*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Johnny Hubbard
Appearances: 121 Goals: 31
Date / Year of birth: 18th April 1921
Position: Winger
Season of first appearance: 1946/47
Season of last appearance: 1949/50
Also played for: Chislet Colliery Welfare, Ramsgate Athletic, Canterbury City and Herne Bay
Fast blonde winger born in Wallsend, Tyne & Wear who moved to Kent with his family in 1936 and began working on the surface at Chislet Colliery. Johnny also played for the colliery football team in the Kent Amateur League.
In the summer of 1946 he joined Margate and made his debut in the club's first game after World War II - a 1-1 draw at Gillingham Reserves on 31.8.46. Johnny became a regular on the right wing and made 33 appearances during the 1946/47 campaign. He scored eight goals and his first three for Margate came when he bagged a hat-trick in a 4-4 draw at Gravesend & Northfleet on 23.11.46. He also laid on many goals for his fellow forwards during the season as Margate won the Kent League title.
During the 1947/48 season Johnny was influential once more as Margate retained the Kent League title and his excellent performance in a 2-1 win over Sittingbourne at Hartsdown Park on 22.4.48 prompted curious praise from the East Kent Times. The match report for the game said that "Harvester Hubbard was the harridan at Sittingbourne's Hartsdown cupboard". Johnny scored nine times in 39 outings and his goal tally included one as Margate beat visitors Ramsgate 2-1 to win the Kent League Cup Final on 6.5.48. He got Margate's equaliser with an angled shot from 20 yards that the local press described as "a magnificent drive". Johnny was also part of the side that won 4-1 at Gravesend & Northfleet to claim the Kent Senior Shield on 8.5.48, completing a three trophy haul for the campaign. He played for Kent during the season.
Johnny continued to impress during the 1948/49 campaign, scoring ten goals from 35 appearances, one of which was direct from a corner kick. He again played for Kent and earned praise for his industry and accurate crossing during the season. However Johnny's campaign was cut short by a hand injury sustained in an accident at the coal pit.
He began the 1949/50 season as a first team regular once more but lost his place on the right wing towards the end of 1949 when Frank Johnson switched to that position and made it his own with a string of fine performances. Disillusioned, Johnny asked to be released and in December 1949 he moved across Thanet to join Ramsgate. He'd made 14 appearances and scored four times during the campaign.
After leaving the Rams he spent two seasons with Canterbury and one with Herne Bay (1953/54) before retiring.
Johnny later spent many years working at Chislet Colliery and in 2011 he was living in Hersden near Canterbury.
Johnny died on 29.11.13 aged 92 and he'd probably been Margate's oldest former player at the time. Curiously he passed away exactly 66 years to the day since he'd scored for Margate in a 3-0 home win over Deal in the Kent League.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1946/47 (MFC) |
33 (38) |
N/A |
8 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (1ST OF 16) |
PR |
2R |
N/A |
SF |
|
Margate
won Kent League title. | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1947/48 (MFC) |
39 (47) |
N/A |
9 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (1ST OF 18) |
1QR |
1R |
W |
W |
|
Margate
won Kent League title. Played and scored in Kent League Cup Final (06.05.48 - beat Ramsgate Athletic 2-1). Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (08.05.48 - beat Gravesend & Northfleet 4-1). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1948/49 (MFC) |
35 (41) |
N/A |
10 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (10TH OF 18) |
PR |
2R |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1949/50 (MFC) |
14 (40) |
N/A |
4 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (6TH OF 17) |
EPR |
1R |
2R |
SF |
|