Gerry Hitchens
Gerald Archibald " Gerry " Hitchens ( born October 8, 1934 in Rawnsley, † April 13, 1983 in Hope ) was an English footballer. The center forward and World Cup qualifiers in 1962 celebrated first at Cardiff City and Aston Villa sporting breakthrough before he continued his career in the 1960s in Italy's top league.
Sports career
Hitchens was near Cannock Chase in Rawnsley - located in the central English county of Staffordshire - born. The road to professional football was for him to start slow when he hired himself out at a young age as a miner and for the factory team Highley Miners Welfare went parallel in close gegelenen Shropshire hunting for goals. There he was in a regional cup final by Ted Gamson, the club secretary of the Kidderminster Harriers from the Southern League discovered. In September 1953 there Hitchens signed a professional contract and after first appearances in the reserve team, he scored in the 1954/55 season until January 1955 eleven goals. Thus he awakened desires in clubs from the English top flight and the choice was there on the Welsh capital Cardiff City. The transfer fee was 1500 pounds and Cardiff had received in preference to those also interested West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa. In the " Bluebirds " Hitchens is developed in the following two and a half years, one of the best strikers of the First Division. He acted mostly in the penalty area and preferred occasionally in offensive actions the way through on the left. Although in the season he hit 1956/57, 21 times, this was not enough to stave off relegation in the second division. Six months later, Aston Villa renewed his interest in signing and Hitchens joined in December 1957 for 22,500 pounds to Birmingham.
After his debut for Aston Villa on December 21, 1957 against local rivals Birmingham City ( 0-2) on Boxing Day, he scored against Arsenal (3-0) the first goal for his new club and two more hits for 2: 1 against Everton a year ago. He played rapidly in the basic formation of the "Villans ", but the following season 1958/59 was enough again to its high yield of 16 hits, but not to prevent relegation from the first division. However, DC the following year and failed to re-emergence and Hitchens helped 23 Goals -. Including five goals to 11:1 against Charlton Athletic on November 14, 1959 The following year, Hitchens exceeded its quota again and after 29 matches, the decisive factor for the league were, he came in May 1961 the first international appearances for England.
Already against Mexico ( 8-0 ) on his debut, he scored in the second minute the first goal and his second appearance a fortnight later against Italy in Rome was a landmark in several respects. For 3-2 victory Prestige Hitchens contributed two goals, which he attracted the interest of Inter Milan on itself. For the 1961/62 season top British player in Italy were very popular and in addition to Hitchens, who eventually for 85,000 pounds " Inter " changed, beat Jimmy Greaves (for AC Milan ), Denis Law and Joe Baker (both for AC Torino ) a similar path one. Because of his impending switch Hitchens was missing at Aston Villa in the League Cup final, which was indeed played in the course of the season 1960/61, but not until the end of August / beginning of September 1961 his degree was ( Hitchens had before in ten league cup tournaments eleven goals ), In the 1961/62 season Hitchens scored 16 goals for Inter, was thus the third top scorer in the Serie A (together with Angelo Sormani ) and also won the Italian runner. Then it was time for him with the England team for the 1962 World Cup in Chile. He played two games, both of which ended in defeat - both the first appearance against Hungary (1:2 ) and the Viertelfinalaus against world champions Brazil (1:3), in which he had provided for the temporary equalizer at 1-1. That Hitchens then took no further consideration in the " Three Lions ", was that Alf Ramsey took over the care of the national team and put no value on players going about their profession abroad.
Hitchens remained in the further course of the 1960s, a fixture in the Italian league football, although the title stayed away. For winning the championship in 1963 by Inter, he contributed only marginally, because after just five league games early in the season, he had moved on to Serie A rivals AC Torino. Reason for this was that coach Helenio Herrera preferred the young Sandro Mazzola him. In exchange, Beniamino Di Giacomo went to Milan. During his time in Italy Hitchens was due to the reddish- blond hair, which clearly stood out on the field between the dark-haired Italians, the epithets Panocchia, " corncob ", and pel di carota, " Schopf carrots ". In Turin he had only a short time to take the fans for itself. This was technically not necessarily the most accomplished players thanks to its "English" style of play, his combat power, its dynamism, its passion for gambling. The young players of AC was the former miners as a model.
Under the 1963 by AC Milan to Turin exchanged coach Nereo Rocco, he remained for two years until the end of season 1964/65, the AC Torino finished in third place in Serie A - after three lean years, once again ahead of local rivals Juventus. In Europe Cup Winners' Cup, the defeated Coppa Italia finalist last year reached the semifinals; only in a play had to bend the TSV 1860 Munich Turin.
Hitchens moved to the successful season at Atalanta, no longer reached with his new club but as number 11 in the season 1966 /67. He then moved again and joined Cagliari Calcio at. When the sardines he played next to " Gigi" Riva, who had become 1967 top scorer of the Serie A. Hitchens left the club before the season 1969/70, in which this is the only time won the Italian championship. After just two league inserts in the season 1968/69 he returned to the British Isles, where he became in the Southern League in Worcester City and at the beginning of the 1970s in Wales at Merthyr Tydfil retires trailed off.
After the retirement he moved permanently over to Wales to initially work in Pontypridd. In 1977 he moved to Holywell in Flintshire, where he took over in nearby Prestatyn for the wood-processing company of his brother- management. Tragedy struck his early death at the age of only 48 years. During a charity football match in Hope he suddenly collapsed and after admission to a hospital Wrexhamer only death could be determined.
Title / Awards
- Welsh Cup ( 1): 1956