Bob Hardisty

{{short description|English footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Bob Hardisty

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = John Roderick Elliot Hardisty

| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|12|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Chester-le-Street, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|1986|10|31|1921|12|1|df=y}}

| death_place = Durham, England

| height =

| position = Wing half

| years1 = 1939–1946

| clubs1 = Bishop Auckland

| caps1 = ?

| goals1 = ?

| years2 = 1946–1949

| clubs2 = Darlington

| caps2 = 6

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1949–1957

| clubs3 = Bishop Auckland

| caps3 = ?

| goals3 = ?

| years4 = 1958

| clubs4 = Manchester United

| caps4 = 0

| goals4 = 0

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1948–1956

| nationalteam1 = Great Britain

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 3

}}

John Roderick Elliot "Bob" Hardisty (1 December 1921 – 31 October 1986) was an English amateur footballer who represented Great Britain at the Olympics in 1948, 1952 and 1956, making a total of six appearances.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=290536/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227055048/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=290536/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 December 2011|title=John Hardisty|accessdate=2 September 2009|publisher=FIFA}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/25229 |title=Bob Hardisty |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 October 2021}}

Hardisty spent the majority of his career with Bishop Auckland, winning the Northern League seven times.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ha/bob-hardisty-1.html|title=Bob Hardisty|accessdate=2 September 2009|publisher=Sports Reference|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126001002/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ha/bob-hardisty-1.html|archivedate=26 January 2010|df=dmy-all}} Hardisty also won the FA Amateur Cup three times between 1955 and 1957.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.org.uk/athletebio.aspx?at=4048|title=John Roderick Elliot (Bob) Hardisty|accessdate=2 September 2009|publisher=British Olympic Association}}

Hardisty also made 6 appearances in the Football League for Darlington between 1946 and 1949.{{cite web|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/darlington/darlington.html|title=DARLINGTON : 1946/47 - 1988/89 & 1990/91 - 2007/08|accessdate=2 September 2009|publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database}}

Hardisty briefly came out of retirement in 1958 to play for Manchester United following the Munich air disaster, although he never made a league appearance for them.{{cite web|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/manutd/manutd.html|title=MANCHESTER UNITED : 1946/47 - 2008/09|accessdate=2 September 2009|publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database}}

Hardisty later became a football coach and worked with Matt Busby.

He was portrayed by the actor Liam Shannon in the 2011 BBC TV drama United.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gfzp5|title=BBC Two - United, Are You a Red or a Blue?}}