Description
Jonathan "Johnny" Hubbard, MBE is a retired South African footballer who spent the majority of his career at Rangers, and latterly played for Bury and Ayr United. He was the first African player to compete in the European Cup, having played in October 1956 with Rangers versus Nice, and also the first African player to score a goal in said competition one month later.
Hubbard arrived at Ibrox in 1949, signing for Rangers despite being offered a larger signing on fee by Clyde. He made his debut on 10 September 1949 in a league match against Partick Thistle. This was the first of only two appearances he would make for Rangers that season, the other came against Falkirk. His first goal was scored in a 5-0 home win versus East Fife during a league match on 23 December 1950.
He became one of the few players to score a hat-trick in an Old Firm match on 1 January 1955, the only foreign player in Rangers history to do so. Hubbard was nicknamed the "Penalty King" by Rangers fans, due to his exceptional record of 65 goals scored from 68 penalty kicks, 22 consecutively. He won three league titles and the 1953 Scottish Cup whilst at Rangers and finished top scorer in 1955 with 27 goals.
Born
December 16th, 1930 in Pretoria (Age 93)
Last Changes
2024/02/25
New Address: Available to members only
2022/09/04
Address Removed: Available to members only
2022/02/03
New Address: Available to members only