Thomas Hacking

Hacking was born on 23 June 1857 in Blackburn,{{cite book |title=Film no. 1278805 |date=23 June 1857 |publisher=England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 |location=Blackburn}} the son of William (a shoemaker) and Ellen Hacking.{{cite book |title=Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of Blackburn, in the county of Lancaster, in the year 1857 |date=23 June 1857 |publisher=St Mary the Virgin Parish |location=Blackburn |page=571}}

He trained as a dentist, and in 1878 was one of the first tranche of dentists to register with the General Medical Council, in accordance with the [https://vlex.co.uk/vid/dentists-act-1878-808028109 Dentists Act] that year, having been in practice before 22 July.{{cite book |title=The Dentists Register for 1893 |date=1893 |publisher=Spottiswoode & Co |location=London |page=98}}

Hacking's first known appearance in the game was in goal for Blackburn Olympic in a 4–1 home friendly win over Welsh Cup holders Wrexham in October 1880;{{cite journal |title=Wrexham v Blackburn Olympic |journal=Sportsman |date=11 October 1880 |page=4}} from February 1881, he was the first choice in the Olympic goal, replacing Baldwin.{{cite journal |title=Blackburn Olympic v Turton |journal=Blackburn Standard |date=26 February 1881 |page=3}}

He appeared in the FA Cup for the first time in Olympic's second entry, in 1881–82; despite his "grand vigilance" in goal, Olympic went down 3–1 at Darwen in the first round.{{cite journal |title=Darwen v Blackburn Olympic |journal=Athletic News |date=2 November 1881 |page=6}} However he finished the season with a winners' medal in the 1881–82 East Lancashire Charity Cup, as Olympic beat Blackburn Rovers 5–2 in the final in August 1882, the final delayed significantly as Olympic successfully protested its defeat to Accrington on the basis that the Owd Reds had fielded an ineligible player.{{cite journal |title=En passant |journal=Athletic News |date=9 August 1882 |page=1}}{{cite journal |title=The East Lancashire Charity Cup |journal=Sporting Life |date=9 August 1882 |page=1}}

His second season in the FA Cup, in 1882–83, saw Olympic win the Cup, in large part to Hacking's performance in the 1883 FA Cup final against the Old Etonians, especially in the last minute when he ran out of goal to tackle Macaulay when he had gone clean through.{{cite journal |title=Old Etonians v Blackburn Olympic |journal=Bell's Life |date=7 April 1883 |page=4}}

Despite this national success, the Light Blues had less success on a local level. Hacking missed the 1882-83 East Lancashire Charity Cup final against Blackburn Rovers, which perhaps explains why Rovers won 6–2.{{cite journal |title=East Lancashire Charity Cup (Final Tie) |journal=Blackburn Standard |date=19 May 1883 |page=3}} Rovers also beat Olympic in the Lancashire Senior Cup finals of 1884 and 1885, Hacking only playing in the first final.{{cite journal |title=The Lancashire Association Challenge Cup - Final Tie |journal=Blackburn Standard |date=26 April 1884 |page=3}}

Hacking refused to turn professional, his final FA Cup match coming in a 3–2 defeat to the now-dominant - and much better-backed - Rovers in 1884–85,{{cite journal |title=Blackburn Rovers v Blackburn Olympic |journal=Blackburn Standard |date=13 December 1884 |page=3}} and had more or less retired from the game by 1885; he was registered as an amateur player only for the 1885–86 season.{{cite journal |title=Football prospects |journal=Blackburn Standard |date=5 September 1885 |page=5}} He nearly came out of retirement to help Olympic after replacement goalkeeper Southworth had been deemed ineligible for the 1885–86 FA Cup, but a death in the family meant he had to withdraw from the first-round tie with Church,{{cite journal |title=report |journal=Cricket & Football Field |date=21 November 1885 |page=8}} and the Olympic duly went out.

His final games for the Olympic were in friendly matches in the 1886–87 season.{{cite journal |title=Blackburn Olympic v Notts County |journal=Blackburn Standard |date=30 October 1886 |page=2}} His very last match in Olympic colours was in a match between former players of the Olympic and the Rovers in March 1892, in front of nearly 4,000 at Ewood Park, for the benefit of former Olympic chairman John Dixon, although he only played for the first half.{{cite journal |title=Old Blackburn Rovers v Old Blackburn Olympic |journal=Preston Herald |date=30 March 1892 |page=7}}

Hacking never played international football, but he did represent the Lancashire Association in inter-county matches between 1881{{cite journal |title=Lancashire v Birmingham (Association) |journal=Sportsman |date=21 November 1881 |page=3}} and 1884.{{cite journal |title=Lancashire v Sheffield |journal=Sportsman |date=6 December 1884 |page=8}}

Hacking worked as a dentist in Blackburn until he retired to run a boarding establishment in Llandudno called "Stratford", on Craig-y-Don Parade, in 1922.{{cite book |title=Burials in the Parish of Eglwys Rhos |date=24 November 1931 |publisher=Llanrhos Parish Church |location=Llanrhos |page=57}} He died there on 21 November 1934.{{cite book |title=National Probate Calendar Haarer-Kite |date=1935 |publisher=HMSO |location=London |page=3}} He was survived by his two daughters.{{cite journal |title=Old Olympic player |journal=Lancashire Evening Post |date=23 November 1934 |page=7}}

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hacking, Thomas}}

Category:1857 births

Category:1934 deaths

Category:Footballers from Blackburn

Category:English men's footballers

Category:Blackburn Olympic F.C. players

Category:Men's association football goalkeepers