Nobby Hadfield
Hall of Fame
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Biography
Date of birth
Signed
Country
England
THE first man to ever wear the number 5 shirt for the Brewers - Nobby Hadfield was inducted into the Burton Albion Hall of Fame in 2021.
A J "Bert" Hadfield, better and more fondly known as Nobby, was described by former Burton Mail sports journalist Rex Page in his Burton Albion book "Wellington Street to Wembley" as "unquestionably the first man in the queue for the Burton Albion Hall of Fame".
A 26-year-old centre half, he took the No 5 shirt in the Brewers' first ever game in August 1950. Tough but fair, he was considered the best defender in the old Birmingham League. He quickly won the hearts and gained the admiration of Albion followers to become a legendary figure in the famous old black and amber.
"Tough but air - the centre-half who never knows when he is beaten," was one description of him. "Robust, determined and indefatigable," was another football scribe's impression, before dubbing him the sport's equivalent of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Hadfield clocked up 270 appearances between 1950 and 1957 and was rewarded with a benefit game in April 1956, watched by almost 5,000 fans at Wellington Street as the Brewers drew 3-3 with Charlton Athletic, the Addicks sending seven of the team which had beaten Hadfield and the Brewers in the Third Round Proper of the FA Cup earlier that year.
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