Harry Hubbick

Henry (Harry) Hubbick was born in Jarrow on 12th November 1910. After leaving school he worked as a coalminer. He also played football for Blyth Spartans and Spennymour United before signing for Burnley in 1935. After playing 58 games for the club he joined Bolton Wanderers in 1936. Bolton struggled in the 1936-37 season and finished in 20th place. The following season they did much better and ended up in 7th position. During this period the team included Harry Goslin, Jackie Roberts, Albert Geldard, Don Howe, Ray Westwood, Jack Atkinson, Tom Woodward and George Eastham.

On 15th March, 1939, Adolf Hitler ordered the German Army to invade Czechoslovakia. It seemed that war was inevitable. On 8th April, Bolton Wanderers played a home game against Sunderland. Before the game started, Harry Goslin, the team captain, spoke to the crowd: "We are facing a national emergency. But this danger can be met, if everybody keeps a cool head, and knows what to do. This is something you can't leave to the other fellow, everybody has a share to do."

Of the 35 players on the staff of Bolton Wanderers, 32 joined the armed services and the other three went into the coal mines and munitions. This included Harry Hubbick, who resumed his career down the pits. A total of 17 players, including Harry Goslin, Danny Winter, Billy Ithell, Albert Geldard, Tommy Sinclair, Don Howe, Ray Westwood, Ernie Forrest, Jackie Roberts, Jack Hurst and Stan Hanson, joined the 53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment.

The government imposed a fifty mile travelling limit and the Football League divided all the clubs into seven regional areas where games could take place. Bolton Wanderers was put in the North-East League. The team included those players like Harry Hubbick, Jack Atkinson and George Hunt, who had been employed on the home front. Walter Sidebottom, a teenager who only got in the first-team at the end of the 1938-39 season emerged as a player with a very bright future. In the 1939-40 season Bolton won 13 out of their 22 games and finished in 4th place in the North-East League.

The 53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment spent the rest of 1940 and the whole of 1941 at various army camps around Britain. According to the authors of Wartime Wanderers: They spent their time "building coastal defence constructions, manning anti-aircraft batteries and patrolling potential enemy landing sites all along the East Anglia coastline, variously stationed at Beccles, Nancton and Holt." This enabled them to play the occasional game for Bolton Wanderers in the North-East League. The team that year included Harry Hubbick, Jack Atkinson, George Hunt, Danny Winter, Billy Ithell, Walter Sidebottom, Albert Geldard, Tommy Sinclair, Don Howe, Ray Westwood, Ernie Forrest, Jackie Roberts, Jack Hurst and Stan Hanson.

On 22nd March 1941, George Hunt, the club's leading scorer for the last two seasons, was moved to right-half and replaced at centre-forward by the 15 year-old Nat Lofthouse. Bolton won the game 5-1 with Lofthouse scoring two of the goals. Lofthouse immediately formed a good relationship with his inside-forward, Walter Sidebottom. In the first six games together they scored 10 goals between them.

Walter Rowley became manager on the retirement of Charles Foweraker in August 1944. Rowley was able to make use of players who had returned to England after military victories in North Africa and Italy. The team that season included Harry Hubbick, Nat Lofthouse, George Hunt, Jack Hurst, Tommy Sinclair, Willie Moir, Malcolm Barras, Albert Geldard, Jack Atkinson, Stan Hanson, Ray Westwood, Tom Woodward, Jackie Roberts, Don Howe and Ernie Forrest. With the death of Harry Goslin, Hubbick was made club captain.

In the first round of the Football League War Cup (North) Bolton beat Accrington Stanley 4-1 with Nat Lofthouse scoring two of the goals. Lofthouse went on to score a hat-trick against Blackpool. This was followed by victories over Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers to reach the final against Manchester United. Over two legs Bolton won 3-2. On 2nd June 1945, Bolton beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Cup Winners Cup.

Bolton finished in 15th place in the North League 1944-45 season. The leading scorers were Nat Lofthouse (21), Willie Moir (9), Malcolm Barras (7) and George Hunt (6).

After playing 131 games for Bolton Wanderers Hubbick joined Port Vale in 1947. He also played for Rochdale (1948-50).

Harry Hubbick died in 1992.