|
Henry
Cockburn |
Manchester United
FC
13 appearances, 0 goals
P 13 W 9 D 2 L 2 F 40:
A 15
77% successful
1946-51
captain: none
minutes played: 1170 |
 |
Profile |
Full name |
Henry Cockburn |
Born |
14 September
1921 at 7 Lees Fold, Hurst, Ashton, Lancashire [registered in
Ashton-under-Lyne, December 1921]. Attended Stamford
High School |
Baptised |
5 October 1921 at St. John the
Evangelist Church, Hurst, Lancashire. To John Cooper and
Elizabeth (née Delaney). Living at 7 Lees Fold, Hurst. Baptised by
R.W. Cummings |
Married |
to Anne E.
Newell
[registered in Peterborough, March 1958]. |
Died |
20 January 2004 in
Mossley, aged
82 years
128 days
[registered in Tameside, January 2004]. |
death notes |
There appears to
be a dispute over Cockburn's death, as there was over his birth (Once
thought to have been born in 1923 - but registration, both birth and
death, state 1921). Many sources claim he died 2nd or 4th February.
But his death was registered in the January. A memorial was held on 20
January 2014 in Ashton-under-Lyme... ten years after his death. |
Height/Weight |
5'
6", 10st.
4lbs [1950]. |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com |
Club Career |
Club(s) |
Henry began his
career playing schoolboy football in Manchester, playing his junior
football with Gosling's FC in the early 1940's, then signed amateur forms
with its parent club,
Manchester United FC in 1943, signing professional forms in August 1944.
Before his United career began, he guested for Accrington Stanley FC
during WWII. Then, unlike Neil Franklin, and many more of his peers,
Cockburn turned down a move to Independiente Santa Fe of Bogota on 13
July 1950, who were offering him £5090 per year. Then, following
243 First Division appearances, in which he scored four goals, Cockburn
joined Bury FC
on 18 October 1954 for a £3000 transfer fee. After
making just 35 league apearances, he moved on to
Peterborough United FC in July 1956, made a final 39 league
appearances, scoring once, before moving on to non-league Corby Town FC in
July 1959 and then played alongside Franklin once more, at Sankey's FC of
Wellington, for six months towards the end of 1960; |
Club honours |
Football League
Division One runners-up 1946-47, 1947-48, 1948-49,
1950-51,
Champions 1951-52;
FA Cup winners 1947-48;
FA Charity Shield runners-up 1948, winners 1952; |
Individual honours |
Football
League (one appearance) |
Distinctions |
Played for
Ashton CC during the 1960's |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
England Career |
Player number |
One of nine who
became the 655th
player (660) to appear for England. |
Position(s) |
Left-half |
First match |
No. 227, 28 September 1946, Ireland 2 England
7, a British Championship match at
Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 25 years
14 days. |
Last match |
No. 265, 3 October 1951, England 2 France 2,
a friendly match at Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, London, aged 30 years
19 days. |
Major tournaments |
World Cup
Finals 1950; British Championship 1946-47,
1947-48, 1948-49; |
Team honours |
British Championship 1946-47, 1947-48; |
Individual honours |
England B
(one appearance, 1949) |
Distinctions |
Died fourteen
days after Reg Smith |
Beyond England |
Took up coaching roles after he left
the playing field. Oldham Athletic FC's assistant trainer from February
1961. Took up a similar appointment at Huddersfield Town AFC from
September 1964. He was their senior coach from 1969 until 1975. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.69/70. |
Henry Cockburn - Career Statistics |
Parties |
Apps |
comp. apps |
Mins. |
Goals |
goals ave.min |
comp. goals |
Capt. |
Disc. |
|
13 |
5 |
1170 |
0 |
0
min |
0 |
none |
none |
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors. |
Henry Cockburn
- Match Record - All Matches |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts
% |
W/L |
Home |
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
19 |
8 |
+11 |
0 |
2 |
3.167 |
1.333 |
75.0 |
+3 |
Away |
7 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
21 |
7 |
+14 |
1 |
4 |
3.00 |
1.00 |
78.6 |
+4 |
All |
13 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
40 |
15 |
+25 |
1 |
6 |
3.077 |
1.154 |
76.9 |
+7 |
Henry Cockburn
- Match Record - By Colour of Shirt |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts
% |
W/L |
White |
12 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
38 |
14 |
+24 |
1 |
6 |
3.167 |
1.167 |
75.0 |
+6 |
Red |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
+1 |
0 |
0 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
All |
13 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
40 |
15 |
+25 |
1 |
6 |
3.077 |
1.154 |
76.9 |
