Sid Hoar

Sidney Walter Hoar Date of Birth: Nov 28, 1895

The outstanding local player of his generation, Sid was born in Leagrave in 1895 and after playing local football was snapped up by the Town on professional forms in January 1914 having already played for the first team as an amateur.

Only slightly built, he was very fast with an excellent first touch and could play on either wing or at inside-forward and soon became a regular in the side. Gassed during the Great War he was not expected to play again but he came back stronger than ever and had racked up 244 appearances before a £3000 bid from Arsenal in November 1924 was too good to resist.

He bridged the gap to the top flight with ease and played more than 100 times for the Gunners, including the 1927 FA Cup final, until he was 33 when he went part-time with Bedford before a swan-song season at Clapton Orient in 1929.

A hat stapler by trade, he passed away in Luton in 1969.