Phil Hoadley

Who is Phil Hoadley?

Phil Hoadley is an English former footballer born in Battersea, London, who made more than 400 appearances in the Football League playing as a central defender for Crystal Palace, Orient and Norwich City.

Hoadley was born in Battersea, London, and began his career as an apprentice with Crystal Palace. He made his first-team debut on 27 April 1968, as a substitute in the Second Division match away to Bolton Wanderers. At 16 years 112 days, he became Palace's then youngest player. After appearing in 88 matches in all competitions for Crystal Palace, he joined Orient, whom he captained to the semifinals of the 1977–78 FA Cup. Having played nearly 300 games for Orient, his transfer to Norwich City in 1978 was the first move under freedom of contract legislation with a tribunal setting his value at £110,000. He retired from professional football in 1982 following a knee injury.

Following his professional football career Hoadley remained involved with amateur football in the Norfolk area and worked in a variety of jobs before returning to Norwich City in the 1990s as football in the community officer. As of 2006, he was landlord of a community-run public house in his local village.