Biography
Harry Chapman was an experienced forward of high repute when he joined the Tigers in April 1911. He played two matches at the end of 1910/11 season then was a regular throughout the 1911/12 season, scoring seven goals including braces against Birmingham in December 1911 and Derby County in February 1912. In September 1912 Chapman sustained a broken knee cap that drew a close to his playing career.
He remained on the Hull City administrative staff and in April 1913 he succeeded Ambrose Langley as Hull City’s manager. He managed the side during the 1913/14 season, guiding the Tigers to the top of the table in January 1914 and a seventh place finish at the end of the season. However Chapman had to resign in September 1914 ahead of the new season due to ill health and tuberculosis eventually claimed Chapman’s life in September 1916.
Henry “Harry” Chapman was born in Kiveton Park, a mining settlement east of Sheffield, he had spells playing for his local team and at Midland League side Worksop Town at the end of the nineteenth century. In September 1899 he made the leap straight into Division One, joining newly promoted The Wednesday. Harry made his first team debut for the Owls in February 1900, scoring an equaliser against Blackburn Rovers, and by the end of the 1900/01 season he had made the inside right position his own. He scored twelve goals in the 1902/03 season as Wednesday lifted the Division One title and added 18 goals in the 1903/04 season as the Owls again won the league title and also reached the March 1904 FA Cup semi-final, losing out at Goodison Park to Manchester City. Harry missed chunks of the 1904/05 and 1906/07 seasons before starring as Wednesday to win the 1906/07 season FA Cup, defeating Everton 2-1 in the final at Crystal Palace. Chapman served the Owls for another four seasons and continued to score regularly – he netted his only career hattrick against Manchester City in November 1908. He made his last appearance for Sheffield Wednesday in January 1911 against Notts County, which took his tally for the Hillsborough club to 101 goals in 299 appearances.
Harry was the younger brother of legendary football manager Herbert Chapman. While Herbert had a less decorated career, playing for numerous clubs as a first team support player, he was a far superior manager. Herbert won the league championship four times (the 1923/24 and 1924/25 seasons with Huddersfield Town, then the 1930/31 and 1932/33 seasons with Arsenal), and the FA Cup twice (the 1921/22 season with Huddersfield Town and the 1929/30 season with Arsenal) before dying suddenly of pneumonia in January 1934.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 23 February 1880, Kiveton Park
Hull City First Game: 22 April 1911, Glossop A (Division Two), 31 years, 58 days old
Hull City Final Game: 27 April 1912, Bristol City A (Division Two), 32 years, 64 days old
Clubs
Kiveton Park (1897-1898), Worksop Town (1898-1899), Sheffield Wednesday (1899-1911), Hull City (1911-1912)
Hull City Record
Career: 34 apps, 7 goals
Harry Chapman| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910/11 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1911/12 | 30 | 7 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |