Glyn Hodges - Deserves his own thread

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SwissBlade

SwissBlade

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Was just reading through the thread about Captains and Blades comedy moments and Hodges came up in both. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end!

During Hodges' time at the lane I was just into secondary school.

I remember (maybe his loan debut) we were pushing for a goal (wasn't it against Derby?) and we brought this sub on, as I was a short arse and up at the back of the kop I didn't really notice... until he scored and the whole kop went mental... perhaps this was when he went arse over tit... From then on he was my favourite flash player... I managed to get his prostar card but as he was on loan he was in his Palace kit, but i didn't care - i had it!

I seem to remember that as we were skint as a club we sold Grand National sweepstake raffle tickets to raise the funds for him

Then the summer came.... New shirt time. This year was the dark Blue with green flash... Odd but a reallly good kit. I went to the club shop and had just enough cash (by my calculations) for 'Bradshaw 17' and the Prem Badges, it was the first year they'd done the names on the shirts in the shop so i was well excited... only to be told that the number was a double number and i didn't have enough... so it was 'Hodges 10' that I got! Brilliant. I still wear the shirt now, It still fits... just!

I loved the way that he lîked to mix it and get stuck in as well. He was never shy of a ruck... but then again with Bradders, Hartfield, Mitch Ward, Kamara, Rogers, Jock Bryson, Beesley et al he was amongst good company for getting stuck in if the handbags started

Best memory of Hodges - that Lob against Schmiechel - I had a great view as I was on John St West with the nutters!

Other memory - Away at Forest, I think he sent them down and we wore the white away shirt... Odgy was one of those players that even though he was a tubby fecker, he just looked so at ease on the ball. And I always tried to mimick him with his shirt untucked

Hodges - My other Blades childhood legend (after Bradders):D
 

Whatever genius he showed in a Blades shirt, I will always remember Hodges for banging out Gordon Armstrong (stretch's big bruv) at Sunderland.
 
Lt. J Dangle said:
Whatever genius he showed in a Blades shirt, I will always remember Hodges for banging out Gordon Armstrong (stretch's big bruv) at Sunderland.
Click to expand...

The altercation with Harkes at the Sty is my abiding memory. The way he tried to stroll away from it all looking innocent as both teams started kicking off!

Oh, and Swiss, cracking post, man!
 
Lt. J Dangle said:
Whatever genius he showed in a Blades shirt, I will always remember Hodges for banging out Gordon Armstrong (stretch's big bruv) at Sunderland.
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^^^^^^^
This one. Fucking loved it. Now he was a legend.

:)

UTB
 
I think he made his debut against Manchester City in late January but the next game was against Derby which, I think, was a rearranged fixture from earlier in the season. It was 0-0, late in the game, and Hodges tore in from the inside left position and hit a thunderous shot past Shilton to win us the game. Thats when he fell off the advertising board celebrating. He was on loan from Palace at the time and we wanted to sign him but were skint. I remember we raised the money to buy him with some Grand National Sweepstake thing towards the end of the season.

He was pure class. Apart from that great goal against Manchester United in the Cup one of my favourite memories of him was against Watford at the Lane the first game of the 94/95 season. He was wide on the left around the half way line. He hit a long left footed pass, like the one that set up Bergkamps goal against Argentina, and dropped it on a sixpence for Mitch Ward to smash home. Walthamstow Snr, raised on a diet of Doc Pace and Tony Currie, was pretty dismissive of the players he took me to see back then. Of the players from that era he said only three would have got in a John Harris side; Brian Deane, Simon Tracey and Glyn Hodges.
 
WalthamstowBlade said:
I think he made his debut against Manchester City in late January but the next game was against Derby which, I think, was a rearranged fixture from earlier in the season. It was 0-0, late in the game, and Hodges tore in from the inside left position and hit a thunderous shot past Shilton to win us the game. Thats when he fell off the advertising board celebrating. He was on loan from Palace at the time and we wanted to sign him but were skint. I remember we raised the money to buy him with some Grand National Sweepstake thing towards the end of the season.

