Turner Hugh Image 3 Fulham 1938

Description

Wigan, Lancashire born goalkeeper Hugh Turner moved as a child to the North East and began his football career with Felling Colliery in 1923, from where he signed amateur forms with Darlington in 1924, spending 1924-25 at Feethams without making a first team appearance as they won the Third Division (North) Championship. He joined non league High Fell in 1925 before signing for League Champions Huddersfield Town in April 1926, initially as understudy to Ted Taylor.

He made his Football League debut against Sunderland that September and made 25 appearances during his debut season as they finished as runners up in the League Championship, but really established himself in the first team from April 1928, helping them again to finish as League runners up. He was an ever present for Huddersfield in five of the next six seasons playing in their 1929 FA Cup semi final team which lost 3-1 to eventual winners Bolton Wanderers at Anfield, and the following season he was in goal for their FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal at Wembley.

He was twice capped for England in their May 1931 European tour, making his debut in a 5-2 defeat to France in Paris and playing in a 4-1 win over Belgium in Brussels two days later. He also made one appearance for The Football League in a 4-0 win over The Irish League at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool in September 1931. However he lost his place in The Terriers’ first eleven to Bob Hesford from the start of the 1936-37 season and made only one more appearance for Huddersfield Town, joining Second Division Fulham in the summer of 1937 after 394 appearances for them. He played at Fulham through to the abandonment of the 1939-40 League season due to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, and was an ever present in the final season before the War, making 71 appearances for The Cottagers. After the War, he joined non league Hurst, already 41 years old, where he finished his career.

NB the photograph was taken in their FA Cup tie at Griffin Park on 8th January 1938, Brentford’s Bobby Reid dives past Hugh Turner watched by Fulham right back James Hindson. Fulham lost the match 3-1.