Probably the best Carlsberg Sunday League team ever!
In September 1980 17- year-old Glyn Hodges made his debut for Wimbledon as a substitute at Halifax town in the old Fourth Division. In September 1986, Hodges scored the Wimbledon goal at Watford that left them top of the First Division, the top flight.
Hodges has strong memories of two 1-0 away wins and of the rise of the ultimate underdog club.
those results bookended six years in which Wimbledon earned four promotions, suffered one relegation and went from obscure outsiders to be first of the 92 clubs across the four divisions.
Hodges, 55, is now back at the club as coach and the sense of travelling full circle will continue when Wimbledon are soon rehoused at the old greyhound track adjacent to plough Lane. that was where the Dons of the 80s ripped up script upon script.
‘the Wimbledon story is fantastic,’ Hodges says. ‘We felt invincible, didn’t really respect anyone, no matter who they were.
‘We were quite disdainful — when teams came to plough Lane with a reputation we wanted them to work to prove they were worth it. We were labelled longball but there was a bit more to it. Yes, we had a system but we were individually good players.’
born in merton, south London, Hodges was a local boy with a big choice as a teenager: Chelsea or Wimbledon. He chose the Dons because ‘ there were opportunities — I was training with the first team at 17. but sometimes when I think about it . . .’
but given the experience he had, Hodges has no regrets. He was made aware this was no ordinary club on the day he was taken to the Shay at Halifax for his debut.
‘We went up by train,’ he recalls. ‘On the way up someone made a rule that we had to speak in an Australian accent the whole way, during the game and the whole way back. We did! even during the game.
‘I remember the date because when we got back we went to some club where we watched the marvin Hagler-Alan minter fight.
‘that was the start of the Crazy Gang, there were a few lunatics about. the social side of things was massive — we were the best Carlsberg Sunday League team ever.’
manager Dave bassett, who replaced Dario Gradi in January 1981, set the tone. ‘We were young, didn’t really have many experienced players, but we had a leader in Dave bassett,’ Hodges says. ‘Dave gave us energy, we all worked hard for each other, knew each other’s game, trusted each other.’
Unity of commitment will only take a team so far; individually Wimbledon had talent. but it was the collective that opponents encountered and it was rarely easy, particularly at plough Lane. ‘It was a great football ground, compact,’ is Hodges’s opinion. ‘OK, it wasn’t Anfield or Old trafford, but the dressing rooms were OK.’
When Wimbledon reached the top flight in 1986, however, their first game was at manchester City. they lost 3-1.
three days later, in front of 6,400, Hodges (below) scored the opening goal at plough Lane against Aston Villa — ‘I became the first Wimbledon player to score in all four divisions.’
Villa, the 1982 european champions, were beaten 3-2. then Leicester were beaten by an Alan Cork goal and Dennis Wise scored the winner at Charlton. After three straight wins Hodges says the feeling was: ‘We’re all right here.’
next up was Watford away: ‘they were a great example to us, they had done what we had done. they had a system but they had good players — John barnes. normally we were on the front foot but we were less attacking that day. I remember scoring through John mcClelland’s legs. I shot through them and because tony Coton couldn’t see the shot clearly, it rolled in. We ran to the end with our fans and every player celebrated.’ Wimbledon were top of the league — ‘Oh yeah, we looked at the table, on tV, in the papers. this is where you want to play.’ It did not last, the next game was a home defeat against everton and the Dons dropped to fourth. but Wimbledon left their mark on the top flight, finishing sixth, beating manchester United home and away. not so long ago, they had been on a train to Halifax.