Ritchie Harry Image 2 Hibernian 1923

Description

Scone, Perthshire born outside right Harry Ritchie began his football career with Perth Violet in 1917 and joined Scottish League First Division club Hibernian in 1918 while a member of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve at the end of the First World War, making his Scottish League debut against Queen’s Park in April 1919, soon becoming an important member of the Hibs first eleven. He played in the Scottish Cup Finals of both 1923 and 1924, though finished on the losing side in both, Hibs losing to Celtic and Airdrieonians respectively.

He first won Scottish League honours when he played against The Irish League in a 3-0 win at Shawfield in October 1921, and he won 4 more Scottish League representative caps while with Hibernian through to March 1927. He was also selected to play for Scotland and won his first cap in a 2-0 win over Ireland at Love Street, St Mirren, in March 1923. He then won a further cap in a 1-0 defeat to Ireland at Firhill in February 1928.

After 10 years with Hibs during which he scored 86 goals in 321 appearances, he transferred to First Division Champions Everton in the 1928 close season, making his Football League debut at Bolton Wanderers the same August, but failed to make an enduring impression at Goodison Park, scoring 5 times in 30 appearances for The Toffees before returning to Scotland to join Dundee at the beginning of 1930. He moved on to St Johnstone in 1931 and finished his career with spells at Brechin City, joining them in 1933, and Arbroath, whom he joined a year later, his final club before his eventual retirement.