He was pure class. Apart from that great goal against Manchester United in the Cup one of my favourite memories of him was against Watford at the Lane the first game of the 94/95 season. He was wide on the left around the half way line. He hit a long left footed pass, like the one that set up Bergkamps goal against Argentina, and dropped it on a sixpence for Mitch Ward to smash home. Walthamstow Snr, raised on a diet of Doc Pace and Tony Currie, was pretty dismissive of the players he took me to see back then. Of the players from that era he said only three would have got in a John Harris side; Brian Deane, Simon Tracey and Glyn Hodges.
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Not sure he ever 'tore' in from anywhere but I know what you mean. I seem to recall ball broke to him, one touch and great finish across the keeper. Still got the video of that season somewhere, love looking at the kop when goals went in.

I think we played that day because we had both got knocked out of FA Cup earlier that month?
 
Best memory of Hodges - that Lob against Schmiechel - I had a great view as I was on John St West with the nutters!

One of my fave ever goals for United
 
SwissBlade said:
Best memory of Hodges - that Lob against Schmiechel - I had a great view as I was on John St West with the nutters!
Click to expand...

Seem to remember Motson coming up with a great line for that one. Watched it from the West Terrace and then went straight home and watched the video - happy days!

I loved Hodges, it was quite comforting that 5 minutes into the match you knew whether he was going to have a stinker or a blinder. Always something special about incredibly talented players who are completely nuts.

Hodges, along with some of the other names mentioned in this thread, defined an era for me.
 
Didn't Bassett remortgage his house to help fund his transfer?.. Now that's commitment, don't think we'll ever see a manager like DB again, a true hero.

As for Hodges, I loved to watch him on the ball... when he could bothered, but, that said, folk like Currie and Edwards were hardly athletes either!
 
Hey,

One of the best Posts ive read for bringing back the memories!!! The game was played as a reschedualed* game due to January snow i think....

Hodges goal away at palace while on loan another CRACKER!!! Didnt he score against Pigs to in the 1-1?

Ive still got the Carl Bradshaw Signed Long sleeved shirt from 1993, and the picture to go with it, The one with the shoelace in it!!!
 
cooperblade said:
Seem to remember Motson coming up with a great line for that one. Watched it from the West Terrace and then went straight home and watched the video - happy days!

I loved Hodges, it was quite comforting that 5 minutes into the match you knew whether he was going to have a stinker or a blinder. Always something special about incredibly talented players who are completely nuts.

Hodges, along with some of the other names mentioned in this thread, defined an era for me.
Click to expand...


This man's left foot is magic!!!
 
I consider Hodges as the last of the old style "proper" footballers. Barely fitter than those of us in the crowd but with a huge talent that, when he could be arsed, set the ground alight. My brother in law hated him for being lazy, I adored him for being skilfull.

Great goals, as already mentioned, against MU and at Forest, but my favourites were at Goodison Park where he scored a couple of times in victories for us (one of them a carbon copy of the Forest goal a few days before it), and a header against Luton after a passing move that went the length of the field (unheard of in those days). After the Luton goal he went to celebrate behind the goal but just pointed to the advertising hoarding he'd tripped over against Derby and turned back.

My favourite quote about him was from Gordon Strachan the day we played Leeds when they won the title at BDTBL. He said in the paper:

"Glyn is one of those players who has so much talent and might look back on his career and think he didn't make the most of it. Then again, knowing Glyn, he probably won't care"
 
*Thanks swiss blade*

Excellent thread pal,

Hodges was my fave player growing up.
I think we should get him out of retirement.
 

He was part of "the new wave" for me. Having started watching The Blades in 88/89 I'd got my core of heroes and the sale / retirement of each one almost tore my heart out and I subconsciously considered any new blood that came in to be jumping in one of my hero's graves. That was until Glyn Hodges. I adored him and thought he was absolutely magic. I donated some of my pocket money towards his transfer fee and only wished I could have given more.

My mate used to work for Hallam as a sports reporter and I was delighted to hear that when Odgy was at Barnsley, my mate (Wednesdayite, I might add) thought he was a proper decent bloke.
 
Classic thread this,

I've been following the blades since a youngish lad from about 1987/1988, Hodges is probably the best player I've seen at the lane, he didn't have the pace but this vision and touch was second to none.

Loving some of the memories of him posted on here - when he decked it off the advertising board v Derby was hilarious then when he scored the following week, he ran up in front of the kop, felt the top of board (checking if it was wet), smiled and shook his head before wheeling away and celebrating in front of the kop/south stand.

Reagrding the Motson comment wasn't it something along the lines of "That mans left foot is magic"? That guided lob over Schmiechel was quality.

