ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Changing football history/ the other way around!

Big Jock Dodds was an Everton centre-forward in the late 40s-early 50s (not bad either). Hardly any overseas players in those days, it was not allowed anyway, (that was the rules). For a British player to go abroad, that was a no-no as well, according to the old gits who ran football at Lancaster Gate.

Big Jock got an offer to go to Bogata in South America, I'm not sure if it was just him or a team of people who wanted to break the old traditions. He was told "If you go, you don't play again here." Jock said "Fuck you lot" and went. The rest is history.

Just look at Brazil,and all the other South American sides, all shown how by an Evertonain (although I think he went to Grimsby Town for a short period after us). Another amazing tale from Everton folkelore. I wonder if any of you saw Jock play, if you did, please don't say he was crap ? you will spoil my little tale.
Teddy Draper, Goggledd, Wales Posted 12/10/2007 at 09:59:37

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Michael Kenrick

Fortunately, Teddy, I think treatment is available... although not on the National Health!

David Hall
1 Posted 12/10/2007 at 15:02:24

Ephraim ’Jock’Dodds joined us from Blackpool in 1946 and scored 36 goals in 55 League appearances (how happy we would be if current strikers could match that!) He went off to Lincoln two years later where he hit 38 in 60 before going on the Bolivian adventure with the then England centre-half,Neil Franklin and Wales’captain,Roy Paul.
As I recall it the whole trip was a disaster and I know Paul went to his grave regretting the move.When they came back -with most of their wages unpaid-Dodds was nearing 40 and didn’t bother to seek ’forgiveness’from the FA as did the others.
Franklin finally retired in 1957 whilst Paul went on to get an FA Cup winners medal as captain of Man City in 1956.He once told me that his greatest-ever moment in football came three years later when,as captain of Southern League Worcester City, he led his team to FA Cup victory over Liverpool.As a young National Serviceman posted in Worcester it was one of my favourites too!

John McFarlane [Senior]
2 Posted 12/10/2007 at 18:27:38

Jock Dodds was playing for Everton when I began watching in the late 1940s, but I would be lying if I claimed to have any memory of his performances. I do however know that he was instrumental in the recruitment of British players to ply their trade in Bogota [Whose Association was outside F.I.F.A. control] including, Neil Franklin and George Mountford [Stoke City], Charlie Mitten [Manchester United] Roy Paul [Swansea Town], Bobby Flavell [Hearts], and the Everton duo Billy Higgins and Jack Hedley. It was an ill fated venture, only Charlie Mitten lasted any length of time, and on their return most of them were transferred to other clubs. Neil Franklin went to Hull City, Charlie Mitten to Fulham, Roy Paul joined Manchester City, Jack Hedley was transferred to Sunderland, and while George Mountford remained at Stoke he had to serve a period of suspension. Billy Higgins never played in England again, and I believe Bobby Flavell was transferred to Dundee. It is untrue to claim that foreign players did not feature in the British game, they have done so since the early days, most notably Nils Middleboe Danish international, [Chelsea 1913-1921]. Liverpool had Gordon Hodgson, Arthur Riley, and Berry Nieuwenhuys [Nivvy] all South Africans, Newcastle had the Robledo brothers[Chileans.],while Middlesbrough had Rolando Ugolini [Italian] and Lindy Delepenha [Jamaican], there were many many more. Football throughout the world was influenced by merchant seamen,and ex patriots from these shores, in the 19th century, and to suggest that Jock Dodds was influential in the development of Brazil and the other South American countries is romantic in the extreme.

Teddy Draper
3 Posted 13/10/2007 at 08:38:38

John Mc (senior) Thanks for a most exellent reply, very, very, enlightening. By me suggesting we (everton F.C.) had a hand in changing football history in S/America, you all must have realised it was done with tongue in cheek. I did say, not MANY overseas players in those days, think about the ARSE, CHELSKIS, of today, sometimes not a brit in the starting line up. anyway thanks once more for a very polite and civilised reply.

Frank Downey
4 Posted 14/10/2007 at 07:26:53

I,m a contemporary of John Mc ( Sr ), first
game the ,47 derby - saw little remember less- .I recall Jock Dodds as a very big man
even by the standards of the day when the
average c/fwd was built like a battering,
ram , and often played like one. It took Jock
a while to move through the gears, but once he was motoring it was a brave man
who stood in his way.
My one clear recollection of him was in a
game against Chelsea. Jock was chasing
the ball down the right wing, heading to the
park end. The Chelsea left back was alongside him and favourite to get there
first. Now this was in the days when a
good shoulder charge was both legal and
expected. So Jock simply leaned- ever so
slightly- on the f/back, who left the pitch at
high speed, and ended up sprawled on the
running track. The ref blew for a foul, Jock,
looking all innocent, was indicating " fair
charge ref ", but all he got was what my
dear old mum called, an old fashioned look.
I hadn,t realised the big man had such an
impressive goal scoring record- thanks to
David Hall for that info. This was at a time
when Everton were not exactly setting the
division alight with great football - just like
now-, so where , or when, are we going
to find the modern day Jock Dodds ?

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