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Richard 'Asa' Hartford (born in Clydebank, Scotland on 24 October 1950) was a Scottish international midfielder and journeyman footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.

Contents 1 Early career 2 Hole-in-the-heart discovery 3 Manchester City 4 International recognition 5 Latter career 6 Coaching and management 7 Sources 8 External links

He first played for Drumchapel Amateurs in Glasgow, but began his professional career at West Bromwich Albion in 1967. During his time with West Brom, the team won the FA Cup Final in 1968, were beaten Semi-Finalists in 1969 and reached the League Cup final in 1970.

Given his role in the team it was no surprise that he would attract interest from the top clubs but in November 1971 a high profile transfer to Don Revie's Leeds United was cancelled when a suspected hole in-the-heart condition was found during a pre-transfer medical examination. He was eventually transfer listed by then West Brom coach Don Howe alongside favourites Len Cantello and Jeff Astle in April 1974 and his subsequent career made nonsense of the fears occasioned by Leeds' doubting staff.

Hartford moved on to Manchester City for £210,000 (making his debut in a resounding 4-0 victory over West Ham United), coming to prominence as a strong, talented midfielder (helping City win the 1976 League Cup final (a game famous for Denis Tuert's overhead winner)) as well as a regular Scottish international.

He played in Scotland’s oddly ill-fated 1978 World Cup campaign in Argentina where Ally McLeod's selection vagaries exposed a talented Scottish squad to a needless first round exit. Brian Glanville commenting, in his frequently updated 'The Story of the World Cup', wrote "The Scots had an abundance of fine midfield players at a time when most other countries looked for them desperately; Bruce Rioch, Don Masson, Asa Hartford, Archie Gemmill, Lou Macari, Graeme Souness". (p. 214, 2005). Hartford’s international career (which began in 1972 against Peru) came to an end in Seville during the Spanish World Cup of 1982 when he recorded his fiftieth cap in the game versus Brazil, thereby securing a position in the Scottish Football Association's Hall of Fame.

At the beginning of the 1979-80 season he was transferred to Brian Clough’s European Champions at Nottingham Forest (in order to replace Archie Gemmill) for £500,000 only to be smartly packed off to Everton for £400,000 after 3 games. In October 1981 John Bond brought him back to Maine Road for £375,000. What followed were stints in the United States (Fort Lauderdale Strikers), Norwich City (for whom he scored the winning goal in the 1985 League Cup final), Bolton Wanderers and Oldham Athletic, before he took up coaching/managerial roles with Stockport County, Shrewsbury Town and Boston United where he made 15 appearances as a player at the age of 40.

Latterly, he joined ex-international team-mates Kenny Dalglish (at Blackburn Rovers), Joe Jordan and Luigi ‘Lou’ Macari (at Stoke City) in various coaching/managerial roles before taking on an assistant managerial position at Manchester City with Alan Ball in 1995 and stayed as the reserve team coach until May 2005 when Stuart Pearce brought in his own coaching staff. He thereafter became a coach with Blackpool in December 2005. He left Blackpool in May 2006 - currently believed to be doing some scouting work whilst waiting for another position within professional football.

• Glanville, Brian - World Cup. The Story of the, Faber & Faber, London, 2005.

• Career information at ex-canaries.co.uk

	Scotland squad - 1978 FIFA World Cup
1 Rough | 2 Jardine | 3 Donachie | 4 Buchan | 5 McQueen | 6 Rioch | 7 Masson | 8 Dalglish | 9 Jordan | 10 Hartford | 11 Johnston | 12 Blyth | 13 Kennedy | 14 Forsyth | 15 Gemmill | 16 Macari | 17 Johnstone | 18 Souness | 19 Robertson | 20 Clark | 21 Harper | 22 Burns | Coach: MacLeod

	Scotland squad - 1982 FIFA World Cup
1 Rough | 2 McGrain | 3 Gray | 4 Souness | 5 Hansen | 6 Miller | 7 Strachan | 8 Dalglish | 9 Brazil | 10 Wark | 11 Robertson | 12 Wood | 13 McLeish | 14 Narey | 15 Jordan | 16 Hartford | 17 Evans | 18 Archibald | 19 Sturrock | 20 Provan | 21 Burley | 22 Leighton | Coach: Stein