Hubbard Shirley Image 1 Leicester Fosse 1912

Description

Leicester born inside right or centre forward Shirley Hubbard began his football career with local junior side St Andrews and played football while in the Army with the Leicestershire Regiment. After spending the 1905-06 season with Leicester Imperial he was signed by Second Division club Leicester Fosse and made his Football League debut at Burton United in March 1907, playing regularly as The Fossils won promotion to the First Division for the first time in 1907-08 although they were immediately relegated in 1908-09.

Hubbard continued to play regularly for Leicester until 1913 when he transferred to Darlington after 39 goals in 151 appearances, and after a season at Feethams he joined South Shields in 1914. In November 1914, three months after the outbreak of the First World War, Hubbard re-enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment and was sent to the Western Front in February 1915. He saw action at Hooge, the Hohenzollern Redoubt, the Somme and during the Hundred Days Offensive. He also guested in wartime football for Bloxwich Strollers in 1915, Port Vale in 1916, Leicester Fosse in 1916 and 1918, and Birmingham in 1917 before rejoining Leicester (by now renamed City) after the cessation of hostilities, for whom he made 3 more appearances in the autumn of 1919, scoring once more in a win at Coventry City, before becoming player manager of Ashby Town in 1920, his last known club before his eventual retirement.