Chris Hedworth

Christopher Hedworth (born 5 January 1964) is an English retired football centre-half. During a career of ten years in the 1980s and 1990s, Hedworth played for various clubs in the north of England as a slender centre-half. His reputation at Barnsley for shakiness and error-proneness led to him being something of a cult hero at the Yorkshire club, and he is renowned as one of a trio of goalkeepers fielded by Newcastle in a match in 1986.

Chris Hedworth
Personal information
Full name Christopher Hedworth[1]
Date of birth (1964-01-05) 5 January 1964[1]
Place of birth Wallsend,[1] England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre-half
Youth career
–1982 Newcastle United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1986 Newcastle United 9 (0)
1986–1988 Barnsley 25 (0)
1988–1990 Halifax Town 38 (0)
1990–1992 Blackpool 24 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hedworth started as an apprentice at Newcastle, signing professional terms in 1982. His debut came in October of that year, a 1–3 loss at Leeds United. A moment of note came on 21 April 1986 when, in a 1–8 loss to West Ham, he was one of three goalkeepers fielded by Newcastle; a not-completely-fit Martin Thomas was taken off injured at half time – Newcastle had no back-up goalkeeper on the bench, and so Hedworth played in goal, before injuring himself after less than 30 minutes. He was replaced by Peter Beardsley in goal. Hammers centre-back Alvin Martin scored a hat-trick, with one goal coming against each of the three keepers.[3] It would be Hedworth's last game for the Magpies.

He would go on to make nine league starts and one start in the League Cup before he moved on to Barnsley on a free transfer in the summer of 1986.

25 appearances for the Tykes were unconvincing, and after two years Hedworth moved on to Halifax Town.

He retired in 1992 after a similar two-year spell at Blackpool.

References
  1. "Chris Hedworth". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. "The hat-trick Hall of Fame". BBC. 25 February 2004. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
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