Alan Hinton

Lore & Background

Hinton started his career in the youth ranks at Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 1959, making his senior debut on 7 January 1961. He played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, and Derby County. At Derby County he won promotion to the top flight as Second Division champions in 1968–69 and the league championship in 1971–72 and 1974–75. He was known by the nickname 'Gladys' due to his white boots, curly blonde perm, and elegant non-aggressive playing style. After a brief stint as player-manager of non-league Borrowash Victoria, he relocated to North America in 1976 after his son Matthew died from a rare form of cancer. He played for the Dallas Tornado and Vancouver Whitecaps, setting an NASL single-season record with 30 assists in 1978. He later managed the Seattle Sounders and Tacoma Stars, coached youth soccer in the Puget Sound area, and was involved in efforts to bring the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the U.S. He served as a local broadcast analyst for Seattle Sounders FC. On 1 June 2020, he tweeted controversial remarks about black soccer players that led to Sounders FC officially ending a 40-year relationship with him.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed over a wet Villa Park evening in 1976. Rain slicked the grass as Hinton tracked down an opposing winger, sliding cleanly to intercept a dangerous cross. The crowd roared for the tackle, sensing another threat neutralized by their right-back. He rose from the turf, wiping mud from his claret and blue sleeve, eyes scanning the field for the next challenge.

Reader's Guide

Alan Hinton never played for Aston Villa. He was a left-winger, not a right-back. His major achievements were with Derby County (two league titles and a promotion), not the League Cup. He played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, and Derby County in England, and later for Dallas Tornado and Vancouver Whitecaps in North America.

Did You Know?

• Alan Hinton set an NASL single-season record with 30 assists in 1978.
• He was affectionately known by the nickname 'Gladys' due to his white boots and curly blonde perm.
• Hinton scored on his England debut in a 2–2 draw with Belgium in 1964.
• He scored 13 league goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1962–63 season, but was not the club's top scorer that year.