for Hamilton and Martin

At Tynecastle on Saturday before the game there will be a minute’s applause in memory of two former players who were star’s of the 1950s.  

Heart of Midlothian FC will pay tribute to Johnny Hamilton, after the former winger passed away recently aged 78. In a very nice gesture the Edinburgh club have kindly said the minute’s applause will also be in memory of former Aberdeen goalkeeper Fred Martin who died this week.

Both Fred and Johnny played during a golden era for Scottish football. Between 1951 and 1965 there were 8 different winners of the Scottish League Championship. Hearts won it twice and Aberdeen once.

Hamilton, or “Wee Hammy” as he was affectionately known, was born in Lanarkshire in January 1935 and developed into a very fine traditional winger who was comfortable on either the right or left flank.

His dribbling skills and incisive running endeared him to the crowd and he went right into the first team squad in 1955-56. Indeed he won his first U23 cap in February 1956. Johnny had early competition from Ian Crawford and Alex Young and played only four games when Hearts won the Championship in 1957-58. However, he did score four important goals and was outstanding when Hearts beat Scotland 3-2 in March 1958, in a World Cup Trial. He soon became an important part of the Hearts team and earned winners’ medals in three League Cup Finals: 1958-59, 1959-60 and 1962-63. Johnny actually scored in the first two of these finals. He represented the Scottish League in 1958-59 and then the following season was prominent in the League Championship-winning side, scoring seven goals in 27 appearances.

The wee winger played in many of Hearts’ first European games, including the home leg against Standard Liege in the 1958 Champions Cup, when the Maroons recorded their first competitive win against Continental opposition.

Johnny came close to adding more winners’ medals to his collection, as he twice helped Hearts to runners-up position in the League and also to the League Cup Final in October 1961. Johnny was released in April 1967 after scoring a sensational 157 goals in 496 appearances. Of these, 392 were in competitive games during which “Wee Hammy” hit a total of 119 goals which were usually followed by extravagant celebrations. He signed for Watford in May 1967 and later played for Berwick Rangers before retiring in 1973.

Fred Martin had the job of trying to keep Hamilton from scoring. From our records we believe Hamilton and Martin played against each other on 4 occasions; between 1955-1959 and Aberdeen lost the lot!

Fred Martin had joined the Dons in October 1946 as an inside-forward but during his national service he tried his hand at goalkeeping and found he had a natural talent for the position. On his return to Pittodrie Fred continued in his new found spot as last line of defence and by the start of the 1950-51 season he had become the No.1 choice goalkeeper at the club. As a keeper Fred had a great ability to read a game and he was not afraid to use his big frame to his advantage. In 1952 he was capped by the Scottish League before his promotion to the full international side in May 1954.The big keeper was a popular and familiar figure between the posts at Pittodrie throughout the 1950s and was a key member of the double trophy winning side over the mid fifties period. Fred also played in three losing Dons Scottish Cup final sides in 1953, 1954 and 1959.

Martin had the distinction of becoming the first Scotland keeper to play in the World Cup Finals. In Switzerland 1954, Fred kept goal for the Scots in both matches against Austria and Uruguay. Martin was also on international duty against England at Wembley on 2nd April 1955, the same day as Aberdeen defeated Rangers 4-0 at Pittodrie to set up a first league triumph for Aberdeen. Martin played in all but three of the Dons games in that championship season, conceding a miserly 26 goals in all matches. In his latter days at Pittodrie Fred’s career was marred by injury and he announced his retirement in 1960.

In his latter career at Pittodrie Fred’s career was marred by injury and he announced his retirement in 1960.

There will be a full tribute to Fred in RedMatchday Issue 04 (St Johnstone game next Saturday)