The Great Jimmy Hagan

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I got told by my dad and 2 of his brothers, who saw both Hagan and Currie may times, that there was no doubt in their minds that Jimmy was the better player as far as ball skills, all round ability and audacity was concerned.

I was fortunate to see him play the one time in a testimonial (possibly Cec Coldwell's or Joe Shaw's) when his playing days were behind him and was the manager at West Brom (I think) at the time. The thing that stuck in my mind since then was he received a powerful pass that was about waist height. Jimmy seemed to pluck the ball from the air with an outstretched foot and brought it down under perfect control for him to continue the play almost in one motion.

Whether he was the best or not, he was certainly exceptionally gifted
 

broomhillblade said:
I must have been at that same match since I recall that stroke of magic. Even for Hagan, it was a bit special. As you say, he flicked it forwards over his head from behind, barely checking his stride. He had so many tricks, you never knew what he would do next. I recall one of his regular moves was to receive the ball along the ground, facing his own goal (often with an opposition defender marking him). He would flick the ball up and over his head, spin 180 degrees and then catch it on his foot as it came down, setting off towards goal in one movement, leaving the defender marking fresh air. He was already 30 when I first saw him, and maybe he was beginning to lose a bit of pace by then, so maybe he increasingly used to rely on his amazing ball control and bag of tricks. Once he had the ball under close control it was almost impossible for a defender to take take it off him without committing a foul. Few of todays' players seem to have that skill.
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I tried that once. It didn't work but I pulled off one of the best turns I'd ever done to lose the defender after I'd managed to control my errant overhead attempt. Completely shanked my subsequent shot though...
 
Hodgyman said:
I was fortunate to see him play the one time in a testimonial (possibly Cec Coldwell's or Joe Shaw's) when his playing days were behind him and was the manager at West Brom (I think) at the time.
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Hagan played for us in Joe Shaw's (April 1965) and Graham Shaw's (April 1967) testimonial matches. He played for the All Star X1 team in Cec Coldwell's testimonial match (October 1966)
 
Silent Blade said:
Hagan played for us in Joe Shaw's (April 1965) and Graham Shaw's (April 1967) testimonial matches. He played for the All Star X1 team in Cec Coldwell's testimonial match (October 1966)
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I saw all 3 of those , so must have seen him 3 times then. Not sure which one he did the pulling the ball out of the air trick hence me not being sure which one. I have had a sleep and a good few birthdays since then :)
 
Never saw Jimmy Hagan but to to see threads saying better than TC. Wow must have been some player, saw TC virtually every match my god he was absolutely amazing. Nothing but nothing in current set up comes near. He truly was in my eyes God. No joking I would not swap for anyone currently playing, how daft is that.
 
coolasanidiot said:
Never saw Jimmy Hagan but to to see threads saying better than TC. Wow must have been some player, saw TC virtually every match my god he was absolutely amazing. Nothing but nothing in current set up comes near. He truly was in my eyes God. No joking I would not swap for anyone currently playing, how daft is that.
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Not daft just a fact.
 
I think I accept Hagan was better than Woodward who was better than Currie anyway.:)
 
Silent Blade said:
Hagan played for us in Joe Shaw's (April 1965) and Graham Shaw's (April 1967) testimonial matches. He played for the All Star X1 team in Cec Coldwell's testimonial match (October 1966)
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My Dad gave up a night in the pub to take me to that Cec testimonial just to see his favourite player once more, bit of a tear in his eye. I'd been going with my mates for a while living nearby and that was only the second time he ever took me.
 
coolasanidiot said:
Never saw Jimmy Hagan but to to see threads saying better than TC. Wow must have been some player, saw TC virtually every match my god he was absolutely amazing. Nothing but nothing in current set up comes near. He truly was in my eyes God. No joking I would not swap for anyone currently playing, how daft is that.
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I've no doubt about Hagan being a great player,from what my Dad and other people have told me,but I've also always thought that he must have been some player to be better than Currie..Even if he was the better of the 2,there can't be much in it.
Different players in different eras...Jimmy an inside forward in a 235 formation,TC a central midfielder in a 424,but years apart...it's hard to compare,the game changed a lot between the times they both played and it's different again now...i wish i had seen Jimmy play,but was lucky enough to see Currie...feel sorry for anybody who saw neither,and I don't see any current English players anywhere near.
 
broomhillblade said:
Just found this picture. Taken from a 1950s football annual.
Jimmy Hagan coaching at King Ted's School. Maybe he was doing his coaching badge at the time, or maybe it was just a PR stunt.