A couple of other memories I have:
Can't remember who we played but we were at home and the john street had been knocked down and we wasn't using proper dugouts - just had the big benches set up on the touchline, anyway it was quite a warm day and we'd only been playing for about 15 mins when someone goes down with a lengthly injury. Hodges strolls over from the touchline and plonks himself down on the bench and puts his feet up until plays ready to resume (must have been there for a good 5 mins at least)

Loved the simplicity of a goal he scored at huddersfield in the yellow and purple kit. Found himself in acres of space in the hudderfield half, in line with the edge of the box, carried the ball into the box as the keeper came out he just shaped his body like he was gonna curl it into the far corner - keeper starts to commit that way and he just rolls it into the near corner totally pillocking the keeper.

He also came within cm's of what would have been one of the best goals scored at the lane, I think we played Arsenal, Hodges ends up with ball about 10 to 15 yards in the arsenal half but pretty much on the touchline, he see the keeper off his line (Seaman I think) and launches an audacious attempt that cannons off the crossbar/post joint.

Didn't Hodges get a 6 match ban for headbutting a chelsea player in the tunnel - what a man :)

Hodges was class and along with Bradders & Whitehouse one of my all time Blades favourties
 
I loved him slowing down to a walk with the ball when we were 1-0 Vs Arsenal in the cup. Class.
 
His work rate used to get questioned I recall but, as my dad said, for 80 minutes of most matches Tony Currie did nowt. Then hed do something amazing and win you the game.
 
Hodges could be undisciplined and short-tempered on the pitch but I once had a lengthy chat with him and he came across as a really nice, intelligent guy. I even felt safe enough to ask him why he could be brilliant in some games, and less so in others. He just smiled and said something to the effect that "It's just the way I am".
 
Great response folks! Reading the comments, I think theres a few of us on here that were of a similar age when Hodges played for us and we all seem to have different memories of why we loved him! I forgot about a lot of his highlights, mainly the 6 game ban.

I often think Odgy has been forgotten by many, myself included at times. He was an idle sod and as CooperBlade said, you knew within minutes if he was going to have a great game or a stinker

The ironic thing is, that a player like Hodges would get slated in our current team...Especially by me! But he could be whats missing, an idle, short tempered genius with a sweet left foot...

Does anyone know what he's doing now? Is he still around Sheffield? Is he still in Football?
 
going off football matters,i know glynns brother in law,who is a sunderland bloke and supporter,a real character who is a singer in a band called lux de lux,top man he is,we always have a pint and chew the fat when he is in the area.
 
SwissBlade said:
Great response folks! Reading the comments, I think theres a few of us on here that were of a similar age when Hodges played for us and we all seem to have different memories of why we loved him! I forgot about a lot of his highlights, mainly the 6 game ban.

I often think Odgy has been forgotten by many, myself included at times. He was an idle sod and as CooperBlade said, you knew within minutes if he was going to have a great game or a stinker

The ironic thing is, that a player like Hodges would get slated in our current team...Especially by me! But he could be whats missing, an idle, short tempered genius with a sweet left foot...

Does anyone know what he's doing now? Is he still around Sheffield? Is he still in Football?
Click to expand...

I've done a bit of work for him over the years, he lived in Oldcotes for a while and now lives in another village outside of Retford. The last time I was there he was in Spain on holiday but coming back as Hughes was just going to Man City. Top bloke and has a lovely family.
 
Some years ago I was on my second stint working at The Fleur De Lys in Totley. Several United stalwarts used it, some even after they had left the club. Hodges was in there one Sunday watching the football, with Derek French, John Gannon and Wally Downes. The phone rang, and it was Mrs. Hodges. I called to Glynn, and he just said "Tell her I'll be five minutes" which I duly did. Five minutes and around six seconds later the pub door flew open and in walked, or rather stormed, a rather irate Mrs. Hodges. Like a mum reprimanding a ten-year-old she marched up to him, pointed to the door and said, through clenched teeth, "You. Home. Now", and virtually frog-marched him out. Cue much sniggering from the regulars, but not too much as they were clearly as scared of her as Glynn.

Except for John Gannon, who was nearly wetting himself laughing.
 
He's ill at the moment so he's taking time out of the game, but like already stated on here he'll back at some stage once he's fit to work again, because he's an absolute football nut case it runs through his blood,
 
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