125: THEN
Words:William HughesGOOD SCORING
CHANCES ARE TOO
RARE AND VALUABLE
TO MISS WHEN
THEY COME ALONG
because it all works out at the
one end.
He went on: “Avoid shooting
with your toe at all costs. You
will find yourself much more
successful if you shoot with
your instep. Not only will you get
better direction and pace but
you will also be able control the
ball much more comfortably.
“Toe-shooting means that the
ball is going to be ballooned, and
this at once lessens any scoring
chances you may have. Really
good scoring opportunities are
too rare and valuable to miss
when they come along, although
I am not suggesting that they are
never missed.
“Shooting is an art which
can only be conquered like
everything else, as a result of
long and intelligent practice. If a
player has a natural inclination
and love for the game he is much
more likely to pick up hints than
a player who has been more or
less forced into the game.
“I would suggest that those
of you who are desirous of
improving your finishing should
change into your football clothes
at every opportunity in the
season’s early days and try
kicking the ball into goal from
all angles just as it comes to
you, without making any effort
to trap it or get it under control
Before long you will find that you
are beginning to learn a lot of
things that can only come after
experience.
“Practice makes perfect in
football much as in any other
sphere of life.”
Hodgson's goalscoring feats
for Liverpool saw him inducted
into the club's official Hall of
Fame as one of the two players
selected for their efforts during
the 1930s, the other beingScottish half-back Jimmy
McDougall.
Along with his fellow South
Africans his impact helped to
prove that overseas players
could succeed in English football.
Back in 1925, a non-British or
non-Irish player was a novelty
at Anfield. Less than a decade
later, in September 1934, the club
fielded four South Africans in a
fixture against Portsmouth, with
Berry Nieuwenhuys and Lance
Carr lining up alongside Riley and
Hodgson.
Season 1934/35 was
Hodgson’s last full one with
the club, as halfway through
the next campaign, aged 31, he
departed for Aston Villa. Another
transfer took him back to the top
flight with Leeds United for whom
he scored 51 goals in 81 games,
although his time in Yorkshire
was marred by the death of his
wife in March 1938.
The outbreak of the Second
World War brought competitive
football in the country to a halt
and prematurely ended his
playing days. He moved into
coaching at Leeds and after five
years in the role was appointed
manager of Port Vale.When George Kay resigned
from the post of Liverpool boss
in January 1951 due to poor
health, Hodgson – along with
Bill Shankly – was one of the
candidates interviewed to
replace him before the job went
to Don Welsh. A few months
later Gordon was admitted to
hospital with a throat complaint.
It was diagnosed as cancer
and declared inoperable, and he
returned to his home in Stoke-
on-Trent where he died that
June aged 47.
Over six decades later Gordon
Hodgson still stands as one of
the greatest goalscorers to
wear the red shirt. His collection
of 233 league goals is only
bettered by Roger Hunt’s 245,
with all of Hodgson’s coming in
the top-flight.