Oliver Thomas Hopkins (15 November 1935 – 14 April 2014) was an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a

centre half In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

Career

In May 1954, Hopkins joined

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...

from Burtonwood. Although a centre half by trade, Hopkins also played as a striker for the club, scoring a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

in a 3–2 away win against Newport County on 13 March 1954. After making 54 appearances in all competitions for Barnsley, Hopkins signed for

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...

in 1961. Hopkins made 104

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

appearances at Peterborough over the course of four years, before signing for

Chelmsford City Chelmsford City Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Chelmsford, Essex, England. Currently members of they play at the Melbourne Stadium. History Chelmsford Chelmsford Football Club was established in 1878 by members o ...

following recommendations by former Barnsley teammates Peter Gillott and Ron Smillie. Hopkins made 91 appearances in his first spell at Chelmsford, before signing for

Brentwood Town Brentwood Town Football Club is a football club based in Brentwood, Essex, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Brentwood Centre Arena. History A Brentwood Football Club was established in the 19th century, and played ...

in 1967. In 1970, Hopkins returned to Chelmsford, following a merger between both clubs, in a coaching capacity as well as making three final appearances. In 1974, Hopkins briefly left the club, following Dave Bumpstead's departure as manager. In 1978, Hopkins was appointed manager of Chelmsford, following a two-year period managing the club's reserves. In 2010, Hopkins was named president of Chelmsford, after witnessing his son and grandson turn out for the club.

References

1935 births 2014 deaths Men's association football defenders Men's association football forwards English men's footballers People from South Kirkby Sportspeople from the City of Wakefield Footballers from West Yorkshire Barnsley F.C. players Peterborough United F.C. players Chelmsford City F.C. players Brentwood Town F.C. players Chelmsford City F.C. managers English Football League players English football managers Chelmsford City F.C. non-playing staff Association football coaches {{England-footy-defender-1930s-stub