Career
He made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing for Chelsea, Southend United, Aston Villa and Sheffield United, and more than 100 in the North American Soccer League for Minnesota Kicks and San Jose Earthquakes. He was nicknamed "Chico" after the jazz drummer. Hamilton joined Chelsea as a junior and became the Stamford Bridge club"s youngest ever player and goalscorer at 16 years, 138 days when he scored against Tottenham Hotspur on his debut, on 18 March 1967, a feat which earned comparisons with another famous Chelsea striker who also scored on his debut against Spurs – Jimmy Greaves.
Thereafter he played only four more first-team games for Chelsea, spending the 1968-1969 season with Southend United before moving to Aston Villa in 1968.
After two seasons with Sheffield United, Hamilton became one of many British football players who ended their careers in the North American Soccer League, where he played for Minnesota Kicks and San Jose Earthquakes. After he finished his professional career, he spent 17 years as boys" soccer coach at Thomas Worthington High School, in Worthington, Ohio, returning after a seven-year gap to coach girls" soccer.
