Norman Bodell

Bodell was born in Manchester on 29 January 1938. He joined Rochdale as an amateur in 1955 and turned professional in 1956. After completing his National Service requirements with the British Army of the Rhine in 1958, Bodell made his senior debut on 7 February 1959 at home to Norwich City in the Football League Third Division. Normally a centre forward, he played in an unfamiliar wing-half position in a Rochdale side disrupted by illness; they lost 2–1, and fell to the foot of the table. Rochdale were relegated at the end of the season, and Bodell stayed for another four years in Division Four, mainly as a wing-half. In the 1961–62 season, he helped Rochdale reach and played in both legs of the League Cup final which they lost to Norwich City. Bodell played only four times in 1962–63, having signed month-by-month contracts because of a dispute over terms, and signed for Crewe Alexandra, about to gain promotion to the Third Division, in May 1963. Bodell played more regularly for Crewe over the next three seasons, but moved on to Fourth Division club Halifax Town in October 1967, where he was appointed captain and played almost exclusively at left back, a position he had occupied from time to time at his previous clubs. Bodell left Northern Premier League club Altrincham, where his playing career ended because of knee ligament damage but where he had continued as coach, to become manager of Barrow in March 1969. He helped them avoid relegation that season, but was sacked the…

Rochdale

Football League Cup runner-up: 1961–62