Sam Hardy
Goalkeeper (1905-1912)
Date of Birth: 26.08.1883 Died: 24.10.1966
Birthplace: Newbold, Chesterfield
Debut : 21st October 1905 v Nottingham Forest (H) Football League Division One: Won 4-1
1st team games: 239
1st team goals: 0
National Team: England 21 caps
The great England star was one of four celebrated international goalkeepers signed for Liverpool by the club's legendary secretary-manager Tom Watson, the others being Hardy's predecessor Teddy Doig and Kenny Campbell, both Scots, and Ireland's Elisha Scott. Little wonder that Liverpool's telegraphic address was "Goalkeeper, Anfield."
Hardy, who won 21 England caps in a 13-year span, was the first of a long line of top class keepers produced by Chesterfield, his hometown club from which he joined Liverpool for £500 in 1905, despite having conceded six goals to his promotion-bound new club in a league game earlier that year!
With Liverpool back in the top flight Hardy displaced Doig in the October of his first season at Anfield and his amazing anticipation and judgement was a key factor in the club sweeping to the League title. Unspectacular and nicknamed "Safe and Steady Sam" he had become a hero by the time he joined Aston Villa in 1912, having made 239 senior Liverpool appearances.
With Villa he collected two FA Cup winners medals and after joining Nottingham Forest he won a Second Division championship medal in 1922. Hardy's career spanned a remarkable 22-years before he retired through injury in 1925. A hotelier in Chesterfield, he died in 1966 aged 83 having lived to see Liverpool win the FA Cup for the first time a year earlier.
Honours with Liverpool: First Division Championship 1905/06
Sam Hardy