds! This was in a huge 8–0 win against Mexico.
Just two weeks later, he scored two more goals for England. This time, it was in a famous 3–2 victory against Italy in Rome.
His impressive skills caught the attention of Inter Milan, a top club in Italy. They signed him in the summer of 1961 for £85,000.
Adventures in Italy
Moving to Italy was a big step for Gerry. In his first season with Inter Milan, he was their top scorer with 16 goals.
He also played for England in the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. In total, he played 7 games for England and scored 5 goals. When he played for England in the World Cup, he made history. He was the first Englishman to represent his country while playing for a club outside of England.
In 1963, Inter Milan won the Serie A title, which is the top football league in Italy. This made Gerry the second Englishman ever to win the Italian league. The first was Jimmy Greaves, and no other Englishman won it until Ashley Young in 2021.
However, when Alf Ramsey became the manager of the England team, Gerry's international career ended. Ramsey preferred to pick players who played for clubs in England.
Despite this, Gerry stayed in Italy for nine years. He also played for other Italian clubs like Torino, Atalanta, and Cagliari.
Later Career and Legacy
After retiring from professional football in 1971, Gerry continued to play for non-league teams. He played for Worcester City and Merthyr Tydfil.
Later, he moved to Wales and managed an ironworks business. He then moved to Holywell, Flintshire, in 1977 to help run a timber supply company.
Gerry Hitchens sadly passed away in 1983 while playing in a charity football match. He was 48 years old. He is remembered as a powerful centre-forward who achieved success both in England and Italy.
Honours
Gerry Hitchens won several important titles during his career:
Cardiff City
- Welsh Cup: 1955–56
Aston Villa
- Second Division: 1959–60
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 1962–63
Torino
- Coppa Italia runner-up: 1962–63, 1963–64
