Gordon Hodgson
Encyclopedia
Gordon Hodgson was a South Africa
n-born English
sportsman, being best known for as a striker for Liverpool
and also a first-class cricket
er for Lancashire
, he also excelled at baseball
.
Moving to England in 1925, later that year he signed with Liverpool
, where he would spend the next eleven years. Scoring 233 goals in 358 league games, he would make himself a legend at the club, scoring more hat-tricks for the Reds than anyone else. He transferred to Aston Villa
in 1936, before he moved on to Leeds United
the following year. His playing career was ended by World War II
in 1939. Scoring 295 goals in 468 games in the Football League
, he also won himself three England
caps.
He was appointed Port Vale
manager in 1946, a position he would hold until his death five years later.
on 14 December 1925 along with fellow countrymen Arthur Riley
and James Gray. He made his debut against Manchester City
at Maine Road
on 27 February 1926 in a 1–1 draw, he opened his account eleven days later when he got a brace against the other Mancunian side and bitter rivals
Manchester United
at Old Trafford
on 10 March, a game ended in a 2–all draw. He went on to play 12 more games during the run in to the end of his first season for the Reds scoring 4 goals.
The two goals against United were a taste of things to come, as Hodgson went from strength to strength in front of goal, scoring goals for fun, in fact, the only thing missing from what would have been a perfect career was honours; Liverpool of the day were not a team that challenged the top sides and were even in the shadow of the blue half of Liverpool
, Everton
.
Gordon scored 18 goals in his first full season but it was the 1930–31 season that was the one to remember for Hodgson as he broke the Anfield
goalscoring record banging in 36 goals, all in the league, a feat not surpassed until the emergence of Roger Hunt
in the 1960s. This record followed the 32 he scored during the 1928–29 campaign. Hodgson also got 23 in 1928–29, 27 in 1931–32, 24 in 1928–29, 25 in 1933–34 and 29 in 1934–35, a truly remarkable record. During his time at the club he made 378 appearances, scoring a prolific 240 goals an average of a goal every 1.56 games. Hodgson's 17 hat-trick
s is still a Liverpool record, his first hat-trick coming in the 21st, 55th and the 61st minutes of the First Division
match against Sheffield United
at Anfield on the 11 September 1926, the other 2 goals were scored by the player who eventually made way for Hodgson, Dick Forshaw
.
The 1935–36 season proved to be the 31 year old Hodgson's final at Liverpool, he was selected 17 times and scored 9 goals, yet again a decent return. In January 1936 he was allowed to leave and signed for recently relegated Aston Villa
for £3,000, his stay with Villa in the Second Division
was a short one season quickly leaving for Leeds United
in May 1937. While at Aston Villa, Hodgson scored 11 league goals in 28 league games.
At Leeds he showed that he still had what it took to score goals at the top level, in his first season at Leeds he played 13 times scoring 6 goals, the usual return everyone had come to expect from the talented Hodgson. The following term was much the same with Gordon scoring 26 goals in 38 games including all 4 against his old Merseyside rivals Everton in a 4–4 draw at Elland Road
on 26 February, he also hit 3 against Brentford
on the 23 April at home, both hat-tricks were in 1938, he even got a goal at Anfield in a 1–1 draw with his former employers. The following season was much the same with Gordon hitting 21 in 33 including five in the 8–2 thrashing of Leicester City
on 1 October 1938, this still remains a record for Leeds and has never even been equalled.
If it were not for the start World War II
Hodgson would have gone on to surpass 100 games for the Yorkshire
club, scoring plenty of goals whilst doing so. He also worked as the youth team coach at Leeds. Hodgson carried on playing during the war, guesting for Hartlepools United
and York City
.
Hodgson picked up three caps
for England
, his debut came on 20 October 1930 in a 5–1 British Home Championship
match win against Ireland at Bramall Lane
. His only international goal came on 22 November 1930, again, in a British Championship game, this time in a 4–0 victory over Wales
at the Racecourse Ground
. Surprisingly for many, the prolific Hodgson only played for England in one international with Everton's Dixie Dean
, the other prolific striker on Merseyside
.
and take 148 wicket
s for Lancashire
between 1928 and 1933.
in October 1946, it was there that he began to learn the ropes of management. He was manager when the Valiants moved from The Old Recreation Ground
to their new home of Vale Park
in 1950.
He was greatly respected for his pre-war sporting career, but also for encouraging young footballers in North Staffordshire
. He had the ability to spot talented players and to blood them well in the league, and was also a good motivator. However, he failed to build a promotion winning team at the club before his death on 14 June 1951 due to cancer
. He was still in office at the time and was in Stoke-on-Trent
at the time of his death. His benefit match was held against rivals
Stoke City
on 1 October 1951, Vale lost the game 2–1; some £383 was raised for his dependants.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n-born English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
sportsman, being best known for as a striker for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and also a first-class cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er for Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
, he also excelled at baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
Moving to England in 1925, later that year he signed with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, where he would spend the next eleven years. Scoring 233 goals in 358 league games, he would make himself a legend at the club, scoring more hat-tricks for the Reds than anyone else. He transferred to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in 1936, before he moved on to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
the following year. His playing career was ended by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939. Scoring 295 goals in 468 games in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, he also won himself three England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
caps.
He was appointed Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
manager in 1946, a position he would hold until his death five years later.
