Freddie Glidden
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frederick Glidden | ||
| Date of birth | 7 September 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Newmains, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Murrayfield Rovers | |||
| West Calder Juveniles | |||
| 1945-1946 | Whitburn Juniors | ||
| 1946-1948 | Newtongrange Star | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1948-1959 | Hearts | 165 | (2) |
| 1959-1962 | Dumbarton | 97 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Frederick "Freddie" Glidden (born 7 September 1927 in Newmains, Lanarkshire) is a retired Scottish professional footballer who spent most of his career with Heart of Midlothian.
Raised in Stoneyburn, Glidden played for several different juvenile sides as a forward before moving to a half-back role upon joining junior side Whitburn[1] He earned selection for the Scottish junior international team in that role and eventually the chance to sign for League side Hearts.[2] He signed provisionally for Hearts in 1946 but spent two years farmed out to local junior side Newtongrange Star, where he played alongside future Hearts team-mate Willie Bauld.[3]
After returning to Hearts in 1948 and playing several seasons of reserve-team football, Glidden made his debut in November 1951 against Queen of the South.[2] Although he played as a right-back on that occasion, it was as right-half that he gained a regular role in the first team later that season. In 1954, Hearts' Scottish international centre-half sustained a serious knee-injury and, after covering for Dougan during his enforced absence, Glidden took over the position on a permanent basis.[1] He was part of the side that ended Hearts 48-year trophy drought by winning the 1954-55 League Cup and captained the team to Scottish Cup victory in 1955-56, a moment he recalls as the "sweetest" in his footballing career.[3]
Glidden completed his set of domestic medals as Hearts won the League title for the first time since 1897 in the 1957-58 season but a recurring back injury during the following season limited his appearances and eventually led to his departure from Tynecastle.[3] He joined Dumbarton in 1959 and played three seasons for the Second Division club before retiring in 1962.
Throughout his playing career Glidden has been registered on a part-time contract, simultaneously working in the West Lothian County Water Department.[2] He later worked as a sub-postmaster in Edinburgh.[3] He continued to follow former side Hearts and was a regular spectator at their home games for many years,[3] although in 2006 he was a vocal critic of Vladimir Romanov's stewardship of the club.
References
External links
- Freddie Glidden career at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
- Appearances at londonhearts.com