Joe Hayes

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Joe Hayes (January 20, 1936 - February 4, 1999) was an English footballer who played as a striker for Manchester City F.C. and scored the opening goal in the 1956 FA Cup Final.

Hayes was born in Kearsley, Bolton, Lancashire in 1936, and worked in a cotton mill and a coal mine prior to becoming a footballer. In August 1953 he had a trial with Manchester City, and made his debut two months later against Tottenham. The teenage Hayes appeared in the 1955 FA Cup final, but finished on the losing side. 12 months later Manchester City reached the final again, and Hayes scored the first goal in a 3-1 win. Hayes was a regular goalscorer in the late 1950s and early 1960s, until a knee injury occurring in September 1963 had a noticeable effect on his abilities, after which first team opportunities became limited. He was transferred to Barnsley in the 1965 close season, and later went on to play for Wigan Athletic. In total, Hayes scored 152 goals in 363 appearances for Manchester City, making him the third highest Manchester City goalscorer of all time.

Hayes died in 1999 at the age of 63.