Paul Lodge

Tutored by Colin Harvey and Ray Minshull, he turned professional at Everton in 1979.[3] The "Toffees" hovered above the First Division relegation zone in 1979–80 and 1980–81. Manager Gordon Lee was then sacked, and was replaced by Howard Kendall, who took the club to just one place off European football in 1981–82. Lodge was loaned out to Larry Lloyd's Wigan Athletic and Emlyn Hughes's Rotherham United in 1982–83. He scored one goal in five Third Division games for the struggling "Latics", and played four Second Division for the soon to be relegated "Millers". His brief spells at Springfield Park and Millmoor failed to reignite his career, and he was transferred to Third Division side Preston North End later in the season, in a move that reunited him with Gordon Lee. Lodge had made twenty starts and four substitute appearances in league games in his four years at Goodison Park.[3]

Lee left Deepdale in December 1983, and Alan Kelly went on to lead the "Lambs" to a mid-table finish in 1983–84. Lodge switched to league rivals Bolton Wanderers in the summer, but would feature just four times for John McGovern's "Trotters" after being sent off against Rotherham United early in the 1984–85 campaign.[3] He was loaned to John Rudge's Port Vale in November 1984.[1] He was only to play three Fourth Division games at Vale Park, before heading back to Burnden Park in January 1985.[1] Lodge moved on to Les Chapman's Fourth Division Stockport County, and scored twice in 15 games for the "Hatters" in 1985–86, in a brief stay at Edgeley Park.

Lodge dropped out of the Football League and joined Alliance Premier League side Barrow, before moving on to Northern Premier League side Southport in March 1986.[3] He scored once in 13 games for the "Sandgrounders" in 1985–86.[3] He made a massive 63 appearances in the 1986–87 season, scoring five goals.[3] He played 26 games in 1987–88, before leaving Haig Avenue.[3] Lodge played for Macclesfield Town and then joined Witton Albion. He made his debut for Witton on 10 September 1988 and scored four goals from 57 appearances in the 1988–89 season.[4] He scored two goals in 58 games in the 1989–90 season and four goals in 59 games in the 1990–91 Northern Premier League Premier Division title winning season.[5][6] He made a further six appearances in the 1991–92 season.[7] He later played for Morecambe, before returning to Southport in November 1993.[3] He scored once in 36 games in 1993–94, and then featured 46 times in the 1994–95 season under manager Brian Kettle.[3] Lodge then played 47 times in 1995–96, and was appointed captain by new boss Billy Ayre.[3] Lodge went on to play for Lancaster City, Bangor City, Chorley, and Burscough.[3]

Lodge was a midfielder with excellent passing and vocal skills.[3]

Lodge returned to Southport as assistant manager to Paul Futcher in 1998.[3] He became caretaker manager the following year after Futcher was sacked, before he returned to his assistant role under new boss Mark Wright.[3] Futcher appointed him as his assistant at Stalybridge Celtic in June 2001, before the pair were sacked in March 2002.[3] After working at St Helens College, he was appointed manager of North West Counties club St Helens Town in July 2003, but was sacked in January 2004 after his team lost ten of their previous eleven games.[8] Town went on to finish 19th out of the 22 team division in 2003–04.

Lodge then went on to coach at Accrington Stanley, and was promoted to the post of reserve team manager by John Coleman.[3] Lodge was appointed manager of Northern Premier League side Chorley in September 2006.[9] He signed ten young players in an attempt to mould a newer and more cost-effective team,[10] but resigned after less than two months in charge after telling the media "..the players forced my hand. There was no pride from them, no fight..."[11] The "Magpies" finished the 2006–07 season second-from-bottom. He later went on to work as a first team coach at Accrington Stanley,[12] and also worked at Accrington and Rossendale College.[13]

Witton Albion

• Northern Premier League Premier Division: 1990–91