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Idris Hopkins
Personal information
Full name	Idris Morgan Hopkins
Date of birth	11 October 1910
Place of birth	Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Date of death	9 October 1994 (aged 83)
Place of death	High Wycombe, England
Position(s)	Outside right
Senior career*
Years	Team
1925–1926	New Road Amateurs
1926–1927	Gellifaelog Amateurs
1929–1930	Sheffield Wednesday
1930–1931	Dartford
1931–1932	Ramsgate Press Wanderers
1932	Crystal Palace
1932–1947	Brentford
1947–1948	Bristol City
Total
International career
1934–1939	Wales
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Idris Morgan Hopkins (11 October 1910 – 9 October 1994) was a Welsh footballer famed for his talented right foot. He played for many clubs throughout his career, but most famously Brentford where he captained them in the English First Division. He is a member of the Brentford Hall of Fame.^[2]

Early life

Hopkins was born in the mining town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, son of a coal miner. He was naturally right footed but spent a great deal of time improving his weaker left foot repeatedly kicking a ball against a wall until it was of equal standard. Before turning professional he played football at an amateur level for Gellyfaelog and New Road.^[1]

Professional football career

Hopkins' first taste of professional football came with spells at Football League sides Merthyr Town and Sheffield Wednesday in 1927 and 1929 respectively.^[1] He failed to make a league appearance for either side before dropping back into non-league football with Dartford and Ramsgate Press Wanderers.^[3] He moved on to Crystal Palace in 1932 where he played 4 games before being transferred to Brentford.^[4]

It was at Brentford where he established himself as a footballer as part of their greatest ever team.^[5] He wore the number 7 shirt and was an old fashioned inside forward with two good feet and a determined attitude. Between 1932 and 1947 and he made 314 official appearances, scoring 77 goals and added over 200 appearances and 49 goals during the Second World War.^[6]

In 1946 Brentford, in Division 1, and with Hopkins as club captain were relegated to Division 2. During that season he made 43 appearances and scored four goals.^[7] This season was the last that Brentford were in the top flight of English football until they won promotion in 2021.^[8]

In May 1947 he left Brentford and signed for Bristol City where he played 27 times before retiring in 1948 at the age of 40.^[9]

He also made two appearances for West Ham United as a guest player during World War II.^[10]

His weekly wage was £12, the maximum permitted under league rules. Equivalent to £330 a week in 2007 terms, it was significantly lower than the wages of modern international footballers. He was inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in 1989.^[2]

International career

Hopkins was capped 12 times for Wales playing in the British Home Championships between 1934 and 1939, and undoubtedly would have won more if it hadn't been for World War II. He also made 9 appearances for Wales in wartime internationals scoring once.

During his international career he played against such greats as Cliff Bastin, Stanley Matthews and Tommy Lawton. Perhaps the most notable match he appeared in was Wales 4–2 victory over England in 1938 at Ninian Park as part of the 1939 British Home Championship. Idris was amongst the scorers for Wales with Stanley Matthews and Tommy Lawton netting for England.^[11]

**Full Internationals**
Home Side	Away Side	Date	Score	Ground	Goals
Scotland	Wales	21 November 1934	3–2	Pittodrie Aberdeen	0
Wales	Ireland	27 March 1935	3–1	Racecourse Ground Wrexham	1
England	Wales	5 February 1936	1–2	Molineux Wolverhampton	0
Ireland	Wales	11 March 1936	3–2	Celtic Park Belfast	0
Wales	England	17 October 1936	2–1	Ninian Park Cardiff	0
Scotland	Wales	2 December 1936	1–2	Dens Park Dundee	0
Wales	Ireland	17 March 1937	4–1	Racecourse Ground Wrexham	0
England	Wales	17 November 1937	2–1	Ayresome Park Middlesbrough	0
Ireland	Wales	16 March 1938	1–0	Windsor Park Belfast	0
Wales	England	22 October 1938	4–2	Ninian Park Cardiff	1
Scotland	Wales	9 November 1938	3–2	Tynecastle Edinburgh	0
Wales	Northern Ireland	15 March 1939	3–2	Racecourse Ground Wrexham	0

**Wartime Internationals**
Home Side	Away Side	Date	Score	Ground	Goals
Wales	England	11 November 1939	1–1	Ninian Park Cardiff	0
Wales	England	18 November 1939	2–3	Racecourse Ground Wrexham	0
England	Wales	13 April 1940	0–1	Wembley	0
England	Wales	26 April 1941	4–1	City Ground Nottingham	0
England	Wales	25 October 1941	2–1	St. Andrews Birmingham	1
Wales	England	9 May 1942	1–0	Ninian Park Cardiff	0
England	Wales	24 October 1942	1–2	Molineux Wolves	0
England	Wales	22 February 1942	5–3	Wembley	0
Wales	England	5 May 1944	0–2	Ninian Park Cardiff	0

Honours

As a player

Brentford

Football League Second Division Championship: 1934–35^[6]
Football League Third Division Championship: 1932-33^[6]
London War Cup Winner: 1941-42^[12]

As an individual

Brentford Hall of Fame^[2]

Non-playing Career and Retirement

After football Hopkins had spells coaching in Sweden with IFK Norrkoping and FK Slepnier, and Turkey with Demirspor F.C. He also managed Ramsgate, Portadown and Sutton United. He eventually moved to Middlesex where he owned and ran a confectionery shop Kandies in Harefield during the 1960's and 70's before settling in Buckinghamshire with his wife, Nancy, and sons Barry and Ashley.^{[citation needed]}

Hopkins died in on 9 October 1994 two days before his 84th birthday. A minutes' silence was held as a mark of respect before Brentford's match on the following Saturday.^{[citation needed]}

External links

Some photos of Idris's International Caps and some old Brentford Photos
Details of Englands home internationals, many against Wales and Idris
The British Home International Tournament
A history of Welsh international football matches
His career at Crystal Palace
Brentford fans discuss Internationals who played for Brentford at the Wayback Machine (archived 7 February 2012)
Brentford fans discuss the best XI to play for Brentford at the Wayback Machine (archived 18 March 2012)
His comments to a passer by on the bus

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 143. ISBN 978-1905891610.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Brentford FC Former Players' Association". brentfordfcformerplayers.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Hopkins Idris "Dai" Image 1 Brentford 1937". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
^ CrystalPalaceFC_user. "Appearances". cpfc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
^ "Bristol City Preview". Archived from the original on 16 June 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. pp. 80–81. ISBN 978-0955294914.
^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 379. ISBN 0951526200.
^ "Brentford Complete History - Statto.com". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
^ "Bristol City FC :: Citystats – Unofficial archive of results, players and managers". citystats.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "West Ham Player List". Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
^ "Wales v England, 22 October 1938". 11 v 11. 22 October 1938. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
^ Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. pp. 83–84. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.