Club career
Hodgson was spotted by Liverpool officials when touring England with South African side Transvaal and was signed by manager Matt McQueenMatt McQueen
Matthew 'Matt' McQueen was a Scottish football player who became a director and manager of Liverpool F.C.- Life and playing career :...
on 14 December 1925 along with fellow countrymen Arthur Riley
Arthur Riley
Arthur Riley was a South African who played football for Liverpool.-Life and playing career:Born in Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa, Riley played for Boksburg F.C before being signed by Reds manager Matt McQueen in the August of 1925, he made his debut on the 24 October 1925 in a First Division...
and James Gray. He made his debut against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
on 27 February 1926 in a 1–1 draw, he opened his account eleven days later when he got a brace against the other Mancunian side and bitter rivals
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
on 10 March, a game ended in a 2–all draw. He went on to play 12 more games during the run in to the end of his first season for the Reds scoring 4 goals.
The two goals against United were a taste of things to come, as Hodgson went from strength to strength in front of goal, scoring goals for fun, in fact, the only thing missing from what would have been a perfect career was honours; Liverpool of the day were not a team that challenged the top sides and were even in the shadow of the blue half of Liverpool
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
Gordon scored 18 goals in his first full season but it was the 1930–31 season that was the one to remember for Hodgson as he broke the Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
goalscoring record banging in 36 goals, all in the league, a feat not surpassed until the emergence of Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...
in the 1960s. This record followed the 32 he scored during the 1928–29 campaign. Hodgson also got 23 in 1928–29, 27 in 1931–32, 24 in 1928–29, 25 in 1933–34 and 29 in 1934–35, a truly remarkable record. During his time at the club he made 378 appearances, scoring a prolific 240 goals an average of a goal every 1.56 games. Hodgson's 17 hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s is still a Liverpool record, his first hat-trick coming in the 21st, 55th and the 61st minutes of the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
match against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
at Anfield on the 11 September 1926, the other 2 goals were scored by the player who eventually made way for Hodgson, Dick Forshaw
Dick Forshaw
Richard 'Dick' Forshaw was a footballer who played, predominantly, for Liverpool and also Merseyside rivals Everton during the period between the First and Second World Wars.-Life and playing career:...
.
The 1935–36 season proved to be the 31 year old Hodgson's final at Liverpool, he was selected 17 times and scored 9 goals, yet again a decent return. In January 1936 he was allowed to leave and signed for recently relegated Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
for £3,000, his stay with Villa in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
was a short one season quickly leaving for Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in May 1937. While at Aston Villa, Hodgson scored 11 league goals in 28 league games.
At Leeds he showed that he still had what it took to score goals at the top level, in his first season at Leeds he played 13 times scoring 6 goals, the usual return everyone had come to expect from the talented Hodgson. The following term was much the same with Gordon scoring 26 goals in 38 games including all 4 against his old Merseyside rivals Everton in a 4–4 draw at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
on 26 February, he also hit 3 against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
on the 23 April at home, both hat-tricks were in 1938, he even got a goal at Anfield in a 1–1 draw with his former employers. The following season was much the same with Gordon hitting 21 in 33 including five in the 8–2 thrashing of Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on 1 October 1938, this still remains a record for Leeds and has never even been equalled.
If it were not for the start World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Hodgson would have gone on to surpass 100 games for the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
club, scoring plenty of goals whilst doing so. He also worked as the youth team coach at Leeds. Hodgson carried on playing during the war, guesting for Hartlepools United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
and York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
.
International career
Hodgson became a South Africa amateur international on 2 November 1924, playing against Netherlands. Though this would not prevent him from representing England in the future.Hodgson picked up three caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, his debut came on 20 October 1930 in a 5–1 British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
match win against Ireland at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. His only international goal came on 22 November 1930, again, in a British Championship game, this time in a 4–0 victory over Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
. Surprisingly for many, the prolific Hodgson only played for England in one international with Everton's Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
, the other prolific striker on Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
.
Cricketing career
Hodgson could have quite easily have played more First Class matches than he did, but his true love was football so his cricket stats are somewhat restricted. However, he did manage to make 56 appearances, 244 runsRun (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
and take 148 wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s for Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
between 1928 and 1933.
Football management career
Hodgson took over the managerial reins at Port ValePort Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in October 1946, it was there that he began to learn the ropes of management. He was manager when the Valiants moved from The Old Recreation Ground
The Old Recreation Ground
The Old Recreation Ground was a football stadium, located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and home to Port Vale for almost 40 years. The Rec had been Vale's home between 1913 and 1950 and was the sixth ground the club used.-Structure and facilities:...
to their new home of Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
in 1950.
He was greatly respected for his pre-war sporting career, but also for encouraging young footballers in North Staffordshire
North Staffordshire
North Staffordshire describes an area of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It contains the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands and the City of Stoke-on-Trent. The Stoke and Newcastle areas make up The Potteries Urban Area, whilst the Moorlands are largely...
. He had the ability to spot talented players and to blood them well in the league, and was also a good motivator. However, he failed to build a promotion winning team at the club before his death on 14 June 1951 due to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He was still in office at the time and was in Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
at the time of his death. His benefit match was held against rivals
Potteries derby
The Potteries derby is the football local derby in Stoke-on-Trent between Port Vale and Stoke City. The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals; this has led to a heated atmosphere at these matches, especially with the rise of football hooliganism and the 'Naughty Forty'...
Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on 1 October 1951, Vale lost the game 2–1; some £383 was raised for his dependants.