Hastie: John Kenneth George (Ken)

1952-1952 (Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Capetown, South Africa: 06-09-1928

Debut: v Birmingham City (a): 17-09-1952

5’10” 11st 12lb (1952)

A printer by trade, he caught the eye in 1951 when he gave an excellent display at full-back for the South Africans against Newcastle United. Leeds signed him from his South African club, Clyde Athletic, in August 1952. A versatile player, he switched to a forward role after the 1951 tour and, after only one Reserve game for Leeds, was thrown in at the deep end. United must have thought they had unearthed a diamond when the South African-born Hastie made a two goal debut at St Andrews, but he never reached his full potential and slipped quietly out of the game. Leeds had struggled to find a centre forward since the early parts of the 1951-52 season, after Len Browning had moved to Sheffield United. They had found a replacement in Frank Fidler, but he was injured in the early games of the 1952-53 season and, after first trying Don Mills and then Barry Smith, United turned to Hastie. He was an inside forward at the time, but was used to solve their centre-forward problem. All his four games for United were in the centre-forward role and, after Hastie’s fourth game, they solved their problem by switching John Charles to centre-forward! Hastie left United in the summer of 1953 and returned to South Africa where he played for Germiston Callies until 1955.