+7 |
Henry Cockburn
- Match Record - By Type of Match |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
British Championship |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
7 |
+12 |
0 |
2 |
3.80 |
1.40 |
80.0 |
+3 |
Friendly |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
21 |
8 |
+13 |
1 |
4 |
2.625 |
1.00 |
75.0 |
+4 |
All |
13 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
40 |
15 |
+25 |
1 |
6 |
3.077 |
1.154 |
76.9 |
+7 |
Henry Cockburn
- Match Record - Tournament Matches |
British Championship Competition |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
BC 1946-47 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
2 |
+8 |
0 |
1 |
5.00 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
BC 1947-48 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
BC 1948-49 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
5 |
+2 |
0 |
0 |
3.50 |
2.50 |
50.0 |
=0 |
BC
All |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
7 |
+12 |
0 |
2 |
3.80 |
1.40 |
80.0 |
+3 |
All Competition |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
BC |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
7 |
+12 |
0 |
2 |
3.80 |
1.40 |
80.0 |
+3 |
All |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
7 |
+12 |
0 |
2 |
3.80 |
1.40 |
80.0 |
+3 |
Match History
Club:
Manchester United F.C. - 13 full appearances (1170 min) |
manager: Walter
Winterbottom - 13 full appearances (1170 min)x
|
Age 27 |
6 |
241 |
26 September 1948 -
Denmark 0 England 0,
Idrætsparken, København |
Fr |
AD |
Start |
6 |
7 |
242 |
9 October 1948
- Ireland 2 England 6,
Windsor Park, Belfast |
BC |
AW |
Start |
6 |
8 |
244 |
2 December 1948 - England 6
Switzerland 0, Arsenal Stadium, Highbury |
Fr |
HW |
Start |
6 |
9 |
245 |
9 April 1949
- England 1 Scotland 3,
Empire
Stadium, Wembley |
BC |
HL |
Start |
6 |
10 |
246 |
13 May 1949 - Sweden 3 England 1,
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna |
tour |
AL |
Start |
6 |
b |
15 May 1949 - Finland A 0 England 4, Olympiastadion, Helsinki |
AW |
party member |
247 |
18 May 1949 - Norway 1 England 4,
Ullevål Stadion, Oslo |
AW |
1 |
b |
18 May 1949 - Netherlands A 1 England 4,
Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam |
AW |
Start |
6 |
248 |
22 May 1949 - France 1 England 3, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris |
AW |
withdrawn party member |
Notes
There wasn't very much of Henry Cockburn, but it was
difficult to remain unaware of his presence on a football pitch. If he wasn't
tackling like a miniature tank, or sprinting at full tilt in pursuit of ball or
opponent, then probably he was issuing instructions at the top of his voice.
Indeed, so perpetual was Cockburn's motion, and so passionate was his fervour
during his prime in the decade following the Second World War, that the
Manchester United and England wing-half created the irresistible impression that
he was engaged in all three activities at once.
The diminutive Lancastrian, who stood a mere 5ft 5in in his
stockinged feet, operated in a defensive midfield role in the first of Matt
Busby's three outstanding teams, the one which purveyed the most exhilarating
football in the land as the game offered much-needed entertainment in the era of
post-conflict austerity.
In many ways Cockburn was similar to Nobby Stiles, the
tigerishly abrasive destroyer who played a key role as United piled up the
honours throughout the 1960s and who was integral to England's World Cup triumph
of 1966. Admittedly tactics were different in the Cockburn heyday, so usually he
occupied a more advanced position than Stiles, who thrived in a withdrawn
position alongside the stopper centre-half Bill Foulkes, but the two pocket
battleships had plenty in common.
Eager, bright-eyed bundles of energy and enthusiasm, they
were both combative and constructive, their boundless spirit, honesty and
endeavour making up generously for their lack of inches. The pair of them were
pacy, doggedly tenacious and unfailingly brave in the tackle, but also - and
this was crucial to their success - they were instinctive readers of the game
who were blessed with far more pure skill than many critics maintained.
Cockburn, a natural all-round sportsman who also excelled
at cricket, made his first footballing impact as a teenager with Goslings, a
local feeder to Manchester United, the Old Trafford club enlisting him as an
amateur in September 1943. While continuing with his work as a mill- fitter, he
impressed the Reds' coaching staff enough to earn a professional contract a year
later and he made his first United appearance as a nippy, elusive forward during
unofficial wartime competition, in which he had guested also for Accrington
Stanley.