The big question is can anyone recognise any of the pupils?View attachment 28945

(I'm an ex High Storrs boy myself).
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Did not aspire to such heights.

Went to Rowlinson Technical Secondary school at Meadowhead after leaving Carfield.

UTB
 
broomhillblade said:
Just found this picture. Taken from a 1950s football annual.
Jimmy Hagan coaching at King Ted's School. Maybe he was doing his coaching badge at the time, or maybe it was just a PR stunt.

The big question is can anyone recognise any of the pupils?View attachment 28945

(I'm an ex High Storrs boy myself).
Click to expand...

Just showed the pic to young Mr Hagan. He said without a beat that he wouldn't be in the picture as he remembers the day and he "played wag"
His words, not mine.
 
broomhillblade said:
Just found this picture. Taken from a 1950s football annual.
Jimmy Hagan coaching at King Ted's School. Maybe he was doing his coaching badge at the time, or maybe it was just a PR stunt.

The big question is can anyone recognise any of the pupils?View attachment 28945

(I'm an ex High Storrs boy myself).
Click to expand...
As Sherburn Blade says, I should have been there but wasn't. !! Too embarrassed to take flack from my mates. Albert Quixall was also there representing the others. I knew about this for weeks in advance and planned my escape !!
 

I can add to the list of those whose dad was a Hagan admirer. I saw only the latter years of his career, and remember his skills, but was not old enough to judge his overall contribution. One anecdote I can add which suggests how highly he was regarded: when I was 6 or 7, I was given a red-and-White shirt and a size 4 case-ball. With several pals I used to go to the local park regularly, wearing the shirt and carrying the ball, and the local Bobby on the beat (they existed!) always used to greet me with 'Na then, 'Agan ... ' Hagan was such an icon that his name meant Blade or footballer. I can't think of another United player whose name would have been used in such a way. Incidentally, the policeman was not a Unitedite.
 
broomhillblade said:
Just found this picture. Taken from a 1950s football annual.
Jimmy Hagan coaching at King Ted's School. Maybe he was doing his coaching badge at the time, or maybe it was just a PR stunt.

The big question is can anyone recognise any of the pupils?View attachment 28945

(I'm an ex High Storrs boy myself).
Click to expand...
I can tell you one person who won't be in the image... Alpine Blade stayed as far away as possible when Jimmy Hagan came to his school!
 
Just to add to the "best of...." comments, my dad (attended BDTBL 1943 to ~2008) considered Sir James to be, without doubt, the best footballer he had ever seen in real life action - and he had seen a lot of football.

Incidentally, the picture of training the King Teds boys appears to have been taken at their old Whiteley Woods playing fields. unless anyone knows different?
 
3-GBlade said:
Just to add to the "best of...." comments, my dad (attended BDTBL 1943 to ~2008) considered Sir James to be, without doubt, the best footballer he had ever seen in real life action - and he had seen a lot of football.

Incidentally, the picture of training the King Teds boys appears to have been taken at their old Whiteley Woods playing fields. unless anyone knows different?
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Looks like Whitely Woods. The only doubt is that it is not covered in 3 feet of mud.
 
Happy Birthday Mr Hagan.

Your club is in good hands and fine spirits...

...but yours were truly Magic Days.
 
Is there any reason why Jimmy’s statue is stuck inside Legends of the Lane and not in the car park?

As TC was officially voted our greatest ever player and Jimmy was felt by everybody that saw both to be better, maybe there should be a matching one of TC and they could be put in the car park together - or by the new entrance if our future development loses the car park!

Anyway, let’s get Jimmy out in the open where he belongs.
 
Hagan's testimonial in 1958

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It's remarkable that, more than 60 years on, we're still talking about Jimmy Hagan.

I wonder who (if anyone) will be fondly remembered, 60 years from now. Will football, as we know it, still exist, other than as a video game?
 

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