He was only at Liverpool a year, yet he made a great impression on those that saw him play, as a fine header of the ball, and a man who knew how to score goals. He made 56 appearances for Liverpool and scored 28 goals, possibly the most memorable being the hat-trick he scored against Newcastle United at Anfield.
The Liverpool Echo ran the headline “H-Bombers” as Liverpool trounced Newcatle 6-0, with Roger Hunt scoring two and Emlyn Hughes scoring his first-ever goal for Liverpool. Hateley was sold to Coventry City, as Liverpool felt that Hateley’s style didn’t suit their all-round passing game, an ‘excuse’ that was thought at the time to be unusual, and even more so, when the very similar-styled John Toshack arrived not that long after his departure.
Tony Hateley scored 211 League Goals in total, for seven different league clubs, including 109 for Notts County in two different spells. At one time, he was well-known for being the “best English player never to have played for England”, although, in truth, his abilities were in very limited areas, despite being exceptionally good in those areas.
His son, Mark, did, of course, represent England, a fact he was extremely proud of, and his memory as a player meant that those fans of Notts County, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool, who saw him play, will never forget his style and his presence in the air.
Written by Steve Milne
