Hodgey's Autbiography - Between the Sticks

[William Henry Foulkes]

Only on page 24 but I think it's going to be well worth reading.

Insightful and articulate so far.

"Every summit marks the brink of an abyss"

There's a couple of these on each page. I think he secretly wanted to be a poet or a playwright.

UTMB

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Page 26

"Tramcars clattered along cobbled streets and hissed like ganders as they stopped to pick up passengers. The ugly fingers of soot-blackened chimneys forever pointing at the sky belched great fugs of yellowy-brown smoke into the atmosphere."

Look son I can see you've got potential but yer mixing yer metaphors. Ganders with passengers? Belching fingers? Sort it out lad.

 

[bornablade]

WHF - a thread about George Long's saves and now a thread about Hodgy's autobiography. Great example of members of the Goalkeepers Union sticking together!!

 

[Caveblade]

Just finished it, a superb read that I would recommend to any football fan. Hodgey comes across as a very intelligent yet humble man. It also gives a clear insight into the foundations for the clubs lack of success. At one point on the 60s I think we went 41/2 seasons with one new player bought in.

I read Tony Kenworthys book immediately afterwards and whilst he is a loyal blade came to the conclusion is ain't fit to lace Hodgeys boots. Interesting read however and gives the real version of Martin Peters managerial failings and why TK wasn't on the pitch to take that fateful penalty.

Just starting on King Keith's book.

 

[pommpey]

Page 26

"Tramcars clattered along cobbled streets and hissed like ganders as they stopped to pick up passengers. The ugly fingers of soot-blackened chimneys forever pointing at the sky belched great fugs of yellowy-brown smoke into the atmosphere."

Look son I can see you've got potential but yer mixing yer metaphors. Ganders with passengers? Belching fingers? Sort it out lad.

He could have just put "there were some trams" and "there were some chimleys"

pommpey

 

[Revolution]

Unfortunately Hodgy's book is riddled with factual errors, and has strange continuity gaps. It was badly in need of a fact checker and a better editor.

Kenworthy and Edwards' recent efforts are better imho.

 

[Silent Blade]

Unfortunately Hodgy's book is riddled with factual errors, and has strange continuity gaps. It was badly in need of a fact checker and a better editor.

Kenworthy and Edwards' recent efforts are better imho.

Hodgy's autobiography was written by a Stoke fan

 

[Worksop II]

has strange continuity gaps

He was probably shot stopping while writing the Book ...............

 

[Hodgyman]

It's that good a book that I have 3 of them. I got one (signed) at his book launch at BDTBL and 2 more as presents from family knowing my admiration of the man and his achievements.

 

[coaxingstar71]

Just finished it, a superb read that I would recommend to any football fan. Hodgey comes across as a very intelligent yet humble man. It also gives a clear insight into the foundations for the clubs lack of success. At one point on the 60s I think we went 41/2 seasons with one new player bought in.

I read Tony Kenworthys book immediately afterwards and whilst he is a loyal blade came to the conclusion is ain't fit to lace Hodgeys boots. Interesting read however and gives the real version of Martin Peters managerial failings and why TK wasn't on the pitch to take that fateful penalty.

Just starting on King Keith's book.

You won't be disappointed with Keith's book, it's really good. I've read that and TK's book and going to get Hodgy's book soon. The thing that comes through the two I've read and by the sound of it, Hodgy's book too, is the lack of ambition, initiative and organisation behind the scenes. I suppose no surprise there but it's such a shame when we've had some really talented players over the years and not built on it. The books for me highlighted poor coaching methods, a lack of tactical nous and a poor set up. In TK's book he refers to Porterfield's physio as a coach with a sponge - not even qualified to do the job.

 

[mosbolad]

Unfortunately Hodgy's book is riddled with factual errors, and has strange continuity gaps. It was badly in need of a fact checker and a better editor.

Kenworthy and Edwards' recent efforts are better imho.

I imagine Edward's autobiography will be the best there has ever been!

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

You won't be disappointed with Keith's book, it's really good. I've read that and TK's book and going to get Hodgy's book soon. The thing that comes through the two I've read and by the sound of it, Hodgy's book too, is the lack of ambition, initiative and organisation behind the scenes. I suppose no surprise there but it's such a shame when we've had some really talented players over the years and not built on it. The books for me highlighted poor coaching methods, a lack of tactical nous and a poor set up. In TK's book he refers to Porterfield's physio as a coach with a sponge - not even qualified to do the job.

But I took this to be indicative of football as a whole. What happened with his injury made for almost frightening reading - but that was 80s football.

