Dave Hatton

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Dave Hatton
Personal information
Full name David Howcroft Hatton
Date of birth October 30, 1943 (1943-10-30) (age 64)
Place of birth    Farnworth, England
Playing position Midfielder/Defender (retired)
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1961-1969
1969-1976
1976-1979		 Bolton Wanderers
Blackpool
Bury
Career		 231 0(8)
251 0(7)
097 0(2)
579 (17)   
Teams managed
1977-1979 Bury (player-manager)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

David Howcroft Hatton (born October 30, 1943 in Farnworth, Lancashire) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and, later, a defender for three clubs in North West England.

Contents

[edit] Bolton

Hatton began his career at Bolton Wanderers in 1961. In eight years with the Trotters, for whom he was also captain, he made 259 league and cup appearances.

[edit] Blackpool

In 1969, he joined Les Shannon's Blackpool for £40,000. He made his debut for the club on September 6, 1969, in a 3–2 victory over Swindon Town at Bloomfield Road. He went on to make a further 35 league appearances in the 1969–70 campaign, at the end of which Blackpool were promoted to Division One as runners-up.

Hatton made another 36 league appearances in 1970–71 as Blackpool immediately returned to Division Two. In a league match against Chelsea at Bloomfield Road on October 24, 1971, Blackpool were leading 3–0 when the Londoners fought back to make the scoreline 3–3. Hatton then proceeded to score a last-minute own-goal to give the visitors the points.

In 1971–72, under new manager Bob Stokoe, Hatton appeared in all but two league games. He also scored his first goal for Blackpool — the only goal in a home victory over Sheffield Wednesday on August 28, 1971. He scored three more goals in the league — one in a 2–1 home defeat to Norwich City on September 11; another one against Sheffield Wednesday, this time at Hillsborough, in a 2–1 victory on January 8, 1972; and one in a final-day 5–0 whitewash of Charlton Athletic at Bloomfield Road.

Hatton continued to be a regular at right-back during 1972–73, making 33 league appearances and scoring one goal — his third against Sheffield Wednesday in two seasons, this time in a 2–1 defeat at Bloomfield Road on December 16, 1972. He also scored in the FA Cup to help the Seasiders into the third round after two replays against Bournemouth. Hatton scored in the second replay, which Blackpool won 2–1 after extra time. It was played at Villa Park.

During the 1973–74 season, under new manager Harry Potts, Hatton played at right-back, left-back, and one game as a forward. He made 31 league appearances, scoring one goal — in a 2–2 draw at Oxford United on December 15, 1973.

Hatton missed only one league game of the 1974–75 campaign. He scored one goal — a penalty at Bristol City on November 23, 1974, which gave Blackpool the points.

Hatton missed the first five games of the 1975–76 league season, which proved to be his last as a Blackpool player. He went on to make 34 subsequent appearances, however, the last of which occurred on August 24, 1976, in a final-day 3–0 defeat at Luton Town. He had made a total of 274 appearances for Blackpool in seven years, scoring eight goals.

[edit] Bury

Hatton joined Bury in the summer of 1976 after new Blackpool manager, Allan Brown, released him. In three years at Gigg Lane, he made 97 league appearances and scored two goals. For the final two years of his stint at the club, he was their player-manager. He was sacked after the Shakers narrowly avoided relegation to Division Four.

[edit] References