Jackie Hegan

Jackie Hegan spent all his professional career in the army and all his footballing career as an amateur with Corinthians. Serving at, and playing football for, the Sandhurst Military College he made his début for the Corinthians on 27 December 1919, but only by accident. He was scheduled to play for the Army against the amateurs but Corinthians were three players short and Hegan ‘swapped’ sides in what turned out to be the starting point of a long career with the famous club. He signed in June 1920 and spent 13 years with them, scoring 50 goals in 167 games for what was his only club. He went on to become one of the finest amateur wingers of the era, and won 23 England amateur international caps and was a member of the 1920 Olympic squad, playing in the 3-1 defeat by Norway.

Hegan also won four full international caps and scored two goals on his début against Belgium at Highbury in 1923. He had been selected for the England team against Belgium as a reserve two years earlier when only 20 years of age. He scored four goals in his four matches for the senior England team, but his greatest moment was as a member of the Corinthians team that beat Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup in 1924. In 1930 he played 85 minutes in an FA Cup tie against Millwall with a broken tibia. After his playing days he was in charge of football at Cheltenham Grammar School until 1934 when the school changed from the Association to Rugby code. As a soldier Hegan joined the Dublin Fusiliers and then the RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) and ended his career as a Lieutenant Colonel before retiring from service in 1949. He was awarded the OBE in 1943 for gallant and distinguished service in North Africa whilst serving with the RASC.