By 1945 Cockburn had been converted into a left-half,
despite being right-footed, and he was awarded his senior debut in an FA Cup
meeting with his former Accrington team-mates in January 1946. Making light of
ferocious competition for places, he made such prodigious progress that he was
chosen along with eight other new appearances - including Billy Wright of Wolves,
Preston North End's Tom Finney and Frank Swift of Manchester City - to play for
England in September 1946 after only seven First Division outings.
That afternoon at Windsor Park, Belfast, Cockburn shone as
the first post-war successor to the majestic Joe Mercer, contributing massively
to a 7-2 triumph over Northern Ireland and looking utterly at home on the
international stage. He retained his berth for the next two games, which yielded
victories over Wales and the Republic of Ireland, slotting in effectively
alongside Wright and the stylish Neil Franklin, and it seemed that England had a
settled half-back line for the foreseeable future.
However, Cockburn was ousted by Harry Johnston of
Blackpool, and, although he extended his cap total to 13 over the next five
years, he never cemented the regular place which most United fans reckoned to be
his just deserts. Back on the club scene, though, the Cockburn career flourished
royally. He was a crucial component of the side that finished as League title
runners-up in each of the first three post-war campaigns, won the FA Cup by
defeating Blackpool - Stanley Matthews et al - by four goals to two in a
titanic Wembley clash in 1948, then finally claimed the championship crown in
1951/52.
Cockburn meshed splendidly with John Aston, being swift to
cover when the adventurous left-back embarked on his characteristic forays into
opposition territory, and with the left winger Charlie Mitten, who benefited
constantly from the wing-half's crisp and canny distribution. Indeed,
reminiscing during the late 1990s about Busby's breathtaking post-war creation,
Mitten declared:
It was fabulous to play in front of Henry. When
he got the ball I always knew that I would be the next to touch it. He was
totally reliable, both as a player and as a comrade.
The manager agreed, frequently praising Cockburn's slick
one-touch passing technique and lauding the little man for responding to a
cherished Busby maxim with which he drilled his players religiously: the ball is
round, so keep it rolling!
Unusually for one so short, Cockburn was magnificent
aerially, too, being capable of leaping above much taller opponents from a
standing start, thanks to a combination of exceptional athleticism and well-nigh
perfect timing. Such was his fitness and consistency that the advent of his
thirties seemed unlikely to signal the closure of his Old Trafford sojourn, but
an accident in a friendly encounter with Kilmarnock in the autumn of 1953,
staged to mark the installation of floodlights at Rugby Park, altered that
perception.
As Cockburn climbed high to meet a ball, he was dazzled by
the Killies' new lights and clashed heads with his marker. He was led away with
a smashed jaw, a young leviathan named Duncan Edwards trotted on to take his
place, and the No 6 shirt was never again his automatic preserve.
Still hardly a gnarled veteran at the age of 30, Cockburn
was not content with life in United's reserves and in October 1954 he accepted a
transfer to Second Division Bury, where he linked up once more with the former
Red Devil Stan Pearson, the deliciously gifted inside-forward behind whom he had
performed so superbly for so long. At Gigg Lane he added 39 League and FA Cup
appearances to the 275 he had accumulated at Old Trafford, then switched to
Peterborough United, at the time plying their trade in the Midland League, in
the summer of 1956.
Cockburn adored playing football so much that he was eager
to continue, even at lesser levels, later assisting Corby Town and Sankeys of
Wellington before being attracted back to the Football League by another former
United chum, the Oldham Athletic manager Jack Rowley, as a trainer at Boundary
Park in February 1961. Three years later he signed for Huddersfield Town as
assistant trainer, eventually working under yet another ex-Old Trafford
colleague, Ian Greaves, as senior coach before bowing out of the professional
game in 1975.
He was ideally suited to his role at Leeds Road, being
especially adept at working with rookies, as he had proved in the twilight of
his Manchester United days when his help to the emerging Busby Babes had been
invaluable. Indeed, he played an important and selfless part in the development
of that remarkable wave of fresh talent, making light of the inevitable
circumstance that the precocious newcomers would soon be depriving him of
employment.
It was tragically ironic that, when he was working
part-time on a Peterborough newspaper in 1958, one of his duties was to write
the posters which told of the Munich air disaster in which so many of his
protégés had perished. - The Independent obituary
____________________
CG
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