Hawksby: John Frederick (John)

1959-1964 (Player Details)

Inside Forward

Born: York: 12-06-1942

Debut: v Rotherham United (h): 27-08-1960

5’9” 10st 10lb (1962)

Hawksby was an outstanding prospect who played for Yorkshire Schoolboys and England Youth in 1959, when he picked up three caps against Wales, Scotland and East Germany, and signed for Leeds in June of that year. He soon pushed for a first-team spot and made a sensational start when he was given his chance in the senior side at eighteen, in place of the injured Don Revie, and scored in each of his first two games, against Rotherham United at Elland Road on 27th August 1960 and at Bristol Rovers two days later. He could not sustain that sort of form, however, and slowly slipped out of the first-team reckoning, as Leeds struggled through a very depressing period which culminated in the appointment of Don Revie as Manager in place of Jack Taylor. Despite having good close ball control and dribbling skills, Hawksby was percieved as a player who sometimes tended to over-elaborate and consequently concede possession to the opposition. Hawksby managed just seven appearances in the 1960-61 as Leeds relied on Billy Bremner, Don Revie and Noel Peyton to fill the inside forward berths, and three of his games were at Outside-Left for the injured Colin Grainger, but even then he was replaced by Albert Johanneson. It was as an outside-left that he made most of his appearancesin the ensuing season of 1961-62 when he had twenty-five League and four League Cup appearances, before finding himself sparsely used in 1962-63 as Johanneson again became first choice. His only appearances in 1963-64 was one game in each of the F.A. and League Cups. In August 1964, at the age of just twenty-two, he was transferred to Lincoln City, where made his debut on 22nd August 1964 in a 4-2 come win over Hartlepools United in the Fourth Division. He stayed at Sincil Bank, for two seasons, playing his final game on 9th March 1966 in a 0-2 home defeat by Chesterfield. In the League he scored four goals in sixty-five appearances, one being as a substitute, and a total of five goals in seventy-three starts and one game from the bench in all games, before joining York City, for £4,000, in March 1966. At Bootham Crescent he played seventy-four times, including two as a substitute, and scored seven goals. However, after his clubs, Lincoln City and York City, had had to apply for re-election in each of the four years he was with them, he went into Non-League football with Kings Lynn in July 1968. He had an extended Non-League career joining Bedford Town from Kings Lynn in the summer of 1970, then joining Kettering Town in August 1972, as Bedford had to sell players for financial reasons. He commanded a fee of £4,000 when he moved on to Dunstable Town in July 1974 and subsequently played for Stevenage Athletic, Rushden Town and Desborough Town. Whilst playing in Non-League he supplemented his income by becoming a Painter and Decorator.