Remember Dave Hodgson one of the Ayresome Park aces

Erimus74

Well-known member
He made his 2nd Boro debut this day the 3rd March in a midweek top of the table third division clash away to Bournemouth, Bruce Rioch had gone to Norwich to loan Hodgy for 3 games, wearing the No11 shirt, with Stuart Ripley dropping to the subs bench
Hodgy 1st debut was 1978, registered No521 & he was brought back again as the clubs 8th loaned player & registered No582
Unfortunately that was the only goid news of the signing as we fell to a 3-1 defeat at Dean Court
 
I saw him in the Boro away end and also saw Willie Willie Wigham in our goal. I think once was the mad Shrewsbury away game. Spent most of the game avoiding riot police with trucheons.
 
how well did the fans rate hodgeson at boro?

did he flop at liverpool or just wasnt world class like the big stars at the time?
I think he was liked at Boro, but don’t remember being heartbroken when he left. Flattered to deceive for me: pacy but lacking in real skill or goal scoring prowess.
When he went to Liverpool he was mixing with the likes of Dalgleish and Rush, never going to really shine I don’t think?
 
I absolutely loved him. Rapid and wholehearted, excellent unselfish team player. If he could have been a deadly finisher he would have played for England beyond the U21's.
He was such a flop at Liverpool that he won 2 titles and the European Cup in 1984 from the bench in a team that was captained by Graeme Souness and included Craig Johnston the same side.

Thankfully it didn't work our for him at his boyhood club Sunderland and injuries had taken their toll when he came back to us briefly.

He will always be one of my very favourite old players.
 
how well did the fans rate hodgeson at boro?

did he flop at liverpool or just wasnt world class like the big stars at the time?

He was well rated by Boro fans in his first spell. Very good footballer who frightened the life out of defences, hence Liverpool bought him after some scintillating performances against them.

The problem was his conversion rate. Liverpool had signed Ian Rush who was also lightening quick hard working and unselfish. Unselfish wasn’t what Paisley wanted. He let Rush know that hard work and closing defenders down and putting in a shift outside the box, as good as it was for the team, that wasn’t what his job was. His job was to get in the box and get goals. If he didn’t do that, he would be moved on. I guess Hodgy was told the same thing. Rush of course became the most lethal finisher in the modern era, while their other forward was Dalglish. He was up against the best strike duo in English football, probably ever (including the Premier League) so all Hodgy could manage was to become the new David Fairclough super sub. He seemed well liked by the Liverpool fans, but Paisley, like Cloughie, knew what he wanted from a striker and was ruthless once he’d given someone enough time to bed in, shape up and see if the penny dropped.
 
Well liked at the 1st spell, 2nd spell .... well nightmare really , sent of and looked of the pace. Once went to a pools v darlo mat h at pools and for some reason they were sittng on benches opposite the players enterance, he got the lickings of a dog of the crowd but gave as good back. passionate player and manager, used to get in the Central Cafe in Darlo a lot and had a few chats with him . Nice chap
 
Very good player for Boro I loved him. Remember talking to him just in Manhattans in Redcar just before he left. Said then they were trying to get rid of him but he didn't want to leave. Great night him and his two mates(have a feeling one was also a younger player but it was a long time ago) stayed in our company all night and were really good company. Got him to autograph my arm and was going to get it a tattoo of it. Kept it on for a few weeks but never got around to it. Think the wife was giving me grief about wrapping my arm in cling film before going in the shower.

Was gutted when he came back second time. He wasn't match fit having not got many games at Norwich. He was so desperate to get back he was just trying too hard and ended up getting sent off. A bit like Brown when he first came.

Good manager for Darlington as well.
 
Good write up and funny tale from a Liverpool website from when he signed for Liverpool.

Hodgson arrived as an England u-21 international, seemingly having a bright future ahead of him in the game. He was hardly a proven goalscorer, having only scored 20 times in 140 matches for Middlesbrough. He scored four goals in his first six games for Liverpool flourishing alongside Dalglish and Rush and played a total of 37 matches in his first season, scoring nine goals. His main attribute was his pace, but he lacked skill and composure. When fellow striker Michael Robinson arrived at the club, Hodgson's chances were few and far between and he demanded a move. Sunderland were interested but boss Joe Fagan had told Hodgson to speak to him first before signing anything. However, Hodgson went to Sunderland and signed. Once he returned Fagan was not best pleased and told Hodgson: 'You've just made the biggest mistake of your life, son'. Fagan felt Sammy Lee wouldn't be a regular for much longer and had envisaged Hodgson taking his place on the right side of midfield.

