gilmour Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Was messing about looking former players etc and found this. Really interesting read and unbelievably sad too Hughie Ferguson Watch this page Hughie FergusonPersonal informationFull nameHugh FergusonDate of birth2 March 1898Place of birthGlasgow, ScotlandDate of death9 January 1930 (aged 31)Place of deathDundee, ScotlandPlaying positionCentre forwardYouth career1914–1916Parkhead JuniorsSenior career*YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†1916–1925Motherwell288(284)1925–1929Cardiff City117(77)1929–1930Dundee17(2)Total422(363)National team1920–1922Scottish League XI3(3)* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). Hugh "Hughie" Ferguson (2 March 1898 – 9 January 1930) was aScottish footballer. He is only one of seven men in the entire history of the Football and Scottish Football Leagues to have scored 350 League goals. Despite his prolific scoring record,[1]finishing his career with a goal average of 0.855 per game,[2] he was never capped for Scotland and his winning goal for Cardiff City in the 1927 FA Cup Final is remembered more for the mistake by Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis. Contents Playing career Early career Motherwell Cardiff City Dundee [*]Death[*]Family[*]Career statistics[*]Honours[*]References[*]External links Playing careerEdit Early career Renowned for his modesty and sense of fair play,[2] Ferguson started his career with Parkhead Juniors in 1914. He appeared for the side in their victorious 1914–15 Scottish Junior Cup final. Motherwell Ferguson joined John Hunter's Motherwell for the start of the 1916–17 season (scoring both goals in the 2–2 draw with Raith Rovers on 19 August 1916). He soon established himself as a prolific goalscorer at Fir Park, becoming the top Scottish Football League goalscorer on three occasions (1917–18; 1919–20; 1920–21), scoring 111 goals in total. His 43 goals in 1921 is the second highest season total of League goals in England or Scotland before the change to the offside law in 1925. With Motherwell, Ferguson reached the Scottish Cup quarter-finals in 1921 and 1922, the semi-finals in 1923, losing 2–0 toCeltic, and achieved third place in the League in 1920.[3] Despite his performance, the dominance of Rangers and Dunfermline Athletic player Andy Cunningham and, later,Middlesbrough's high scoring Andy Wilson meant they were picked for Scotland ahead of Ferguson. He represented theScottish League XI three times, scoring three goals.[4] Cardiff City In 1925, halfway through the season and after scoring his 285th goal for Motherwell, Ferguson departed for South Wales, joining FA Cup Finalists Cardiff City for a fee 0f £5,000, just £1,000 less than the record transfer fee at the time.[1] In the previous few seasons, Cardiff had trawled far and wide for talented players and Ferguson was one of a list of notable Scots to wear the blue shirt; Scottish internationals Jimmy Blair and Jimmy Nelson had both appeared for the club. He a goalscoring debut for the club on 7 November 1925 in a 5–2 win over Leicester City.[5] Ferguson's most successful moment in English football occurred when he appeared for Cardiff in the 1927 Cup Final againstArsenal. Having scored five times on the way to the final, in the 74th minute, collecting a throw from the right, Ferguson hurried a tame shot toward the Arsenal goal. Dan Lewis, the Arsenal goalkeeper, appeared to collect the ball but, under pressure from the advancing Len Davies, clumsily allowed the ball to roll through his grasp; in a desperate attempt to retrieve the ball, Lewis only succeeded in knocking the ball with his elbow into his own net.[6] Ernie Curtis, the 19 year old centre-wing said of the goal: "I was in line with the edge of the penalty area on the right when Hughie Ferguson hit the shot which Arsenal's goalie ( had crouched down for a little early. The ball spun as it travelled towards him, having taken a slight deflection so he was now slightly out of line with it. Len Davies was following the shot in and I think Dan must have had one eye on him. The result was that he didn't take it cleanly and it squirmed under him and over the line. Len jumped over him and into the net, but never actually touched it."[7]Ferguson still features on the record books for Cardiff City, having scored five goals in the First Division fixture with Burnleyon 1 September 1928 and his 32 goals in all competitions in the 1926–27 season stood until Robert Earnshaw overtook it in March 2003.[2] He also scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over the Corinthians in the 1927–28 Charity Shield and his two goals won the Welsh Cup later that same season for Cardiff against Bangor; but despite a healthy return of 77 goals during his four seasons there his days at Ninian Park were numbered. Dundee Ferguson returned to Scotland with Dundee in the following season for a fee of £500, but his days there were desperate; a despondent, demanding crowd seeking from the legendary goalscorer more than he could provide. He scored two goals for Dundee, before being dropped due to injury and a lack of form. DeathEdit Ferguson sank into depression and on 9 January 1930 committed suicide, gassing himself at Dens Park after a training session. He was aged 31, and left behind his wife Jessie and two children.[1] FamilyEdit Ferguson's son Jack later went on to represent Britain in water polo at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics.