Memories of Jimmy Hagan

The Owls beat Benfica and The Blades lost to Halifax Town on the same day last week.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Jul 2016, 05:54 BST
Updated 27th Jul 2016, 06:59 BST

As a Blades fan, a minority in our family, I felt humiliated.

However, my thoughts turned to my schoolboy hero, Jimmy Hagan, who when I was 10 sold me (my dad paid) my first pair of football boots from his shop on Abbeydale Road, Hagan & Brookes.

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It was JH who, in the early ’70s, managed Benfica and brought them into the big-time.

He also saw the blossoming of Eusébio, Europe’s Pelé, under his tutelage..

As a footnote, would Kasper Schmeichel, of Premiership Champions, Leicester City, have taken to goalkeeping had his dad not been the world-class keeper, Peter?

And the coach who brought Peter Schmeichel to Sir Alex’s attention at Manchester United? Alan Hodgkinson, the Blades’ finest keeper and renowned goalkeeping coach.

Jeremy Biggin

Upperthorpe, Sheffield

Related topics:MemoriesBlades