Paul Lodge

Tutored by Colin Harvey and Ray Minshull, he turned professional at Everton in 1979. The "Toffees" hovered above the First Division relegation zone in 1979–80 and 1980–81. Manager Gordon Lee was then sacked and was replaced by Howard Kendall, who took the club to just one place off European football in 1981–82. Lodge was loaned out to Larry Lloyd's Wigan Athletic and Emlyn Hughes's Rotherham United in 1982–83. He scored one goal in five Third Division games for the struggling "Latics". He played four Second Division for the soon-to-be relegated "Millers". His brief spells at Springfield Park and Millmoor failed to reignite his career. He was transferred to Third Division side Preston North End later in the season, in a move that reunited him with Gordon Lee. Lodge had made twenty starts and four substitute appearances in league games in his four years at Goodison Park. Lee left Deepdale in December 1983, and Alan Kelly went on to lead the "Lambs" to a mid-table finish in 1983–84. Lodge switched to league rivals Bolton Wanderers in the summer but featured just four times for John McGovern's "Trotters" after being sent off against Rotherham United early in the 1984–85 campaign. He was loaned to John Rudge's Port Vale in November 1984. He was only to play three Fourth Division games at Vale Park, before heading back to Burnden Park in January 1985. Lodge moved on to Les Chapman's Fourth Division Stockport County and scored twice in 15 games for the "Hatters" in 1985–86, in a…

Lodge was a midfielder with excellent passing and vocal skills.

Lodge returned to Southport as assistant manager to Paul Futcher in 1998. He became caretaker manager the following year after Futcher was sacked, before he returned to his assistant role under new boss Mark Wright. Futcher appointed him as his assistant at Stalybridge Celtic in June 2001, before the pair were sacked in March 2002. After working at St Helens College, he was appointed manager of North West Counties club St Helens Town in July 2003. He was sacked in January 2004 after his team lost ten of their previous eleven games. Town went on to finish 19th out of the 22 team division in 2003–04. Lodge then went on to coach at Accrington Stanley and was promoted to the post of reserve team manager by John Coleman. Lodge was appointed manager of Northern Premier League side Chorley in September 2006. He signed ten young players in an attempt to mould a newer and more cost-effective team, but resigned after less than two months in charge after telling the media "..the players forced my hand. There was no pride from them, no fight..." The "Magpies" finished the 2006–07 season second-from-bottom. He later went on to work as a first-team coach at Accrington Stanley, and also worked at Accrington and Rossendale College.

Witton Albion

Northern Premier League Premier Division: 1990–91