Harry Hanford

{{short description|Welsh footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Harry Hanford

|image =

|caption =

|fullname = Harold Hanford

|birth_date = {{birth date|1907|10|9|df=y}}

|birth_place = Blaengwynfi, Wales

|death_date = {{death date and age|1995|11|26|1907|10|9|df=y}}

|death_place =

|height =

|position = Centre half

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

|years1 = |clubs1 = Ton Pentre |caps1 = |goals1 =

|years2 = – |clubs2 = Blaengwynfi |caps2 = |goals2 =

|years3 = 1927–1935 |clubs3 = Swansea Town |caps3 = 201 |goals3 = 0

|years4 = 1935–1939 |clubs4 = Sheffield Wednesday |caps4 = 88 |goals4 = 1

|years5 = 1939–1940 |clubs5 = → Swindon Town (wartime guest) |caps5 = |goals5 =

|years6 = 1946–1947 |clubs6 = Exeter City |caps6 = 36 |goals6 = 0

|years7 = – |clubs7 = Haverfordwest Athletic |caps7 = |goals7 =

|totalcaps = |totalgoals =

|nationalyears1 = 1933–1939

|nationalteam1 = Wales

|nationalcaps1 = 7

|nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Harold "Harry" Hanford (9 October 1907 – 1996) was a Welsh footballer who made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing for Swansea Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Exeter City. He was capped seven times for Wales at senior international level.{{cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |publisher=SoccerData (Tony Brown) |location=Nottingham |year=2004 |page=113 |isbn=978-1-899468-67-6}}

In the book by Geraint H Jenkins, 'Proud to be a Swan', Hanford is described as "a muscular, lantern-jawed stopper". Despite having been at the club for only a short time, he is a "veteran" of the Swansea City side struggling under the management of James Thomson towards the end of the 1920s. An inspirational figure in the side who, in times of economic hardship, regularly rallied the troops with the help of the "legendary" Joe Sykes and recorded Football League appearance holder for the Swans, Wilfred Milne.{{cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Geraint |title=Proud to be a Swan |publisher=yLolfa|location=Talybont, Aberystwyth |year=2012 |page=39 |isbn=9781847714817}}

Hanford was part of the giant killing Swansea Town side that saw off First division Stoke City in the third round of the 1935 FA Cup. Swansea were having a difficult season in division two that year but, goals from S Lowery (2) Hughie Blair and Walter Bussey helped them see off Stoke at the Vetch Field.{{Cite web|url=http://www.freewebs.com/captainbeecher/swanseacity.htm|title=The Giant Killers}} Hanford played alongside Wilfred Milne, who still holds the club record for most appearances in the English Football League (586). However, the Swans went on to lose to Derby County in the fourth round.{{cite web | url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/swansea-city/tab/matches/season/1935 | title=Swansea City football club match record: 1935 | publisher=11v11.com | accessdate=2 November 2020}}