Hird: Kevin

1979-1984 (Player Details)

Right Back/Midfield

Born: Colne: 11-02-1952

Debut: Norwich City (h): 03-03-1979

5’7” 10st 6lb (1979)

A Burnley fan, he attended Lord Street School, Colne and he was picked up by Blackburn Rovers from school in October 1970 and signed professional in February 1973. He built a big reputation as an attacking full-back. When Leeds signed him from Rovers for £357,000, it made him the most expensive full-back in the British game at that time. He played one hundred and thirty-two times, including three as a substitute, and scored twenty goals for Rovers. As it turned out Hird spent much of his days at Elland Road as a midfielder, where his forays down the right owed much to his dribbling skills. At Leeds he netted some spectacular goals and also took on the responsibility of penalty taker. Known as “Jasper” to the fans, because of his likeness to comedian Jasper Carrot, he was a bit of an enigma, capable of both mind-boggling skills and basic errors, but no one could fault him for effort. He was one of Jimmy Adamson's better buys, but unfortunately for Hird his new Manager could not decide which was his best position and where to play him. Hird had attacking instincts and so he was tried on the right wing, where his mazy runs and dribbling skills and long-range shooting could be of use. He could always be relied upon to gave 100% no matter where he was selected. He was also selected for the PFA Second Division Team of the Year in 1978-79. His goals, supplemented by several from the penalty spot were invaluable to a Leeds attack that found it hard to score and in 1979-80 he was the club's leading scorer in the League with eight! He personified inconsistency and was a confidence player who was brilliant one minute and woeful the next, capable of scoring brilliant goals just as he was of missing sitters. He could be brilliant in training and yet fail to produce on the pitch where it mattered. He based his game on hard running, no matter whether at right back or outside right/midfield. His head down and shoulders hunchedposture did not make for accurate or inspired distribution and his proneness to being caught out of position and to lose possession because of his willingness to run in trying to produce goal-scoring chances where only as good as his crosses, if he could get them into the danger zone. A bit of an enigma, who could take opposition defences by surprise by the quality of his own finishing, yet doubt his own ability to do so and yet still have the courage to take on the responsibility of being the team's penalty-taker with good success. He was still only twenty-nine when he was allowed to move to Burnley in August 1984 on a free transfer and it seemed John Bond had made a killing when he scored sixteen League goals in his first season with the Clarets. He made his debut on 11th August 1984, against Blackpool in the Lancashire Cup and his League debut followed the following week at home to Plymouth Argyle on 25th August 1984. He was selected, in 1985–86, for Football League Fourth Division PFA Team of the Year. He played his final game for Burnley at Colchester United on 6th May 1986 and stayed at Turf Moor until June 1986, until the club decided they could no longer afford his services. He had scored twenty-three goals in eighty-three League appearances, and thirty-one goals in one hundred and four starts and one game from the bench in all competitions, when he gave up full-time football and began work at a timber merchant’s and also played for North-West Counties League club, Colne Dynamoes. He joined Colne in the summer of 1986 and in September 1991 he joined Barnoldswick United after Colne folded. He was spent several seasons playing for the Amateur Kelbrook Reserves until they disbanded in 2007. He then spent three seasons at another amateur team, Earby F.C. in the Craven And District league. Hird still passes on his wealth of experience to youngsters through his coaching school and Blackburn Rovers' Centre of Excellence. He is a support assistant at a special school in his birthplace Colne, but he still plays occasionally for the Blackburn Rovers' Veterans. His son Sam is a Folk Blues Violinist and obtained a classical music degree at Manchester University. Hird himself is a self-taught Guitarist with a flair as an Artist.