Hughie Russell

{{short description|English footballer}}

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

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Hughie Russell

| fullname = William Hugh Russell

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|3|10|df=y}}{{cite book |first=Roger|last= Triggs | title=The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club| publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd |year=2001|isbn=0-7524-2243-X|pages=282}}

| birth_place = Redcar, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|12|10|1921|3|10|df=y}}

| death_place = Taunton, England

| height =

| position = Centre forward

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1=

| years1 = | years2 = | years3 = | years5 = 1946–1952

| clubs1 = South Bank | clubs2 = Bishop Auckland | clubs3 = Royal Engineers (Barton Stacey) | clubs5 = Gillingham

| caps1 = | goals1 = | caps2 = | goals2 = | caps3 = | goals3 = | caps5 = 187 | goals5 = 106

}}

William Hugh "Hughie" Russell (10 March 1921 – 10 December 1991) was an English professional footballer.

Shortly after World War II Russell joined Gillingham, then a non-league team. He scored 98 goals in just 126 games for the Kent side prior to their return to the Football League in 1950, including a haul of nine goals in a match against Gloucester City in the 1946–47 season, a club record for a single match which stands to this day. Contemporary newspaper reports state that he hit the post late on with a shot which could have given him double figures.{{cite book

| last = Triggs

| first = Roger

| title = Gillingham Football Club: A Chronology 1893–1984

| publisher = Kent County Libraries

| year = 1984

| pages = 16 }}

Russell remained at the club after its re-election to the Football League, but could not repeat his non-league scoring feats, registering just 8 goals in over 60 matches. He was forced to retire through injury in 1952 and later served as the club's trainer before leaving football entirely to work as a hotelier. He died in Taunton in 1991.