Hill Frank Image 2 Arsenal 1933

Description

Forfar, Angus born right half Frank Hill played junior football with Forfar West End in 1923 before joining hometown Scottish League club Forfar Athletic in December the following year. He signed for First Division club Aberdeen in August 1928 and earned the nickname “Tiger” for his tigerish tackling. During his four years at Aberdeen, he also won three caps for Scotland between 1930 and 1931, making his international debut in a 2-0 win against France in Colombes in May 1930, also playing against Wales and Ireland in subsequent Home Championship matches. He also played once for The Scottish League in a 7-3 defeat to The Football League at White Hart Lane in November 1930.

In 1931-32 Hill was involved in a betting scandal with four other Aberdeen players, none of whom played for the club again, and Hill was made available for transfer having scored 10 goals in 106 appearances for Aberdeen. He was sold to Herbert Chapman’s Arsenal for £3,000 in May 1932 and made his Football League debut at Blackburn Rovers that October. He won three consecutive League Championships with Arsenal between 1933 and 1935, as well as winning the 1934 FA Charity Shield. Hill was squeezed out of the side by Wilf Copping and Jack Crayston, only featuring in 10 matches in 1935-36, and he wasn’t selected to play in Arsenal’s FA Cup Final victory that season. He requested a transfer and was duly sold to Second Division club Blackpool in June 1936. In all he played 82 games for Arsenal, scoring four times.

Hill captained Blackpool in the 1936-37 season, when he was an ever present, scoring 8 goals to help them win promotion to the First Division as Second Division runners-up. However, he didn’t stay in the top flight for long; in September 1937 he moved back to Second Division football to join Southampton after 47 appearances for The Seasiders, joining The Saints for £2,200. He then had two seasons at The Dell, scoring 3 goals in 53 appearances, before returning to Lancashire to join Preston North End in the summer of 1939. However before he had made a first team appearance the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 forced the suspension of peacetime football.

During the Second World War, when peacetime football was suspended, Hill served in The Royal Air Force in India and on his return to Britain became player-manager of Crewe Alexandra in July 1944, playing until he was 42 in February 1948, making 24 appearances for The Alex. He then became manager of Burnley in September 1948, and he was then appointed manager of Preston North End in August 1954, although his tenure was relatively brief and he left in May 1956.

He then moved abroad in January 1957, coaching the Iraqi military team as well as Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, before returning to take over as manager at Notts County in October 1958. He helped County to promotion to the Third Division in 1959-60, and moved to Charlton Athletic, who were bottom of the Second Division, in November 1961. He saved Charlton from relegation that season and took them to fourth in 1963-64. However, he could not make the good form last and was sacked in August 1965. Hill finished his career as a scout for Manchester City, before retiring.