Hill Reg Image 1 Hartlepools United 1935

Description

Gibraltar born right or centre half Reg Hill played junior football in the Carlisle area, and represented Bedfordshire at county level during a three-year stint as a carpenter serving in the Royal Air Force. He began his senior football career with Third Division (North) club Carlisle United, making his Football League debut playing at inside left at Barrow in January 1931, his only appearance that season. He made 4 further appearances at centre half and left half for Carlisle in the spring of 1932, but then was transferred to non league Lancaster Town in the close season, before a return to Football League action with Tranmere Rovers later that same year.

He made a single appearance as a trialist for Tranmere at centre half in a 3-2 win at Hartlepools United on the last day of 1932, and his performance persuaded Hartlepools to immediately sign him in January 1933, Hill slotting into the role of pivot for the rest of the season. In 1933 Hill was also selected for the Rest of the County XI to face Sunderland in May 1933 in a match celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Durham County Football Association.

After a further season at centre half, he was mainly used at right half in 1934-35, and missed only 3 matches in 1935-36 featuring at right and left half, and inside right. But after 5 goals in 157 matches for The Monkey Hangers he was transferred to Darlington in February 1937, where he made 14 appearances before the end of the season, but whether through injury, lost his place in April and was not retained, moving on to Birmingham & District League club Wellington Town, his last known club before his eventual retirement.

He was the father of crime writer Reginald Hill, author of the Dalziel and Pascoe detective novels.