Born in Driffield,[1] Hodgson came into contact with the trade union movement by playing cricket alongside coal miners.
[3] The GFTU's general secretary, George Bell, was in poor health, and the association had been struggling to recruit a suitable replacement.
[2] Hodgson devoted his time as assistant general secretary to external training and learning the culture of the organisation.
[4] Under Hodgson's leadership, the GFTU gained a significant number of new members, including some larger unions, and for the first time set up a research service.
[5] Hodgson announced in 1976 that he wished to retire, but the Management Committee decided that none of the first set of candidates to replace him were suitable, so he served until December 1977, spending the last three months alongside his successor, Peter Potts.