Players - David Hodgson

David Hodgson
Birthdate: 6 August 1960
Birthplace: Gateshead, England
Other clubs: Middlesbrough (1978-82), Sunderland (1984-86), Norwich City (1986-87), Middlesbrough (loan 2 / 1987), Xerez (1987-88), Sheffield Wednesday (1988-89), Mazda (1989-90), Metz (1990-92), Swansea City (1992)
Signed from: Middlesbrough
Signed for LFC: £450,000, 11.08.1982
International caps: U-21 7/3
Liverpool debut: 21.08.1982
Last appearance: 18.02.1984
Debut goal: 04.09.1982
Last goal: 25.10.1983
Contract expiry: 24.08.1984
Win ratio: 61.22% W:30 D:9 L:10
Games/goals ratio: 4.9
Games/assists ratio: 5.44
Honours: League Championship 1982/83, 1983/84; European Cup 1984
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 7 / 1
League games / goals / assists: 28 / 4 / 5
Total games / goals / assists: 49 / 10 / 9

Player Profile

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 bugger, 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 bugger!’"
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 28 3 9 7 2 49
1982-1983 23 3 5 5 1 37
1983-1984 5 0 4 2 1 12
1984-1985 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
3 270 Luton Town
3 217 Birmingham City
3 191 Nottingham Forest
2 180 WBA
2 180 Aston Villa
2 180 Arsenal
2 155 Burnley
2 123 West Ham United
2 118 Walsall
2 111 Tottenham
2 109 HJK Helsinki
2 100 Ipswich Town
2 98 Widzew Lodz
2 71 Manchester United
2 21 Everton
1 90 Manchester City
1 90 Blackburn Rovers
1 90 Rotherham United
1 90 Norwich City
1 90 Brighton & Hove Albion
1 90 Stoke City
1 90 Sunderland
1 90 Watford
1 90 Notts County
1 90 Dundalk
1 90 Brentford
1 65 Swansea City
1 38 Southampton
1 28 Leicester City
1 7 Athletic Bilbao
1 5 Odense BK
Total Started/substitutions
33 Started
26 On the bench
16 Substitute
2 Substituted
Total Venue
26 Home
21 Away
2 Neutral
Total Competition
28 League
9 League Cup
7 European Cup
3 FA Cup
2 Charity Shield
Total W D L Win % Manager
37 23 5 9 62.2% Bob Paisley
12 7 4 1 58.3% Joe Fagan
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 4 1 3 2 0 10
1982-1983 4 1 2 2 0 9
1983-1984 0 0 1 0 0 1
1984-1985 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Started/substitutions
10 Started
0 Substitute
Total Competition
4 League
3 League Cup
2 European Cup
1 FA Cup
Total Goal minute period
2 1-15 minutes
2 16-30 minutes
1 31-45 minutes
3 61-75 minutes
2 76-90 minutes
Total Goal origin
10 Open play
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 5 0 1 3 0 9
1982-1983 5 0 0 3 0 8
1983-1984 0 0 1 0 0 1
1984-1985 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 21.08.1982 Tottenham Wembley Other
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 41 04.09.1982 Arsenal Highbury League
Related Quotes

"When I left Liverpool for Sunderland Roy Evans sent me a glass trophy and and they’d inscribed on it: ‘Good luck, you old bugger!’"

David Hodgson

"In Israel just before the European Cup final, 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. 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 bugger, 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.’"

David Hodgson

Scrapbook
Focus on Middlesbrough's Dave Hodgson
Focus on Middlesbrough's Dave Hodgson
Gold reserves - August 1983
Gold reserves - August 1983
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
Middlesbrough man
Middlesbrough man
Middlesbrough March 1981
Middlesbrough March 1981
No time for parties - Liverpool fan club magazine 1984
No time for parties - Liverpool fan club magazine 1984
Paisley cures Hodgson's fear factor - September 1983
Paisley cures Hodgson's fear factor - September 1983
Salute to the treble winners! - Match May1984
Salute to the treble winners! - Match May1984
Wembley trailblazers - Shoot! on 8 February 1983
Wembley trailblazers - Shoot! on 8 February 1983
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Middlesbrough 1978-1979 England First Division 19 1 19 1
Middlesbrough 1979-1980 England First Division 40 7 46 8
Middlesbrough 1980-1981 England First Division 32 5 38 8
Middlesbrough 1981-1982 England First Division 34 3 37 3
Sunderland 1984-1985 England First Division 25 4 33 5
Sunderland 1985-1986 England Second Division 15 1 17 1
Norwich City 1986-1987 England First Division 6 1 9 4
Middlesbrough 1986-1987 England Third Division 2 0 3 0
Xerez 1987-1988 Spain 2 0 0 0 0
Sheffield Wednesday 1988-1989 England First Division 11 1 12 2
Mazda 1988-1989 Japan 0 0 0 0
Metz 1990-1991 France 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Metz 1991-1992 France 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Swansea City 1992-1993 England Third Division 3 0 3 0
Total 187 23 217 32