[8] Career statisticsEdit Motherwell 1916–17 - 24 League goals; 1917–18 - 35 1918–19 - 19 1919–20 - 33 1920–21 - 43 1921–22 - 32 1922–23 - 30 1923–24 - 28 1924–25 - 28 1925–26 - 12 Total 284 Cardiff City 1925–26 - 19 1926–27 - 26 1927–28 - 18 1928–29 - 14 Total 77 Dundee 1929–30 - 2; 17 appearances Total 2 Career 1916–17 - 1929–30 363 goals. HonoursEdit Cardiff City FA Cup winner: 1 1927 FA Community Shield winner: 1 1927 Welsh Cup winner: 1 1928 Welsh Cup runner-up: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 That cup final goal sounds far too familiar as we head back up to Dundee today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 A Well great from long long ago, but despite that he's always been a top candidate in my book for our greatest ever player. When discussing our greatest ever player there's always an understandable tendency to only consider players of our own lifetime but surely Hughie Ferguson transcends that thinking. Certainly our best ever striker and thats quite an accolade when he's considered alongside names like Willie MacFadyen and in more recent times Willie Pettigrew. Thanks for the post Gilmour - Hughie's name deserves to be highlighted on these boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Did not know he topped himself. Tragic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Pretty amazing that 4 of the top 10 pre war highest scoring strikers played for Motherwell - Hughie Ferguson, Bobby Ferrier, Willie Reid and Willie McFadyen and three of them scored virtually all their goals for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Read a great article a while back about Hughie Ferguson. Apparently, crowds turned up to see him depart Fir Park, many folk having been given a break from work to wave him off. The article also said Ferguson was desperate to return to 'Well after leaving Cardiff and heartbroken when it didn't happen. Clearly a player who should be in or around any all-time great Motherwell team, who's sadly been largely forgotten in the mists of time. There's some footage of him scoring a couple of goals at Fir Park against Partick Thistle (1920s) on YouTube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claretband Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Thanks Bobby Anyone know what's the story with the strip colours in this one? Footage is primitivre alright but both teams looking very similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 If the historical kit site's got it right, Patrick's top and socks would've been blue. 'Well's top was definitely claret with a large amber 'hoop'round the neck at this time, socks were apparently claret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambunctious Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Folk were bunnet-daft back in the day 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postiejim Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 As a club do we do anything to remember our former players. If Hughie had played for the weegie scum he would be immortalised. Our legends get a couple of posts on a web page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunderwell Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 http://www.scotsman.com/sport/tragic-scots-fa-cup-hero-who-took-his-own-life-1-1158490 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
something else Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 As a club do we do anything to remember our former players. If Hughie had played for the weegie scum he would be immortalised. Our legends get a couple of posts on a web page. Spot on,our stadium should have images of guys like John Hunter ,Hughie ferguson and Willie mcfadyen all around the place. These guys were real legends. These are the guys stands should be named after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECOSSE1991 Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 A link to some nice Motherwell FC memorabilia including some of Hugh Ferguson. http://s533.photobuc...C%20Memorabilia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECOSSE1991 Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 A link to some nice Motherwell FC memorabilia including some of Hugh Ferguson. http://s533.photobuc...C%20Memorabilia Shame on the club for failing to have the names of our greats of the past not more prominent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Shame on the club for failing to have the names of our greats of the past not more prominent. Aye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Spot on,our stadium should have images of guys like John Hunter ,Hughie ferguson and Willie mcfadyen all around the place. These guys were real legends. These are the guys stands should be named after. If we ever rebuild the East Stand should we name it The Hughie Ferguson Stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECOSSE1991 Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 If we ever rebuild the East Stand should we name it The Hughie Ferguson Stand? The first name the game should have used when 'naming' any stand was John 'Sailor' Hunter, check out his time with the club, incredible in any era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECOSSE1991 Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 My sentence above should have read "The first name the CLUB......" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
something else Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 The first name the game should have used when 'naming' any stand was John 'Sailor' Hunter, check out his time with the club, incredible in any era. Correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I remember reading a lengthy feature on Hugh Ferguson around the mid-90's - a very, very emotional piece of writing actually. Unfortunately I can't actually remember where. Something in the back of my mind tells me it might have been in a fanzine/magazine of the day (might even still be going for all I know) called The Scottish Football Historian, but I can't mind whether it was reproduced in our match programme or whether a fellow Dosser passed it on to me. So there's certainly more on Ferguson out there if you want to some detective work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foghorn Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hugh is buried in Airbles Cemetery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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