Background
Hamilton was born in South Shields, County Durham.
Hamilton was born in South Shields, County Durham.
He began his professional football career with Football League Fourth Division club Darlington, joining from Boldon Colliery Welfare in 1979. Over three seasons, he scored 19 goals from 103 appearances in league matches, and then moved to Belgium where he was to settle. He spent a season in the Second Division with Louisiana Louvière before moving up to the First with Liège.
He returned to Louisiana Louvière, where he spent five years playing in the third tier, leaving after the club and several of its players, Hamilton included, were fined for financial irregularities.
He dropped down another division with Binche, a club he later managed.
