Dave Dodson - goalscoring winger

Dave Dodson

Dave Dodson

Dave Dodson Pompey’s goal scoring winger from the early sixties passed away recently at the age of 84.

Starting his career at Arsenal and being selected for England Youth eight times between 1956 and 1957 Dave moved to Swansea Town.  In those eight appearances for England Dave scored once in a 5-5 draw with The Netherlands at Griffin Park - the other four goals were scored by a certain Jimmy Greaves!

 That pedigree encouraged Pompey boss George Smith to pay £4,000 in December 1961 for his services having signed fellow winger Tony Barton the previous day.  The two were to form a partnership which both created and scored goals as Pompey went on to lift the Division Three trophy for the first time.  The two scored nineteen goals between them in twenty five games.

The opening day of the next season saw Pompey entertain Walsall at Fratton Park for the first time in a league game and it was one Dodson would remember as he score a hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Saddlers.  The opponents were to experience Dave’s firepower in the revers fixture when he score two more in a 5-3 victory at Fellows Park.

The 1962/63 season was of course decimated by the bad weather and Dave’s season was cut short after picking up a knee injury against Luton in the first fixture of 1963 on February 23!  The injury was so severe that in meant Dodson would miss the whole of the 1963/64 campaign

The start of the 1964/65 saw a fit again Dave back in the Pompey side but after nine games he lost his place to John McClelland, who had been signed to cover him the previous term, and Dave then moved on the Aldershot.  He played 61 games for Pompey scoring 21 goals.

In later years Dave played for Andover and ran a plumbing business in Fleet.

Condolences to family and friends,