Ken Hancock

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Ken Hancock
Personal information
Full name Kenneth Paul Hancock [1]
Date of birth (1937-11-25) 25 November 1937 (age 86) [1]
Place of birth Milton, Staffordshire, England [1]
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Stoke City
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1958–1964 Port Vale 241 (0)
1964–1969 Ipswich Town 163 (0)
1969–1971 Tottenham Hotspur 3 (0)
1971–1973 Bury 35 (0)
Stafford Rangers
Northwich Victoria
Total442+(0+)
Managerial career
1978–1979 Leek Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kenneth Paul Hancock (born 25 November 1937) is an English former football goalkeeper. He is the younger brother of Ray Hancock.

Contents

He made 442 league appearances in a 15-year career in the Football League. He began his professional career at Port Vale in December 1958. He helped the club to win the Fourth Division title in 1958–59 and remained the club's first-choice goalkeeper until he was sold to Ipswich Town for a £10,000 fee in December 1964. He kept goal as the club won the Second Division title in 1967–68. He was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £7,000 in March 1969. He moved on to Bury in July 1971 and later played Northern Premier League football for Stafford Rangers and Northwich Victoria. He later briefly managed non-League Leek Town.

Playing career

Hancock played for Stoke City before joining local rivals Port Vale as an amateur in November 1958; he signed as a professional with the "Valiants" the next month. [1] He made his debut in a 4–2 defeat by Millwall at The Den on 13 December. [1] He played the remaining 24 games of the 1958–59 season, as manager Norman Low took the club to the Fourth Division title. [1] Hancock lost his first-team place in November 1959 due to injury but managed to regain it off reserve goalkeeper John Poole by April 1960. [1] The pair each played 23 Third Division games in the 1959–60 season. [1] Hancock went on to keep goal 47 times in the 1960–61 campaign, fending off competition from both Poole and John Cooke. [1] He was an ever-present during the 51 game 1962–63 season, as Vale finished one place and four points shy of the promotion places under new boss Freddie Steele. [1] Hancock played 50 games in the 1963–64 campaign, with Cooke deputising on two occasions. [1] He made 22 appearances in the 1963–64 season, but faced pressure from new signing Reg Davies. [1]

Hancock was sold to Bill McGarry's Ipswich Town for a £10,000 fee in December 1964. [1] [2] He made 20 Second Division appearances in the 1964–65 season. He played 48 games for the "Blues" in 1965–66 and 1966–67. He featured 45 times in 1967–68, as the Portman Road club won the Second Division title. He played 18 First Division games in 1968–69, before new manager Bobby Robson sold him on to league rivals Tottenham Hotspur for £7,000 in March 1969. Hancock played just six league and cup games for Bill Nicholson's "Spurs" in 1969–70 and 1970–71. He worked as Pat Jennings's deputy whilst Barry Daines was still learning the game. [3] He left White Hart Lane and moved on to Bury in July 1971. He played 35 Fourth Division games for the "Shakers" in 1971–72 and 1972–73 under the stewardship of Allan Brown and then Tom McAnearney. [4] He then left Gigg Lane and later played Northern Premier League football for Stafford Rangers and Northwich Victoria.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, he returned to Port Vale in July 1975 as a part-time coach under the management of Roy Sproson. [1] He moved on to Cheshire County League side Leek Town as a manager in 1978, [5] later serving as club chairman. He also sat on the Leek and Moorland League management committee. He co-founded Port Vale's Ex-Players Association with former teammate John Poole. [6]

Style of play

Former teammate Roy Sproson described him as: "strong in dealing with crosses, quick reactions and a fine kicker of the ball". He went on to describe a save in an FA Cup tie with Sunderland as one where "[he] turned in mid-air and managed to push the ball round the post in what still rates as the most fantastic save I have seen to this day." [7]

He also could drop-kick the ball into the opposition penalty area. [8]

Career statistics

Source: [9]

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale 1958–59 Fourth Division 2500000250
1959–60 Third Division 2301000240
1960–61 Third Division3903030450
1961–62 Third Division4407010520
1962–63 Third Division4604010510
1963–64 Third Division4405010500
1964–65 Third Division2001010220
Total2410210702690
Ipswich Town 1964–65 Second Division 2000000200
1965–66 Second Division4102050480
1966–67 Second Division4204020480
1967–68 Second Division4201020450
1968–69 First Division 1800010190
Total1630701001800
Tottenham Hotspur 1969–70 First Division10000010
1970–71 First Division20003050
Total30003060
Bury 1971–72 Fourth Division2404010290
1972–73 Fourth Division1100000110
Total3504010400
Career total44203202104950

Honours

Port Vale

Ipswich Town

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The 1955–56 season was Port Vale's 44th season of football in the English Football League, and their second-successive season in the Second Division. Gaining ten points on their previous season's total, the club progressed well, achieving their best finish since 1933–34. Finishing one place above rivals Stoke City, it was the first time they outperformed Stoke since 1930–31. Part of the promotion-chasing pack at the season's end, they tailed off with four points from six games as Leeds United finished strongly to end up second. Vale's season was built on the defensive strength of the legendary 1953–54 season, along with record-signing England international Eddie Baily.

The 1958–59 season was Port Vale's 47th season of football in the English Football League and their first season in the newly created Fourth Division following their relegation from the Third Division South. They scored a club-record 110 goals in 46 league matches to storm to the Fourth Division title. Forwards Stan Steele, Jack Wilkinson, Graham Barnett, Harry Poole, and John Cunliffe all reached double-figures in front of goal.

The 1964–65 season was Port Vale's 53rd season of football in the English Football League, and their sixth season in the Third Division. They went on a club record streak of 13 home games without a clean sheet from 26 September to 15 March. After an awful start to the season that saw the club bottom of the league, manager Freddie Steele left the club in February and was replaced by one of his players, Jackie Mudie. A mini-revival under Mudie was not enough to prevent relegation at the end of the season, as the club finished five points adrift of safety in 22nd place. Their 41 goals scored in 46 league games was the worst record in the Football League, as Albert Cheesebrough managed to become the club's top-scorer with only seven goals.

The 1974–75 season was Port Vale's 63rd season of football in the Football League, and their fifth-successive season in the Third Division. It was Roy Sproson's first full season in charge. With cross-town rivals Stoke City competing in Europe and running close for the First Division title, Vale's attendances waned, as they were the third least-supported club in the division. This was despite a promotion challenging season that eventually ended with a sixth-place finish. Vale exited both cup competitions in the opening rounds.

The 1975–76 season was Port Vale's 64th season of football in the Football League, and their sixth-successive season in the Third Division. Manager Roy Sproson brought Mick Cullerton back to Vale Park. Cullerton was to become the top-scorer for the season with 21 goals. However, the ongoing success of rivals Stoke City in winning the League Cup, playing in Europe, and competing at the top of the First Division caused Vale's support to suffer. The loyal support of a few thousand fans was not enough to balance the books, and so Brian Horton was controversially sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £30,000.

The 1976–77 season was Port Vale's 65th season of football in the Football League, and their seventh successive season in the Third Division. In the FA Cup, Vale reached the Fifth Round for the first time since 1961–62, after progressing past two Second Division clubs. There, they were knocked out by Aston Villa at Villa Park in front of nearly fifty thousand spectators. Back in the league, Vale struggled to get by with an average home attendance of 4,356 and finished nineteenth, just three points from safety. Entered into the Debenhams Cup, they lost 4–3 to Chester.

The 1977–78 season was Port Vale's 66th season of football in the Football League, and their eighth successive season in the Third Division. Finishing in 21st place, they were relegated to the Fourth Division. Roy Sproson was sacked in October after a poor start to the season, though things did not improve under his replacement Bobby Smith, despite Smith spending big money to bring in new players. Smith also left the club at the end of the season.

The 1979–80 season was Port Vale's 68th season of football in the Football League, and their second-successive season in the Fourth Division. One of the club's worst ever seasons, Vale finished twentieth in the league and exited both cup competitions at the first stage. They also lost a tremendous amount of money. There was also a managerial merry-go-round, with Dennis Butler replaced by Alan Bloor, who was in turn replaced by John McGrath, with Bill Bentley also spending a short period as caretaker manager.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 125. ISBN   0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ↑ "Ken Hancock". tmwmtt.com. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "ken hancock – fact file". mehstg.com. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Leek Town FC Managers". Leek Town F.C. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "Port Vale: Ex-players chip in to help fans stay dry". The Sentinel . 17 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  7. ↑ Harper, Chris (10 February 1975). "Sproson's Eleven". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  8. ↑ Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 145. ISBN   0-9508981-6-3.
  9. ↑ Ken Hancock at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  10. ↑ Kent, Jeff (1990). "Fame and Fortune (1950–1959)". The Valiants' Years: The Story of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 171–196. ISBN   0-9508981-4-7.
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