English footballer (1941–2019)
Walter Hazelden (born 13 February 1941; died 2019) was an English former footballer who played as an inside forward for Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic.
Career
Hazelden was born on 13 February 1941 in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan.[2] He started his career with Aston Villa after being signed as a junior player in 1956.[2] At the age of 16, he made his first team debut for the club in November 1957 against West Bromwich Albion, scoring the opening goal and setting up Villa's second in a 3–2 defeat.[3] On 1 February 1958, before a match against Blackpool, Hazelden presented a gift on behalf of Aston Villa to Stanley Matthews to commemorate his 43rd birthday.[4] A few days later, he represented the England national youth team, scoring in a 2–2 draw against Yugoslavia.[5] He scored five goals in 17 Football League games for Villa before joining Wigan Athletic in July 1960.[2]
Hazelden played at Wigan for one season, making 26 appearances in the Lancashire Combination, and finishing as the club's top scorer with 23 goals.[6]
He then joined Southern League side Rugby Town where he played for 3 seasons making 112 appearances in all competitions and scoring 56 goals
References