Biography
Defender Harold Kirman was born in Hull and enjoyed a promising youth career – he lifted the Hull Schools Cup in 1944 as captain of the Maybury Road School side, and he was a regular choice for the East Riding FA Juniors XI between 1947 and 1949 while associated with Francis Askew School and Hull City Juniors. He signed amateur terms for City at 17 years old in June 1948 and played for the “A” team, then signed professional terms in December 1950. Despite all this promise, Kirman’s developmental years at City coincided with the arrival of Raich Carter as manager and numerous high profile first team signings, which shut off a route to first team for Harold and several other promising youngsters like him. He was therefore unable to progress further than the “A” and Reserve teams.
In January 1952 Harold began his National Service with the Royal Air Force at Padgate near Warrington, alongside another notable City youngster Brian Bulless. but Kirman’s service soon took him to the south of England. In July 1952 Division Three South side Gillingham struck an agreement with Hull City to sign Kirman, on the understanding that City could recall him when they wished – a kind of loan move before they became formalised. He ended up staying with Gillingham for two and a half years, playing for the Reserves in the 1952/53 season and making eight first team starts in the 1953/54 season after a debut against Walsall in March 1954.
In May 1954 City activated their recall clause for Kirman, which Gillingham ignored and it took until January 1955 and an intervention from the Football Association before Kirman returned to the Tigers. He played regularly for City’s reserves for two years and at the start of the 1955/56 season he made his two first team starts, deputising for the injured Trevor Porteous who like Kirman was a product of the post-war Hull football scene. By this time Kirman was suffering from recurring knee injuries and had surgery in the 1956 close season, after recuperating during the 1956/57 season he was placed on the transfer list in May 1957. His football career came to an end at this point although he continued to plunder plenty of club cricket runs around the Hull scene until the late 1970s, playing for the works side of Hollis Brothers’ timberyard then switching to YPI CC in 1971 and captaining the side until 1978. Harold also continued to play for the Ex-Tigers Association XI well into the 1960s.
Kirman remained in the Hull area for the rest of his life and died in July 2011.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 3 December 1930, Hull
Hull City First Game: 29 August 1955, Lincoln City H (Division Two), 24 years, 269 days old
Hull City Final Game: 3 September 1955, Plymouth Argyle H (Division Two), 24 years, 274 days old
Clubs
Hull City (1948-1952), Gillingham (1952-1955), Hull City (1955-1957)
Hull City Record
Career: 2 apps, 0 goals
Harold Kirman| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948/49 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1949/50 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1950/51 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1951/52 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1954/55 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1955/56 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1956/57 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |