Biography
Right full back Ralph Bickerton Hedley joined Hull City in October 1923 after having impressed several Football League sides playing for Newburn in the North Eastern League, having previously played for Tyneside League side Pandon Temperance. He was born and raised in Cambois (pronounced Cammus), a mining and shipping community on the north bank of the River Blyth opposite the town of Blyth.
Ralph found his feet in City’s Reserves and was pressed into first team action on Boxing Day 1923, a 4-2 win over Fulham, and continued to deputise at right back when regular choice Jock Gibson was absent in early February and late April 1924. Hedley remained on City’s books at the start of the 1924/25 season but made no further first team appearances and moved on in December 1924.
In December 1924 Hedley joined Crystal Palace, one of the clubs that was chasing his signature a year earlier when he left Newburn. Hedley made his Palace debut in January 1925 against his former side Hull City, and match that the Tigers dominated by a 5-0 scoreline. Despite this setback Ralph, who made no further first team starts in the 1924/25 season, was retained by Palace the following season and played three times for the Division Three South side during April 1926. In August 1926 Hedley transferred to Division Three North side Durham City where he added four further senior appearances in October and November. At the end of the 1926/27 season Hedley appears to have dropped out of the game.
By 1939 Hedley had moved back Blyth in South East Northumberland where he worked as an electric crane driver. He died in Blyth in October 1966.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 31 May 1897, Cambois
Hull City First Game: 26 December 1923, Fulham H (Division Two), 26 years, 209 days old
Hull City Final Game: 5 April 1924, Barnsley H (Division Two), 26 years, 310 days old
Clubs
Pandon Temperance, Newburn (1923), Hull City (1923-1924), Crystal Palace (1924-1926), Durham City (1926-1927)
Hull City Record
Career: 9 apps, 0 goals
Ralph Hedley| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923/24 | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1924/25 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |