Alan Hodgkinson - Between the Sticks

[232 Bramall Lane]

Just read the above book on my hols and would recommend it, particularly for fans from the late 50s and 60s.
The media being what it was then it's got plenty of information that I wasn't aware of. In particular that his Testimonial match money disappeared and he never received it.
Was this common knowledge at the time and it maybe passed me by?
Brilliant piece on the early 60s Blades team being rewarded for winning promotion by the promise of "something for a rainy day." You can guess the rest!
Only one gripe in that a couple of incorrect facts could have corrected by a quick proof read from someone with knowledge of the Blades. Unless I'm mistaken it was Chelsea who sent us down in 1968, not West Ham.

 

[mosbolad]

Unless I'm mistaken it was Chelsea who sent us down in 1968, not West Ham.

Yes probably, but let's face it who can resist a cheap shot at West Ham!

 

[JJ Sefton]

If memory serves the book is riddled with errors like that.

 

[Revolution]

If memory serves the book is riddled with errors like that.

It is. There's one on almost every page. There's also weird gaps in chronology. I'm glad I read it but I was disappointed with it.

 

[Darren]

It is. There's one on almost every page. There's also weird gaps in chronology. I'm glad I read it but I was disappointed with it.

Football autobiogs are generally full of errors cf Warnock and sending "reserve left back" Wilko de Vogt to play in goal when Tracey was sent off in the BOBL.

It pisses me off as it assumes football fans will read any old crap. I am sure each club has a sufficient number of obsessives like me and you who would proof read for a small fee and avoid such howlers.

 

[Silent Blade]

Just read the above book on my hols and would recommend it, particularly for fans from the late 50s and 60s.
The media being what it was then it's got plenty of information that I wasn't aware of. In particular that his Testimonial match money disappeared and he never received it.
Was this common knowledge at the time and it maybe passed me by?
Brilliant piece on the early 60s Blades team being rewarded for winning promotion by the promise of "something for a rainy day." You can guess the rest!
Only one gripe in that a couple of incorrect facts could have corrected by a quick proof read from someone with knowledge of the Blades. Unless I'm mistaken it was Chelsea who sent us down in 1968, not West Ham.

In the opening chapter he went into great lengths about George Best scoring against us at BDTBL in October 1967 and he was definitely over romanticising because the Manchester United goalscorers in their 3-0 win against us were Brian Kidd, Denis Law and John Aston

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

There's a great story in the Hodgy book about a certain Brian Clough, who managed to upset the FA (and cut them down to size at the same time) at a team meal before an England game in the '50s, probably one of (perhaps the first) the reasons why he didn't get the manager's job.

Agree with those saying he should have got a fan with a good knowledge of the club to proof it before release to iron out many of the errors. It's essential to get another set of eyes, at least, to look at it, as you get 'blind' to the errors and mistakes. Been working on another United handbook and for weeks had our defeat at WHU in the 71/72 League Cup as 5-1, thankfully just caught it before it went to the printers.

 

[Revolution]

Football autobiogs are generally full of errors cf Warnock and sending "reserve left back" Wilko de Vogt to play in goal when Tracey was sent off in the BOBL.

It pisses me off as it assumes football fans will read any old crap. I am sure each club has a sufficient number of obsessives like me and you who would proof read for a small fee and avoid such howlers.

Yes, and it doesn't even need to be a Blades fan - anyone can sit down with the Complete Record book and check all results, lineups and scorers. It's not difficult.

The oddest bit about the Hodgkinson book is the gap after he ends a chapter with news that he made the 1958 World Cup squad: there is nothing about the tournament itself, and nothing about the 1958-9 season, where you might at least have expected a mention of, say, getting to the last 8 of the FA Cup. Then it picks up again in 1960. It's like a chapter got left out or something.

It's disappointing because I could never work out why Hodgy was not first choice for the World Cup games as he had played in 3 out of four qualifiers and it would have been interesting to get his take on it (although Colin McDonald of Bolton, who played in goal instead, had a good tournament)

 

[Silent Blade]

The oddest bit about the Hodgkinson book is the gap after he ends a chapter with news that he made the 1958 World Cup squad: there is nothing about the tournament itself,

20 out of the 22 World cup squad travelled to Sweden, only Hodgkinson and Maurice Setters stayed at home as reserves

 

[Revolution]

20 out of the 22 World cup squad travelled to Sweden, only Hodgkinson and Maurice Setters stayed at home as reserves

Yes, so I understand. He did go to Chile in 1962 (and mentions it in the book)

 

[JJ Sefton]

Yes, so I understand. He did go to Chile in 1962 (and mentions it in the book)

My dad has found video of Hodgy playing for England on YouTube.

 

[Darren]

Yes, and it doesn't even need to be a Blades fan - anyone can sit down with the Complete Record book and check all results, lineups and scorers. It's not difficult.

The oddest bit about the Hodgkinson book is the gap after he ends a chapter with news that he made the 1958 World Cup squad: there is nothing about the tournament itself, and nothing about the 1958-9 season, where you might at least have expected a mention of, say, getting to the last 8 of the FA Cup. Then it picks up again in 1960. It's like a chapter got left out or something.

It's disappointing because I could never work out why Hodgy was not first choice for the World Cup games as he had played in 3 out of four qualifiers and it would have been interesting to get his take on it (although Colin McDonald of Bolton, who played in goal instead, had a good tournament)

To be fair, these football bios that will by and large only appeal to fans of the clubs with whom the subject is associated (see also Edwards K and Kenworthy T) will pretty much be done on the uber cheap. I suspect the MO is to pay a local journalist a few quid, get him to sit down with the subject for a few hours and tape a few reminiscines and the journo than writes it up as quickly as he can, the journo's main aim being to spend as little time on the project as possible. After all, who except a couple of stattos will care if West Ham gets mixed up with Chelsea with reference to a game that happened close on 50 years ago?

 

[JJ Sefton]

It's disappointing because I could never work out why Hodgy was not first choice for the World Cup games as he had played in 3 out of four qualifiers and it would have been interesting to get his take on it (although Colin McDonald of Bolton, who played in goal instead, had a good tournament)

Walth Snr reckons that Hodgy was a much better keeper than Springett but because he read the game and collected the ball while Springett went for last ditch, Hollywood style fingertip saves, the impression was that the grunter was better.

 

[Darren]

Walth Snr reckons that Hodgy was a much better keeper than Springett but because he read the game and collected the ball while Springett went for last ditch, Hollywood style fingertip saves, the impression was that the grunter was better.

Mind you, in 1978 I thought John Cutbush was the world's best full back and entered that information into my Subutteo Log Book.

 

[Silent Blade]

Mind you, in 1978 I thought John Cutbush was the world's best full back and entered that information into my Subutteo Log Book.

I predicted in 1975 that Steve Ludlam would play for England!

 

[LSF]

(although Colin McDonald of Bolton, who played in goal instead, had a good tournament)

Well, whilst we are on about accuracy Rev, Colin McDonald played for Burnley

 

[Silent Blade]

Well, whilst we are on about accuracy Rev, Colin McDonald played for Burnley

He was thinking of Bolton's Eddie Hopkinson who was the reserve keeper

 

[Grecian2000]

entered that information into my Subutteo Log Book.

Here's another thread that could go "anal" (in a far less interesting way).

 

[Revolution]

He was thinking of Bolton's Eddie Hopkinson who was the reserve keeper

I mixed up their clubs. Whoops.

 

[LSF]

I mixed up their clubs. Whoops.

Understandable. Interesting (well, to saddos like me)to note that McDonald at 6' 1" was a giant compared to Hodgy and Eddie Hopkinson. It was an era of small English international goalies with Ron Springett not being exactly large in stature.

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Walth Snr reckons that Hodgy was a much better keeper than Springett but because he read the game and collected the ball while Springett went for last ditch, Hollywood style fingertip saves, the impression was that the grunter was better.

I saw Ron Springett a few times and my memories of him are hazy but he always seemed to me to be well-respected by United fans when Wednesday came to Bramall Lane. Mind you, things were different back then - much less hatred between the two clubs with many Unitedites happy to go with Wednesday-supporting mates to games at Hillsborough and vice-versa. Certainly, the friendship between Springett and Hodgkinson was there for all to see in the way they greeted each other when changing ends and when coming off the pitch at the end of the match.

So, I wouldn't know which was the better keeper but I do have a clear recollection of how good Hodgy was when an opposing striker was through one-on-one with him. In my mind's eye it was a regular occurrence for him to come off his line and take the ball off his opponent's toes out near the edge of the penalty area. There would be that sharp intake of breath from the crowd as they realised what was happening followed by a huge cheer when he emerged with the ball in both hands. Mind you, he was assisted by the different mindset of the striker in those days. There was none of this engineering a bit of contact and going down in hope of a penalty - more often than not the opponent would regard himself honour-bound to try and take it round the keeper.

Understandable frustration at shortcomings in his book shouldn't detract from the fact that Alan Hodgkinson was a terrific keeper and a great servant to the club.

 

[Silent Blade]

Understandable. Interesting (well, to saddos like me)to note that McDonald at 6' 1" was a giant compared to Hodgy and Eddie Hopkinson. It was an era of small English international goalies with Ron Springett not being exactly large in stature.

