493: John Hartson, West Ham United, Merlin’s Premier League 99 Official Sticker Collection

Whenever Emlyn Jones refers to classic strikers he tends to alternate between the phrases “prick in the mixer” and “big goals c***”. The fact that these two excellent terms do not feature in the following post give an insight into how fondly today’s subject is viewed by followers of the Welsh national team not to mention a handful of clubs for whom he gave his all in front of goal. Over to Emlyn.

The big man up top is a well-known trope in the football world and the subject of this article is one of the most successful in both England and Scotland, and for the Welsh national side. He also provides a rare positive in my ever-increasingly demoralising support of the Welsh on S4C. Many people remember him as a slightly unsophisticated player, relying on brute strength, and a couple of unfortunate training ground events, but over 150 goals and five varied footballer of the year awards suggest that there was quite a bit more to John Hartson on the football field, and his off field story is also particularly inspiring.

Born in Swansea, Hartson's early career almost came to an unfortunate end when he was sent home from Luton Town's Youth Training Scheme after stealing the bank card of one of the family with whom he was staying; this was to help fund a gambling addiction, however, after a suspension of four months he was allowed to return. Luton had identified him on the strength of his performance for hometown side Afan Lido, and were willing to forgive the indiscretion, and he turned professional in 1992, debuting at 18 in a League Cup game against Cambridge United. 53 games and eleven goals later, George Graham decided to sign the still teenage Hartson for Arsenal, paying a record fee for a player under 20 of £2.5m.

Although Graham was soon on his way following the Brown Bag Bung Business, Hartson started strongly, partnering Ian Wright in a the absence of injured Alan Smith and netting several key goals. This included scoring in the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup final, before David Seaman was lobbed from a distance of 40 yards for, as it transpired, not the final time in his career. The arrival of Dennis Bergkamp meant that Hartson faced increased competition along the front line, and while he was able to play 38 games over the following two seasons, he decided to seek a greater level of playing time elsewhere. Another record fee was involved as he became West Ham United's most expensive player, tasked with helping the side survive a relegation scrap. Five goals helped them rise to a comfortable fourteenth by the end of the season, and the next season saw a fantastic return of 24 goals from 42 games. It was reported that Manchester United were keen, however, an ugly training ground incident occurred in which Hartson responded to a swipe from Eyal Berkovic with a vicious kick to the face. The incident was caught on camera, and Hartson's form fell off a cliff. In January, he moved to another struggling side, Wimbledon, again for a club record fee of £7.5m.

This wasn't the only training ground incident in Hartson's career. His autobiography included the intriguing story of an altercation with Wales manager Bobby Gould while on international duty in 1996. In a bizarre attempt to quash perceived bad feeling, Gould decided to challenge Hartson to a fight, and the other players encircled them, with Gary Speed in particular goading him on. Gould ended with scratches on his face, and only a couple of years later was being slagged off on stage by the Manic Street Preachers, before being sacked in 1999. Two goals in eighteen games in his international career to the date of Gould's sacking hardly reflected Hartson's abilities, and improved performances under Mark Hughes meant Hartson finished his Wales career with fourteen in 51. While he never made a major tournament, the side were exceptionally close in 2003, missing out in the playoffs to a Russian side that fielded a player that subsequently failed a drug test. Definitely not still bitter about that.

Hartson's time at Wimbledon was marred by injuries, and the side were relegated in his second season. He played half a year in the second tier before Coventry City brought him back to the Premier League in February 2001, where despite six goals he suffered relegation once more. His injury record had reduced the clubs willing to take a chance on Hartson, however Celtic picked him up for £6m, beginning what would be something of a love affair between player and side. Across five campaigns Hartson never failed to finish a season with a record of greater than a goal every other game, despite missing a large portion of the 2003/04 season with a back injury. The support of the fans through this difficult portion of his career led to Hartson receiving a large arm tattoo of Celtic anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone". He won three Premier Leagues, two Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup in his spell. Ahead of the 2005/06 season, Hartson retired from international football to focus on his Celtic career, and after a final eighteen goal season left the club as a hero, returning to the English second tier to play for West Bromwich Albion. He managed five goals in his first season, before issues with injuries and his weight began to toll, and following an unsuccessful one-month loan spell with Norwich City, Hartson called it a day.

Hartson was immediately approached by Scottish side East Stirlingshire for a managerial role, but he declined the opportunity, taking up a role with Setanta Sports as a pundit instead. He was successful, however in 2009, crippling headaches encouraged him to visit his doctor, and following tests he was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Hartson had ignored symptoms of what turned out to be testicular cancer for four years, and it had spread throughout his body to his brain and lungs. At one point, Hartson was given only a 50% chance of survival, and endured 67 rounds of chemotherapy and numerous operations. Happily, the treatment was successful, and while Hartson lost five stone and bears the scars of the brain surgery he received, he made a full recovery. He also won one final battle, managing to break free of the gambling addiction that had nearly derailed his early career, saving his marriage by attending Gambling Anonymous and celebrated ten years without a bet in 2021.

Hartson now runs the John Hartson Foundation, which spreads awareness of the warning signs of testicular cancer while also providing support for sufferers. Hartson is forthright in explaining that he ignored the warning signs of his cancer for several years and cherishes the time he now has to spend with his children. Alongside his charitable endeavours, he is also a regular on S4C's Welsh language coverage of Wales games, and maintains a successful media career on both TV and radio in both English and Welsh language mediums. The reaction from the football community to his cancer diagnosis reflected the sense of admiration from throughout the game, particularly from Celtic fans, and ensures that Hartson will be remembered for far more than a couple of training ground dust-ups.