Maurice Hepworth was born in Hexham, Northumberland, where he attended Hexham Secondary Modern School. He excelled at sports and began his football career with Sunderland A.F.C as a teenager. Maurice made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old, on 12 April 1971 in a 3–1 win in a Second division match at Bolton Wanderers. He played once more that season, before returning to the reserves. From 1972–73, Maurice was in and around the first-team squad approaching the FA Cup Final when, with a week to go, he was kicked in the stomach during a reserve match and suffered life-threatening internal injuries.
When he recovered, he went to South Africa and helped Arcadia Shepherds win a treble: National League, NFL Cup, and UTC Bowl. On returning to England, he played four matches for Darlington on loan, but it was clear he would not be able to play for Sunderland again. He went back to Arcadia Shepherds, was Player of the Year in 1977, and played for them until a broken leg ended his career in 1980.
Following his time in football Maurice worked for Pepsi Co, Pizza Hut, and Heineken in senior managerial roles, then in 2010 set up MH Coaching & Leadership, a diverse people-led leadership business. Through his coaching Maurice has worked with schools, professional academy footballers, and senior leaders within the retail sector. He is a Christian, married to Megan and has six children and nine grandchildren. He is currently writing his debut book ‘Add To You’.
