He was the first, and to date the only, player for Stockport County to win an England cap.

He then went on the make 170 consecutive appearances for the club before he missed his first County game, a 1–1 draw with Southampton on 11 October 1924, due to his involvement with the Football League representative side.

His statistics, though, in the Hatters' Division Three (North) championship season in 1922, are remarkable.

Hardy was an ever-present conceding just 21 goals, a club record that stands to this day.

He kept 23 clean sheets in his 38 games, which included a quite incredible 20 from his side's opening 27 games of the campaign Hardy held the club's individual goalkeeping record for not conceding a goal for an amazing 85 years til it was beaten by current Welsh International goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.