Hugh Morris (footballer, born 1872)

Hugh Morris (1872 – 20 September 1897) was a Welsh footballer who played as a forward for Manchester City, Sheffield United and Grimsby Town in the 19th century. Born in Chirk, Wales, he gained three caps for the Welsh national team.

Not to be confused with Hugh Morris (Scottish footballer).
Hugh Morris
Personal information
Full name Hugh Morris
Date of birth 1872
Place of birth Chirk, Wales
Date of death 20 September 1897(1897-09-20) (aged 25)
Place of death Chirk, Wales
Position(s) Inside right
Youth career
1888–1891 Chirk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1891–1893 Ardwick
1893–1895 Sheffield United 39 (9)
1895–1896 Manchester City 20 (0)
1896–1897 Grimsby Town
1897 Millwall Athletic 0 (0)
National team
1894–1897 Wales 3 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Club career

Morris was first spotted by Ardwick when playing for Chirk in the Welsh cup and the Manchester side duly signed him in 1891. Morris was the leading goalscorer for the club in the 1891–92 Football Alliance season, scoring 10 goals in 22 appearances, including a hat-trick against Walsall Town Swifts.[1] The following season Ardwick were admitted to the newly formed Football League Second Division and Morris played in the club's first ever Football League fixture, scoring twice as Ardwick beat Bootle 7–0.[2] Morris continued to play regularly for Ardwick before he was transferred to Sheffield United, then of the First Division in December 1893.[2] He became a regular in United's first team for the following 18 months, having rejected an offer to play in the United States in 1894, and made 39 league appearances, scoring nine goals for the Yorkshire club.[2] In September 1895 Morris was suspended for "lodging in a public house" (the club was run on strict Methodist lines at the time and this was against the terms of his contract),[2] before being transferred back to Ardwick, now renamed Manchester City, in the following November along with Joe Davies and Bob Hill.[2] Returning to Hyde Road, Morris made 20 appearances in his second spell at the Manchester club, before moving to Grimsby Town in May 1896 where he played for a further season. Morris moved to Southern League side Millwall in the summer of 1897, but contracted tuberculosis not long after his transfer and died before he could make his debut.[3]

International career

While at Sheffield United, Morris won his first cap for Wales in a British Home Championship match against Scotland on 24 March 1894. Morris scored twice, but Wales lost 5–2.[4] Morris gained a second international cap in a 9–1 defeat to England in March 1896 and earned the last of his three international caps in March 1897, a 4–0 defeat against England at his former club ground Bramall Lane.[3]

References
  1. James, Gary (2006). Manchester City – The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. p. 269. ISBN 1-85983-512-0.
  2. Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
  3. Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 146. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.
  4. "Welsh International Matches". Welsh Football Data Archive. Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
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