Born in South Wales, Bert Hodgkinson grew up in Derbyshire, where he worked as a railway coach-trimmer before he became a professional footballer with First Division Derby County in 1903. While his brother, Bill, played, and scored a few goals, for the Rams in 1903-04, Bert was released, early in that season, without having made the first-team. Over the next four seasons, he would change clubs each summer, remaining within the Football League apart from a season at Southern League Plymouth. He returned to the Southern League in 1907, arriving at The Dell from Bury, along with John Johnston.

Described as a “mercurial player”, Bert would suddenly achieve the sensational, only to disappear, just as suddenly, from proceedings.

That at least meant that opponents never knew what to expect of him. That said, he was consistent enough to feature, at outside-left, in most of the Saints’ Southern League games over the next two seasons; to play in every Cup-tie of the 1908 run to the semi-final; and to be capped by Wales in April 1908. Having moved to Croydon Common in 1909, Bert offered his services to Southampton in September 1910.

He was rebuffed and returned, via Southend, to Derbyshire, where he played for Ilkeston for a while and ran the Rose and Crown in Chellaston, Derby until 1932. He was a bit of an all-rounder, having played baseball at a serious level, twice winning gold at the National Baseball Association’s annual tournament.