Profile

Hobson was Liverpool's goalkeeper at the start of the 1936-37 season and played in the first 25 games of that campaign before being replaced by Arthur Riley, who was himself replaced by Dirk Kemp for the final seven matches of the season.

Liverpool only just avoided relegation and the veteran Riley was brought back after the club's worst run of the season, six First Division matches during December and January in which only a single point was won and Hobson had to pick the ball out of his net 14 times.

South-Africans Riley & Kemp shared the goalkeeping duties the next season, with Hobson playing just once, at Charlton in the middle of January 1938. That was Alfred's final league appearance for the club but amazingly he did play again over EIGHT years later, although the Second World War took place during the interim period, Hobson playing 172 games for Liverpool in wartime.

He was also between the posts for an FA Cup fourth round tie at Burnden Park, Bolton but sadly it was not a happy experience for him or his colleagues as Liverpool were thrashed 5-0.

FA cup matches were played over two legs in the first season after the war and by the time Bolton visited Anfield just four days later, Fred Nickson was wearing the goalkeeper's jersey.

Other clubs:
Ferryhill Athletic, Shildon Colliery (both amateur), Chester, Southport & Burnley (wartime guest), South Liverpool (amateur), Liverpool (2)