Dave Hatton
Encyclopedia
David Howcroft Hatton is an English
former professional football
er. He played as a midfielder
and, later, a defender
for three clubs in North West England
.
in 1961. In eight years with the Trotters, for whom he was also captain, he made 259 league and cup appearances.
's Blackpool
for £40,000. He made his debut for the club on 6 September 1969, in a 3–2 victory over Swindon Town
at Bloomfield Road
. He went on to play in all of the remaining 35 league games of the 1969–70
campaign, at the end of which Blackpool were promoted to Division One
as runners-up.
Hatton made another 36 league appearances in 1970–71
as Blackpool immediately returned to Division Two
. In a league match against Chelsea
at Bloomfield Road on 24 October 1971, Blackpool were leading 3–0 when the Londoners fought back to make the scoreline 3–3. Hatton then proceeded to score a last-minute own-goal to give the visitors the points.
In 1971–72
, under new manager Bob Stokoe
, Hatton appeared in all but two league games. He also scored his first goal for Blackpool — the only goal in a home victory over Sheffield Wednesday
on 28 August 1971. He scored three more goals in the league — one in a 2–1 home defeat to Norwich City
on 11 September; another one against Sheffield Wednesday, this time at Hillsborough
, in a 2–1 victory on 8 January 1972; and one in a final-day 5–0 whitewash of Charlton Athletic
at Bloomfield Road.
Hatton continued to be a regular at right-back during 1972–73
, making 33 league appearances and scoring one goal — his third against Sheffield Wednesday in two seasons, this time in a 2–1 defeat at Bloomfield Road on 16 December 1972. He also scored in the FA Cup
to help the Seasiders into the third round after two replays against Bournemouth
. Hatton scored in the second replay, which Blackpool won 2–1 after extra time. It was played at Villa Park.
During the 1973–74
season, under new manager Harry Potts
, Hatton played at right-back, left-back, and one game as a forward. He made 31 league appearances, scoring one goal — in a 2–2 draw at Oxford United
on 15 December 1973.
Hatton missed only one league game of the 1974–75
campaign. He scored one goal — a penalty at Bristol City
on 23 November 1974, which gave Blackpool the points.
Hatton missed the first five games of the 1975–76
league season, which proved to be his last as a Blackpool player. He went on to make 34 subsequent appearances, however, the last of which occurred on 24 August 1976, in a final-day 3–0 defeat at Luton Town
. He had made a total of 274 appearances for Blackpool in seven years, scoring eight goals.
in the summer of 1976 after new Blackpool manager, Allan Brown, released him. In three years at Gigg Lane
, he made 97 league appearances and scored two goals. For the final two years of his stint at the club, he was their player-manager. He was sacked after the Shakers narrowly avoided relegation to Division Four
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er. He played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and, later, a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for three clubs in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
.
Bolton
Hatton began his career at Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in 1961. In eight years with the Trotters, for whom he was also captain, he made 259 league and cup appearances.
Blackpool
In 1969, he joined Les ShannonLes Shannon
Leslie "Les" Shannon was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Shannon was born in Liverpool; a centre-forward, he started his playing career with his hometown club of Liverpool in November 1944...
's Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
for £40,000. He made his debut for the club on 6 September 1969, in a 3–2 victory over Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
. He went on to play in all of the remaining 35 league games of the 1969–70
Blackpool F.C. season 1969-70
The 1969-70 season was Blackpool F.C.s 63rd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing second...
campaign, at the end of which Blackpool were promoted to Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
as runners-up.
Hatton made another 36 league appearances in 1970–71
Blackpool F.C. season 1970-71
The 1970–71 season was Blackpool F.C.s 64th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing bottom...
as Blackpool immediately returned to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. In a league match against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Bloomfield Road on 24 October 1971, Blackpool were leading 3–0 when the Londoners fought back to make the scoreline 3–3. Hatton then proceeded to score a last-minute own-goal to give the visitors the points.
In 1971–72
Blackpool F.C. season 1971-72
The 1971-72 season was Blackpool F.C.s 65th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing sixth....
, under new manager Bob Stokoe
Bob Stokoe
Robert "Bob" Stokoe was an English footballer and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional north-east rivalry between the region's footballing giants, Newcastle United and Sunderland....
, Hatton appeared in all but two league games. He also scored his first goal for Blackpool — the only goal in a home victory over Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on 28 August 1971. He scored three more goals in the league — one in a 2–1 home defeat to Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
on 11 September; another one against Sheffield Wednesday, this time at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
, in a 2–1 victory on 8 January 1972; and one in a final-day 5–0 whitewash of Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
at Bloomfield Road.
Hatton continued to be a regular at right-back during 1972–73
Blackpool F.C. season 1972-73
The 1972-73 season was Blackpool F.C.s 66th season in the Football League. It was also the 75th anniversary season of their debut in the Football League...
, making 33 league appearances and scoring one goal — his third against Sheffield Wednesday in two seasons, this time in a 2–1 defeat at Bloomfield Road on 16 December 1972. He also scored in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
to help the Seasiders into the third round after two replays against Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
. Hatton scored in the second replay, which Blackpool won 2–1 after extra time. It was played at Villa Park.
During the 1973–74
Blackpool F.C. season 1973-74
The 1973-74 season was Blackpool F.C.s 67th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fifth.This was Harry Potts' first full season in charge....
season, under new manager Harry Potts
Harry Potts
Harold "Harry" Potts was an English football player and manager.-Early life:Born in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, as was another well-known name in football, Bob Paisley. The duo spent much of their childhood playing various sports, but it was football that Potts loved most...
, Hatton played at right-back, left-back, and one game as a forward. He made 31 league appearances, scoring one goal — in a 2–2 draw at Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
on 15 December 1973.
Hatton missed only one league game of the 1974–75
Blackpool F.C. season 1974-75
The 1974-75 season was Blackpool F.C.s 68th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing seventh....
campaign. He scored one goal — a penalty at Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
on 23 November 1974, which gave Blackpool the points.
Hatton missed the first five games of the 1975–76
Blackpool F.C. season 1975-76
The 1975-76 season was Blackpool F.C.s 69th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing tenth, with a symmetrical record of fourteen wins, fourteen draws and fourteen losses.Mickey Walsh was the club's top scorer for...
league season, which proved to be his last as a Blackpool player. He went on to make 34 subsequent appearances, however, the last of which occurred on 24 August 1976, in a final-day 3–0 defeat at Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
. He had made a total of 274 appearances for Blackpool in seven years, scoring eight goals.
Bury
Hatton joined BuryBury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
in the summer of 1976 after new Blackpool manager, Allan Brown, released him. In three years at Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it was built for Bury F.C. in 1885, and has been their home ever since.-History:...
, he made 97 league appearances and scored two goals. For the final two years of his stint at the club, he was their player-manager. He was sacked after the Shakers narrowly avoided relegation to Division Four
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
.