Johnny Hancocks
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 April 1919 | ||
| Place of birth | Oakengates, England | ||
| Date of death | 19 February 1994 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Oakengates, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | ||
| Playing position | Outside right | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Wrekin Schools | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Oakengates Town | |||
| 1938–1939 | Walsall | 30 | (9) |
| 1946–1957 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 343 | (158) |
| 1957–1959 | Wellington Town | ||
| 1960 | Cambridge United | ||
| Oswestry Town | |||
| National team | |||
| 1948–1950 | England | 3 | (2) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1957–1959 | Wellington Town (player/manager) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Johnny Hancocks (30 April 1919 – 19 February 1994) was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 6.5 boots although there was a myth that he wore size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15. In October 1938, he turned professional with Walsall of the Third Division South and played a full season of league football there.
The outbreak of World War II halted his football career, as he joined the army in 1940 and became a physical training instructor. He did, however, manage to make several appearances for the army in representative games and also guested for Wrexham and Shrewsbury Town.
With the resumption of league football, Hancocks was signed by First Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers on 11 May 1946 for £4,000, making his debut on 31 August 1946 in a 6-1 thrashing of Arsenal. He claimed his first goal for the club in another 6-1 victory on 12 October, against Huddersfield Town, and added 9 more in his debut season. The following season, he was even more prolific, finishing as joint top scorer (alongside Jesse Pye) with 16.
Such form won him a call-up to the England team. He made his international debut on 2 December 1948 in a 6-0 hammering of Switzerland at Highbury, during which Hancocks scored twice. Despite his goalscoring debut, the likes of Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney saw him overlooked until October 1949 for his next cap (vs Wales), and he subsequently managed only one more cap (vs Yugoslavia in November 1950).
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