Hodgson received a European Cup medal for the win in Rome in 1984, but shortly prior to that Liverpool had travelled to Israel to strengthen the team bond. Hodgson knows a story or two and remembers well that trip: "We’d been playing fizzbuzz, one of those drinking games. There was Alan Hansen, Kenny, Bruce Grobbelaar, Stevie Nicol, myself, Ronnie Whelan, Ian Rush, Sammy Lee, all drinking in the square in Tel Aviv," Hodgson told LFC Magazine. "Things got said and a fight started. Me and Rushie were quite close so it’s us back to back against everybody else. Somehow it calmed down and I went to the hotel with Rushie and Alan Kennedy, who fell on the ground and couldn’t get up. The old Liverpool director Mr Moss was coming out of the hotel just at that moment. So I’ve got down to pick up Alan Kennedy and I couldn’t get up either. And Mr Moss is stood above us frowning. He says: ‘Gentlemen, this is Liverpool Football Club.’ So I grabbed hold of his trousers and pulled myself up his body. And I put my arm around him and said: ‘Mossy, you old b***r, you might be a director but I think you’re a great fella.’ After breakfast the next morning, they call this big meeting upstairs and around the table, there’s Bob, Joe Fagan, Moran, Evo and Mr Moss, who stands up. ‘I’ve been at this club for over 20 years and I’ve never witnessed anything like last night in my life. I’ve had many accolades passed on to me, but never have I received one so touching than from David Hodgson.’ Then they lift the tablecloth and underneath it’s piled high with beer! After that meeting, Bob Paisley turned to me and said: ‘You’re a good Geordie, son. That’s what you are.’"

Hodgson moved to Sunderland and was on the losing side to Norwich in the 1985 League Cup final. Further disappointment awaited at the end of the season when Sunderland were relegated. After only five goals in 40 League games in two seasons, Hodgson got a free transfer to Norwich, choosing the Canaries over a similarly lucrative move to Sweden's IFK Gothenburg who then went on to win the UEFA Cup! He was loaned unsuccessfully to old club Middlesbrough in February 1987 and departed for Spain in the summer which started a long trek between clubs in different countries. Hodgson went into management and had no less than three spells as Darlington's manager from 1995-2006.

"When I left Liverpool for Sunderland Roy Evans sent me a glass trophy and they’d inscribed on it: ‘Good luck, you old b***r!’"
 
He made his 2nd Boro debut this day the 3rd March in a midweek top of the table third division clash away to Bournemouth, Bruce Rioch had gone to Norwich to loan Hodgy for 3 games, wearing the No11 shirt, with Stuart Ripley dropping to the subs bench
Hodgy 1st debut was 1978, registered No521 & he was brought back again as the clubs 8th loaned player & registered No582
Unfortunately that was the only goid news of the signing as we fell to a 3-1 defeat at Dean Court
Smashing bloke Hodgy. I had quite a bit to do with him when he was Darlo manager and he was an exceptionally kind, funny and inspirational bloke. It was an real pleasure to work with him.
 
Still remember those great days, loved those Hodgy runs down the wing, he started off his run before the ref blew the whistle for kickoff
 
He made his 2nd Boro debut this day the 3rd March in a midweek top of the table third division clash away to Bournemouth, Bruce Rioch had gone to Norwich to loan Hodgy for 3 games, wearing the No11 shirt, with Stuart Ripley dropping to the subs bench
Hodgy 1st debut was 1978, registered No521 & he was brought back again as the clubs 8th loaned player & registered No582
Unfortunately that was the only goid news of the signing as we fell to a 3-1 defeat at Dean Court
I remember the game at Bournemouth. Had a stinking cold all week. Took forever to get in - and it was one of the most packed away ends I've ever been in (apart from an away pre-season friendly at Darlo in about 2008 when Boro fans were in one small area of the ground while the huge spaces in the rest of the ground had about 2 men and 2 dogs - but I digress 😂)
At Bournemouth it felt like the stand was going to collapse!
 
He made his 2nd Boro debut this day the 3rd March in a midweek top of the table third division clash away to Bournemouth, Bruce Rioch had gone to Norwich to loan Hodgy for 3 games, wearing the No11 shirt, with Stuart Ripley dropping to the subs bench
Hodgy 1st debut was 1978, registered No521 & he was brought back again as the clubs 8th loaned player & registered No582
Unfortunately that was the only goid news of the signing as we fell to a 3-1 defeat at Dean Court
Remember him either injured or suspended - ended up with fans in the Holgate.
Imagine that now.(y)
 
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