[1] After leaving school, he worked for six months as a welder before beginning his football career as an apprentice with Fourth Division club Darlington.
Of his home debut, in a 2–1 defeat of Luton Town on 6 February, the Guardian's correspondent wrote that he made some fine saves but "had a lot on his plate following the popular and long-serving Hodgkinson".
[8] He kept his place as Sheffield United went on to clinch promotion to the First Division at the end of the season, with a run of results that included seven consecutive clean sheets, a club record that stood until beaten by Mark Howard more than 40 years later.
[10] Despite a poor performance in a 5–0 home defeat by Arsenal at the end of the month,[11][12] coinciding with unfounded rumours about his lifestyle, Hope was in Sheffield United's team for the next League match, a 3–3 draw with Manchester City,[13] and received a second call-up to the U23 squad, again as understudy to Parkes with Shilton injured.
In January 1975, the Daily Mirror reported that Hope had been available on a free transfer for three months, no offers had come in for him, and although he would be willing to play part-time in order to remain in football, he was intending to give up the game and resume working as a welder.