Roy Hodgson - Playing Career

Playing Career

Hodgson was a moderately successful youth player with Crystal Palace, but was never able to break into the first team. After leaving Crystal Palace he played non-League football for several years with Tonbridge Angels and Gravesend & Northfleet. At the age of 23, he completed training to become a fully qualified coach. He then joined Maidstone United, where he played and also served as assistant manager to Bob Houghton. In 1972, after a year at Maidstone, he moved to Ashford Town, while also working as a P.E. teacher at Alleyn's School in south London. The following year, he moved to Pretoria, South Africa to play for Berea Park, despite the sporting boycott of South Africa in effect at the time. While in South Africa, he also coached a Northern Transvaal under-13 team which included future American international Roy Wegerle and future Arcadia Shepherds and Moroka Swallows player Noel Cousins. In 1974 Hodgson returned to England for his final playing spell, joining Carshalton Athletic. Again he supported himself by teaching, this time at Monks Hill Comprehensive.