(Apart from isolated progressive pockets you could argue it was football till Wenger arrived at Arsenal.)

Spoiler Alert: Hodgey's book and the England set up is not much different. (And I'll never forget Glenda saying in 1998 there was no need to practise penalties.)

 

[mosbolad]

Spoiler Alert: Hodgey's book and the England set up is not much different. (And I'll never forget Glenda saying in 1998 there was no need to practise penalties.)

The flawed logic behind this was that you are either good at taking penalties under pressure or you are not and no amount of practise can replicate the pressure.

However with the introduction of psychology within sport it is now recognised that control of the mind under pressure is just as important as being able to hoof the perfect ball. Contrast Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry. White (was it) 6 times World finalist and never won (failed to cope with the pressure). Hendry 7 times winner.

So it doesn't surprise me how amateur we were and still are to some extent within the pro football game.

 

[Silent Blade]

I imagine Edward's autobiography will be the best there has ever been!

For me Alan Birchenall's is the best

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Hodgy's autobiography was written by a Stoke fan

You've got me there. I'm baffled.

 

[coaxingstar71]

For me Alan Birchenall's is the best

What is it called Silent?

 

[coaxingstar71]

But I took this to be indicative of football as a whole. What happened with his injury made for almost frightening reading - but that was 80s football.

(Apart from isolated progressive pockets you could argue it was football till Wenger arrived at Arsenal.)

Spoiler Alert: Hodgey's book and the England set up is not much different. (And I'll never forget Glenda saying in 1998 there was no need to practise penalties.)

You're right it was frightening.

I've read several times in these books and from other players quotes how for example John Harris used to send the players out with the tactics, "get stuck into them lads" and then the senior players basically tried to work it out for themselves. When Sirrel was manager he would bore them rigid with endless practice matches which only served to knacker them out. Haslam, apparently, would not be seen from one match day to the next leaving Bergara to coach the players (incidentally Keith said that Bergara was the best coach he ever had and everything before that he'd learnt from his Dad!).

I suppose I'm assuming that while this was going on at United, Shankly, Revie, Clough, Bobby Robson and maybe others were probably a bit more progressive in their thinking. I just think that given the players we've had, if we'd just had someone in the background with better knowledge or understanding, we may have had more success.

 

[wardonia_blade]

You're right it was frightening.

I've read several times in these books and from other players quotes how for example John Harris used to send the players out with the tactics, "get stuck into them lads" and then the senior players basically tried to work it out for themselves. When Sirrel was manager he would bore them rigid with endless practice matches which only served to knacker them out. Haslam, apparently, would not be seen from one match day to the next leaving Bergara to coach the players (incidentally Keith said that Bergara was the best coach he ever had and everything before that he'd learnt from his Dad!).

I suppose I'm assuming that while this was going on at United, Shankly, Revie, Clough, Bobby Robson and maybe others were probably a bit more progressive in their thinking. I just think that given the players we've had, if we'd just had someone in the background with better knowledge or understanding, we may have had more success.

A while since I read Hodgy's book but I think he said that when Arthur Rowley was manager he was far more interested in the horse racing than the football.

Also Hodgy said something along the lines of I had the chance to join Arsenal but I didn't want to go there. We had a better team than them anyway. Different planet. RIP Hodgy. Hodgy and Coldwell should be the next statues IMO.

 

[Silent Blade]

What is it called Silent?

 

[Silent Blade]

You've got me there. I'm baffled.

Les Scott is a Stoke fan and doesnt know much about our history hence the errors in the book

 

[Revolution]

That is an entertaining read, though there's less about United that in the other bios mentioned in this thread.

 

[Silent Blade]

That is an entertaining read, though there's less about United that in the other bios mentioned in this thread.

He played in our 1st team for just over three years but plenty of stories about his time at the Lane

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

It's that good a book that I have 3 of them. I got one (signed) at his book launch at BDTBL and 2 more as presents from family knowing my admiration of the man and his achievements.

That was a good evening Hodgyman wasn't it? He even remembered 2 young Blades getting a lift back from Anfield on the team coach on Good Friday 1968

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Les Scott is a Stoke fan and doesnt know much about our history hence the errors in the book

Thanks. Now you say it I think I remember this being mentioned before.

 

[Hodgyman]

That was a good evening Hodgyman wasn't it? He even remembered 2 young Blades getting a lift back from Anfield on the team coach on Good Friday 1968

His memory was pretty good. He remembered my dad, uncles and aunties from his school days.