Biography

Left back Arthur Rodgers was born in Mexborough on the industrial banks of the River Don to a father who was a construction worker in local coal mines and a former forward for Mexborough Town in the eaely years of the 20th century. Arthur himself was a pit worker as a young man while playing for local sides in and around the Don Valley. He was playing for Denaby United in January 1929 when he impressed in a Midland League game against City’s Reserves and was signed a week later. He made his debut for City in the penultimate game of the 1928/29 season and was used as backup during 1929/30 season, filling in for regular left back Matt Bell and regular right back George Goldsmith. Although chosen for several League games in the early months of 1930, Arthur did not play in any of the FA Cup ties that saw City cruise unexpectedly into the Semi Finals.
Despite City being relegated to Division Three North for 1930/31 season in the aftermath of that Cup run, the club was able to retain the services of Goldsmith and Bell, so Rodgers was again deployed as versatile replacement full back. At the end of March 1931 Rodgers finally won a regular first team shirt at left back and he played in every League and Cup game for just short of a year until late February 1932. He started the first three games of the 1932/33 season but was then replaced by City stalwart Cliff Woodhead and never started another League game for the Tigers.
Rodgers joined Doncaster Rovers in July 1933 and over the next six seasons he made just over 180 starts in all competitions, winning a Division Three North title winners’ medal in 1935 – Rodgers’ only League goal for Doncaster was the goal that sealed the title in April 1935 with a 2-1 victory over Wrexham. He retired from football at the end of the 1938/39 season and became landlord of the Duke of York on Doncaster’s Frenchgate, a pub demolished in the mid-1950s. He remained in Doncaster for the rest of his life, dying in September 1986.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 8 February 1907, Mexborough
Hull City First Game: 27 April 1929, Swansea Town A (Division Two), 22 years, 78 days old
Hull City Final Game: 3 September 1932, Gateshead H (Division Three North), 25 years, 208 days old
Clubs
Frickley Colliery, Kilnhurst WMC, Denaby United (1927-1929), Hull City (1929-1933), Doncaster Rovers (1933-1939)
Hull City Record
Career: 70 apps, 0 goals
Arthur RodgersSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1928/29 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1929/30 | 15 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1930/31 | 18 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1931/32 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1932/33 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |