In the months ahead, commemorations will continue to be held across the world to mark the centenary of the events of the First World War.
In the latest of several such features Linfieldfc.com again honours and pays respects to one of the club's former players who answered their country's call after the outbreak of World War 1 in June 1914.
The latest former Linfield player to be featured will be a name that in recent years, along with the names of Walker, Maultsaid and others has been brought back to the attention of a modern audience, as the club has dignifiedly honoured the sacrifice of the Fallen in the World Wars and other conflicts across the globe.
Using as our source, the handwritten records of the late former Chairman David Crawford Linfieldfc.com honours and pays tribute to former Linfield player Patrick Hagan who unfortunately, was to become one of this club's casualties in the horrors of the Somme in the First World War in July 1916.
Patrick (Paddy) Hagan was born in Edinburgh (no date of birth recorded in club records) and the inside or centre forward signed for Linfield for the 1899/1900 season.
He made his debut in a 4-2 home win against Belfast Celtic on October 21, 1899 and in his debut 1899/1900 season, he played in 10 games scoring 4 goals. His first goal came in a 4-1 home City Cup win against Cliftonville on December 2, 1899.
In March 1900 the military player received a presentation from Linfield before going off to serve in the Boer War in South Africa.
The Boer War ended in 1902 and the Scotsman, described as 'a very tricky player and ball juggler' , re-signed for Linfield as a professional in 1903. His first game in his second spell at the club was a 0-0 County Antrim Shield semi final draw with Cliftonville at Grosvenor Park on March 7, 1903. He scored the only goal in the replay win at the same venue a few weeks later on March 25.
He lived at 66 Stranmillis Rd in Belfast and in the latter stages of the 1902/03 season, he made 10 appearances scoring 2 goals.
He scored the Linfield goal in the County Antrim Shield final 4-1 replay defeat by Distillery at Solitude on May 2, 1903 but he won a Charity Cup winners' medal in a 2-0 win against Glentoran at Solitude on May 16, 1903. He played in the 1-0 City Cup final play off win against Belfast Celtic at Grosvenor Park on May 23, 1903.
He won a league winners' medal, making 30 overall appearances in season 1903/04 and scoring 19 goals. This tally of goals included 3 in a 7-0 home league win against KOSB on October 17, 1903, four goals in a 7-1 home league win against Derry Celtic on October 31, 1903 and a further 2 goals in a 8-1 away league win against Cliftonville on December 5, 1903.
In the Irish Cup final at Grosvenor Park on March 17, 1904, he scored 2 goals in a 5-0 win against Derry Celtic and he scored once in a 4-1 win in the County Antrim Shield final against Belfast Celtic at Solitude on April 2, 1904.
The Linfield team in the 1904 Irish Cup final was : Scott, Shephard, McCartney, Anderson, Milne (1), Maginnis, Darling (2), Hagan (2), Carnegie, Stewart and Whaites.
He won 3 inter league caps in 1904 against the Scottish and English Leagues and he was married in Edinburgh on 23 June 1904.
On September 22 1904 he played for Linfield in a friendly against Everton in Liverpool and in the 1904/05 season he played 15 times for Linfield, scoring 7 goals.
He signed for Brentford in 1905 although later that year, he moved to Hibernian.
He returned to Linfield Swifts for season 1907/08, season before returning to Hibs for season 1908/09 and from there, he signed for Port Glasgow in 1909.
He made a total of 65 appearances for Linfield, scoring 32 goals.
Sergeant Patrick Hagan of the Royal Scots' Fusiliers was killed in the Beaumont Hamel area on 14 July 1916. His final resting place is unknown but he is listed and honoured on the Thiepval Memorial in France (Pier and Face 6D & 7D).
As with other similar tales I have told lately of Linfield players from this fascinating period in world history, the stories are told by way of tribute to and in honour of so many great men who made our club great. The stories from this particular generation are of course particularly poignant because these were brave men whose lives, as well as their footballing careers and achievements were cut cruelly short by the outbreak of the First World War.
Audaces Fortuna Juvat
AC
Sergeant Patrick Hagan, 11th Battalion Royal Scots
