Norman Bodell

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Norman Bodell

| image =

| full_name = Norman Bodell

| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|1|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Manchester, Lancashire, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|11|22|1938|1|29|df=y}}

| death_place =

| height =

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1958–1963 | clubs1 = Rochdale | caps1 = 79 | goals1 = 1

| years2 = 1963–1967 | clubs2 = Crewe Alexandra | caps2 = 109 | goals2 = 2

| years3 = 1967–1968 | clubs3 = Halifax Town | caps3 = 36 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1968–1969 | clubs4 = Altrincham | caps4 = | goals4 =

| manageryears1 = 1969–1970 | managerclubs1 = Barrow

| manageryears2 = 1978 | managerclubs2 = Blackburn Rovers (caretaker manager)

| manageryears3 = 1982 | managerclubs3 = Birmingham City (caretaker manager)

}}

Norman Bodell (29 January 1938 – 22 November 2024) was an English professional footballer, coach, manager and scout. He played as a defender, making 224 appearances in the Football League for Rochdale, Crewe Alexandra and Halifax Town before moving into non-League football with Altrincham. He played for Rochdale in the final of the 1961–62 League Cup which they lost to Norwich City.

Life and career

Bodell was born in Manchester on 29 January 1938.{{Hugman|1799|access-date=17 December 2024}} He joined Rochdale as an amateur in 1955{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/nottingham-evening-news-rochdale-side-v/161058337/ |title=The Lancashire side's men at a glance |newspaper=Nottingham Evening News |date=26 December 1959 |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}} and turned professional in 1956. After completing his National Service requirements with the British Army of the Rhine in 1958,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail-bodell-baor/161058482/ |title=Keeping in touch with soccer. New Albion 'keeper started at 15 |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |edition=Sports Final |date=28 June 1958 |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} Bodell made his senior debut on 7 February 1959 at home to Norwich City in the Football League Third Division.{{cite web |url=https://www.enfa.co.uk/playersearch.php |title=Player search: Bodell, N (Norman) |website=English National Football Archive |access-date=17 December 2024 |url-access=subscription}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-bodell-debut/161058651/ |title=Little goes right for Rochdale |first=Eric |last=Todd |newspaper=The Manchester Guardian |date=9 February 1959 |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engleagcuphistfinal.html |title=England – League Cup Finals 1961–2001 |first=Didier |last=Fort |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) |date=25 February 2001 |access-date=17 December 2024}}

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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chronicle-bodell-to-crewe/161058960/ |title=Crewe insist on doing it the hard way |newspaper=The Nantwich Chronicle |date=18 May 1963 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/sport/football/former-halifax-town-player-norman-bodell-dies-aged-86-4910474 |title=Former Halifax Town player Norman Bodell dies, aged 86 |first=Johnny |last=Meynell |newspaper=Halifax Courier |date=17 December 2024 |access-date=17 December 2024}}

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 following February{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/48896659/bodell-leaving-alty-feb-1969/ |title=Bodell keen to go |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=26 February 1969 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/48896594/norman-bodell-sacked-from-barrow-feb/ |title=Bodell not talkative |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=12 February 1970 |page=23 |via=Newspapers.com}} with the team heading back down to the Fourth Division. He went on to coach the reserve team at Wolverhampton Wanderers{{cite news |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS168785236/TTDA?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=e491d17e |title=Dougan and Wagstaffe should play |first=Gerry |last=Harrison |newspaper=The Times |location=London |date=20 October 1971 |page=10 |url-access=subscription}} and the first team at Preston North End under Bobby Charlton's management{{cite news |url=http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/The-Big-Interview-Mike-Elwiss.711105.jp |title=The Big Interview: Mike Elwiss |newspaper=Lancashire Evening Post |date=15 December 2003 |accessdate=25 November 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213141805/http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/the_big_interview_mike_elwiss_1_138350 |archivedate=13 February 2012}} before becoming Jim Smith's assistant at Blackburn Rovers in July 1975. When Smith left Blackburn for Birmingham City in March 1978, Bodell acted as caretaker manager for eight games until Jim Iley was appointed, and then rejoined Smith at Birmingham.{{cite book |title=Blackburn Rovers: the official encyclopaedia |first=Mike |last=Jackman |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |date=1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/blackburnroverso0000jack/page/28 28] |isbn=1-873626-70-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/blackburnroverso0000jack/page/28}} This situation was repeated four years later when Smith's dismissal in February 1982 left Bodell as caretaker for two matches until the appointment of Ron Saunders.{{cite news |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS336693843/TTDA?u=wikipedia&sid=TTDA&xid=9154b727 |title=Villa's loss becomes Birmingham's gain |first=Stuart |last=Jones |newspaper=The Times |date=19 February 1982 |page=20 |quote=Norman Bodell, acting as manager since Jim Smith was suddenly dismissed on Monday, will be in charge of the side for the local derby.}} Bodell remained at Birmingham as coach and as chief scout, a post he went on to hold at West Bromwich Albion.

Bodell died on 22 November 2024 at the age of 86.{{cite web |url=https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/bodell/5224236 |title=Norman (Tony) Bodell |website=Funeral Notices |date=17 December 2024 |access-date=17 December 2024}}