Ex-Blackpool, Birmingham City and Sheffield United figure picks up special honour at former junior club
Ex-Blackpool figure Bob Hatton has received a special honour.
Former Blackpool forward Bob Hatton has received a special honour - with a dressing room at his junior club named after him.
The 78-year-old represented the Seasiders between 1976 and 1978, as well as having the likes of Birmingham City, Sheffield United and Carlisle United on his CV.
Cortonwood Miners’ Welfare, based in Brampton, opened The Bob Hatton dressing room last month, with the Hull-born attacker in attendance to unveil it.
“It pulled at the old heartstrings,” the ex-Blackpool figure said.
“It makes you think of all the good times. Those good times were hard times because you were trying to make it.
“I was a bit of a rolling stone in football, moving around from club to club, which suited me. Everybody’s different.
“You get the one club men and I respect them for playing hundreds of games for one team but I liked the challenge of moving and winning over the supporters and trying to score a few goals.
“I always used to try and get on with the fans. That was important and I never got booed – which is something – I must have done something right.”
Hatton started his career with Wolves’ South Yorkshire-based feeder team, which was run by legendary scout, and former Seasiders player, Mark Crook - who discovered 114 professional players.
The list of finds include World Cup winner Ron Flowers, England internationals Cyril Knowles and Terry Cooper and FA Cup winners in George Robledo and Alan Sunderland.
Of all the players to come through that system, Hatton made the most appearances, scoring 258 goals in 729 outings.
A year-long project has been run by South Yorkshire football historian Chris Brook and Barnsley Chronicle journalist Ashley Ball to pay tribute to Crook, who died in 1977.
The first part was to place a blue plaque at the ground to commemorate Crook, the second was the unveiling of the dressing rooms - with the second being named after Flowers, and the third is a forthcoming book called Feeding The Wolves.
“When it came to naming the dressing rooms, they were both obvious choices,” Ball said.
“Ron’s achievements in the game speak for themselves. He was the golden boy at Wolves, one of their finest ever players and the man Crook’s reputation was built on.
“Bob’s story was a slightly different one. It was one of perseverance and hard work.
“Incredibly both he and Flowers had their positions switched by Crook and the rest was history.
“It’s hard to imagine now but Hatton was initially a winger until Crook saw something in him to transform him into the dependable centre-forward that he was for so many clubs.
“There are more than 50 interviews in the book but Bob’s was the first I did and I think one of the best because he had vivid memories of Crook and how he altered the course of his life and career.
“He talks candidly about making the trips over alongside another future pro in Gerry Taylor and how they were put in digs overnight with a widow and fed very well before matches in the tough old Northern Intermediate League.
“Mark’s contribution still means a lot to Bob to this day and to many other players who were helped into pro football by him.
“I know Mark kept in touch with Bob and frequently wrote to him.”
The book remains available at the early bird price here.
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