Does anyone remember this guy? I saw his name listed in the PFA Team of the Season for 1986/87 along with Kenny Mower and David Kelly, but I can’t remember him at all.
From Wikipedia it looks as though he only played 16 league games for us between 1986 and 1988 and was even loaned out to Blackpool and Carlisle.
How did he manage to get in the PFA team of the season?
Yes he lived next door to some friends of ours in Aldridge, was a bit of a p##s head. Scottish and came to us fron Bristol City I think. Had been a decent player in his time but don’t think he was really up for it at Walsall
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Can remember him vaguely. I think he was one off Coakley’s wish list. Small, a bit terrier -like from what I remember. I think Coakley targeted him for the engine room but didn’t really live up to expectations. Not a disaster but surprised he made the PFA team.
You’re right. Came from Bristol City and this recognition was more for his efforts there than with us.
We were relatively big spenders at that point and being able to attract Bristol City’s best player at that time underscores this.
Had little impact with us unfortunately. Mark Goodwin who himself was hugely underrated by many Walsall fans together with Phil Hawker who played in midfield rather than the back in Coakleys time were good enough in that engine room.
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I vaguely remember him, but as PT said above, Goodwin was a mainstay, didn’t Paul Jones play in center mid too? I remember Hawker seemed to get more game time after Jones got injured. I am fairly sure O’Kelly dropped back in midfield in a few games too. I always thought Hawker had such a great football brain, he was a little wasted in defence, and much better as a midfielder.
Great shout pal. I think you’re right. Jonah was first choice and we may well have signed Hutchinson to cover his injury but Hawker proved to be a fine option in midfield.
Remember Hawker scoring the only goal in a 1-0 away win at Aldershot which was very important. He also scored a magic goal in the centenary game versus Man Utd as well as the third one in the playoff final against Bristol City.
I am going completely from memory here, haven’t checked up or anything, but I seem to remember Hawker played in a game at home v Chester which we won 1-0 and he was outstanding in midfield, and kept his place after that.
I went to the Aldershot game, Barber saved a penalty up our end. Had to walk through their fans to get to the away end, which was erm… interesting.
Yep. I was there too. And yes, walking through the woods in the dark afterwards was fun. As my dad dropped me and a mate off to catch the coach he said to be careful as he’d had trouble at Aldershot in the 60’s. Reckoned it was squaddies.
Paid a 40p transfer to go in the seats for some reason. Sat/stood behind an injured Andy Dornan. Hawker with a diving header on a day where only ourselves amongst the front runners played a league game because it was FA Cup second round day and we were out.
I was there. Weirdly I’d moved to Aldershot the weekend before for work, and from what I remember, the game wasn’t a postponed one rearranged, but had been brought forward because both teams were out the FA cup. Great goal from Hawker, would have made the road outside the park if the net hadn’t stopped it. That trouble was unlikely to have been squaddies. The town and the army just didn’t mix. I can’t imagine army joining up with locals for a fight.
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He made the PFA team two seasons in a row, the first when he was a Brizzle player for the entire season, the second when he was with us, but he didn’t join us until Feb or March, I think. The votes are done fairly early (January I think it used to be), so would presumably have been based on his half season with Brizzle rather than us. He moved around a lot, a talented player, it clicked at Brizzle but not really anywhere else, it would seem.
I think he was supposed to be one of the final pieces in the jigsaw but it didn’t happen.
One of those signings where we would think “done well to get him”. Made a few of those back then.
Cup-tied I suppose, so didn’t figure against Watford.
Thanks mate. That would explain it. I thought it must be something like that as I am sure I would have heard of him.
I just couldn’t find the dates he joined on the Internet.
Just looking at his wikipedia and it appears we sent him out on loan twice. Blackpool and Carlisle.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
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It was the Third, early January.