Back in the spotlight: Roy Hodgson has come out of retirement

At 78, Roy Hodgson, the holder of the Freedom of the Borough of Croydon, is about to embark on his 21st managerial job.

The former England manager and twice boss at his hometown club Crystal Palace, has today been announced as head coach of Championship side Bristol City for the remainder of the season.

Hodgson was in charge at Ashton Gate once before – 44 years ago.

This time, he has been placed in charge with the club 16th in the league table, seemingly safe from threat of relegation with seven games to go, but without a win in six matches.

Hodgson takes over following the sacking as manager of Gerhard Struber.

Hodgson was assumed to be fully retired from work after he stepped down as manager at Crystal Palace in February 2024.

For Bristol City, Hodgson’s first game in charge will be in south London, at Charlton on April 3.

Hodgson has managed 1,269 matches across his coaching career, including at some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Liverpool and Internazionale.

Hodgson’s managerial career in England began at Bristol City in 1982, following a four-year period at Swedish club Halmstad. He has been in charge at 17 different clubs and four national teams, including England from 2012 to 2016.

Inside Croydon – If you want real journalism, delivering real news, from a publication that is actually based in the borough, please consider paying for it. Sign up today: click here for more details

PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, as featured on Google News Showcase, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates

• If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com

• As featured on Google News Showcase

• We offer FREE ads to community groups when they have members who are paid subscribers to Inside Croydon

• Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here

• ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2026, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for an EIGHTH time in nine years, in Private Eye magazine’s annual round-up of civic cock-ups

• Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network