Career
He played 134 games for Small Heath in the Football Alliance and the Football League. Born in Small Heath, Birmingham, Hands played for several clubs in the local area before signing for Small Heath, then playing in the Football Alliance, in December 1890. He went on to make nearly 150 appearances for the club
The strength of Hands"s game lay in his speed.
He also contributed to their runners-up spot and promotion to the First Division the following year, and played for a further two years in the top flight. At the end of the 1895-1896 season, he walked out of the club over a dispute about money and never played league football again.