I think McDonald let in 7 goals in his first game for Burnley. It was in the papers after a Burnley keeper (forgot his name) on his debut let in 7 goals at QPR in front of MOTD cameras and he was in tears at the end of the game

 

[Silent Blade]

I saw Ron Springett a few times and my memories of him are hazy but he always seemed to me to be well-respected by United fans when Wednesday came to Bramall Lane. Mind you, things were different back then - much less hatred between the two clubs with many Unitedites happy to go with Wednesday-supporting mates to games at Hillsborough and vice-versa. Certainly, the friendship between Springett and Hodgkinson was there for all to see in the way they greeted each other when changing ends and when coming off the pitch at the end of the match.

So, I wouldn't know which was the better keeper but I do have a clear recollection of how good Hodgy was when an opposing striker was through one-on-one with him. In my mind's eye it was a regular occurrence for him to come off his line and take the ball off his opponent's toes out near the edge of the penalty area. There would be that sharp intake of breath from the crowd as they realised what was happening followed by a huge cheer when he emerged with the ball in both hands. Mind you, he was assisted by the different mindset of the striker in those days. There was none of this engineering a bit of contact and going down in hope of a penalty - more often than not the opponent would regard himself honour-bound to try and take it round the keeper.

Understandable frustration at shortcomings in his book shouldn't detract from the fact that Alan Hodgkinson was a terrific keeper and a great servant to the club.

Sadly Hodgy was in his last year of his playing career when I started watching the Blades regularly and we were letting in soft goals in some matches of the 1970-71 season also he was reluctant to come out for crosses

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Sadly Hodgy was in his last year of his playing career when I started watching the Blades regularly and we were letting in soft goals in some matches of the 1970-71 season also he was reluctant to come out for crosses

Yes, he went on a bit too long. It's clear from what he says in the book that he couldn't see it for himself.

 

[Jonboy60]

I predicted in 1975 that Steve Ludlam would play for England!

Used to play with stevie back in schooldays( think I'm a year or two older), football in winter,gravitating to cricket in summer. No mean cricketer either.

 

[LSF]

Yes, he went on a bit too long. It's clear from what he says in the book that he couldn't see it for himself.

My sad realisation that Hodgy wasn't the force my child-like hero worship had always known came at Norwich early in the 68-9 season (I think?). Norwich were simply putting crosses into the six yard box, keepers territory in those days, but the muscular Hugh Curran was outjumping Hodgy every time and leaving him flattened (keepers weren't protected species then). Hodgy became disgruntled and spent most of his time berating the ref and his own defenders to deflect from his declining standards.
The fact he went on another couple of years is testimony to his determination and grit.

 

[sitwell]

Used to play with stevie back in schooldays( think I'm a year or two older), football in winter,gravitating to cricket in summer. No mean cricketer either.

I liked him when he was a young player at the Lane. In later years got to know him well and we moved our team to the pub where he was landlord and he came training with us. He wasn't up to much which was very surprising ,think hes back on the post now ,frequently in and out of the bookies and Wetherspoons on Woodseats.

 

[sitwell]

To be fair, these football bios that will by and large only appeal to fans of the clubs with whom the subject is associated (see also Edwards K and Kenworthy T) will pretty much be done on the uber cheap. I suspect the MO is to pay a local journalist a few quid, get him to sit down with the subject for a few hours and tape a few reminiscines and the journo than writes it up as quickly as he can, the journo's main aim being to spend as little time on the project as possible. After all, who except a couple of stattos will care if West Ham gets mixed up with Chelsea with reference to a game that happened close on 50 years ago?

Tony Adams Bio would have been well researched you would have thought as it was bound to a best seller of the time. One chapter refers to a match at the Lane on a Monday night ,live on Sky which Arsenal won 1-0 and Adams was voted MOM despite being on a weekend bender and playing while still pissed up....whatever. Anyway I don't think this ever happened.

 

[Darren]

Tony Adams Bio would have been well researched you would have thought as it was bound to a best seller of the time. One chapter refers to a match at the Lane on a Monday night ,live on Sky which Arsenal won 1-0 and Adams was voted MOM despite being on a weekend bender and playing while still pissed up....whatever. Anyway I don't think this ever happened.

The only time Arsenal won at the Lane during Adams' career was their 2-0 win on Saturday 6th April 1991. That was pre Sky.

 

[sitwell]

The only time Arsenal won at the Lane during Adams' career was their 2-0 win on Saturday 6th April 1991. That was pre Sky.

So the whole book is probably fiction.