Gordon Hoare


Gordon Rahere Hoare was an English amateur footballer who was a member of the Great Britain team that won the gold medal at the 1912 Summer Olympics. In club football, he played in the Football League for Woolwich Arsenal, Glossop and Fulham.

Career

Born in Blackheath, Hoare started out with junior sides such as West Norwood, Woolwich Polytechnic, and Bromley before joining Woolwich Arsenal in 1907. He made his League debut in a First Division match against Sheffield Wednesday on 20 April 1908, the last day of the 1907–08 season. Although he played 11 League matches in 1908–09, scoring five goals, he was unhappy at the lack of regular first-team football and moved to Glossop in December 1909. From 1909 through to 1911 he also turned out occasionally for Kent League side Northfleet United.
He lasted a year at Glossop before returning to Woolwich Arsenal in December 1910. He scored seven times in 16 games for Arsenal in the 1910–11 season, but was once again dropped at the start of the following season, unable to oust Jackie Chalmers and Charles Randall from the front line. He rejoined Glossop in February 1912; in total, he played 34 times for Arsenal, scoring 13 goals.
Hoare was capped multiple times for the England amateur team. He was a member of the team that represented Great Britain at the 1912 Summer Olympics: he played all three matches as Great Britain won the gold medal in the football tournament.
After his second spell at Glossop, Hoare went on to play for Queens Park and Fulham, finally retiring in 1920. He died in 1973, aged 89.

Personal life

Hoare served as a lieutenant in the Army Service Corps during the First World War.