Derek Hogg - 1930-2014

Leicester City’s Club Historian John Hutchinson, who travelled to meet Derek at his Norfolk home two years ago, looks back on his career… 

Left winger Derek was famed for his pace and for his dribbling skills. He was a key player for Leicester City between 1952 and 1958. He was born in Norton-on-Tees in 1930. 

His father worked in the ship yards. His family moved to Liverpool when he was a toddler and then to Preston, when he was about five. 

From the age of about 13 Derek played for Preston Juniors, often against people older than himself. He trained twice a week on a car-park in semi-darkness. 

Derek joined the army when he was 18 to do his National Service and went to the Suez Canal Zone. He played for the Army but he felt that it was a wasted two years in football terms. After the Army Derek returned to Preston as an amateur but was then picked up by Chorley as a part-time professional. 

Playing for Chorley, he more than doubled the wages he was getting at work. After about three months Leicester City spotted Derek and signed him in 1952. He came as a right-winger but Mal Griffiths played there so he switched to the left wing. 

He was always the fastest player at all of his clubs and he could kick with both feet. At Leicester Johnny Morris, a really great player, was a big help to Derek. 

He also played alongside the English League record goalscorer Arthur Rowley, who he remembered as being very strong. In later years, Derek recalled that Arthur’s shots in training were so hard that goalkeepers tried to avoid them. 

At Leicester Derek was on the verge of the England team but he was competing with wingers Sir Tom Finney and Sir Stanley Matthews for a place. He did play for the Football League though. 

When he played for the Football League, he had to provide his own shin pads and towel, and buy his own second-class railway ticket, which he then had to claim for! 

In 1958, after starring in Leicester’s 1957 record-breaking side which won the Second Division title, Derek was transferred to West Bromwich Albion, then one of the best teams in the country. 

After a very successful two years at the Hawthorns, Derek signed for Cardiff City, newly promoted to the top division. Derek’s first game for Cardiff was against Leicester City at Ninian Park. 

He caught the same train from Birmingham for the game as the Leicester team and travelled down with them. Cardiff won the game 2-1 with Derek scoring on his Cardiff debut. John Sjoberg made his Leicester City debut in this game. 

In total Derek played nearly 300 League games during his career. “My years at the Albion were the highlight as we nearly won the double, but I enjoyed my football the most at Leicester. They were a good club,” he told me. 

In July 1962, Derek joined Southern League Kettering Town for whom he made almost 100 appearances. 

In 1971 Derek bought, as a Free House, the Royal Oak in the attractive village of Osgathorpe in North West Leicestershire. It was a smallish pub and Derek had a new extension added. 

The pub was decorated with pictures of Derek’s team mates from Leicester City. In 1983, after twelve years as a landlord, Derek had to have a hip operation. 

This incapacitated him for about six months and he reluctantly sold the pub and moved to Cromer. Four years after that he bought another pub, the Black Horse in the Lincolnshire Village of Ludford, near Market Rasen. 

He was landlord there for another twelve years. Derek then lived in retirement in Cromer, and more recently in Sutton on Sea. 

He was not only a very gifted player, he was also a true gentleman who is fondly remembered by all who knew him. 

He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his family at this time.