Last May, Hodgson was our top boss after overseeing a remarkable change of script at Craven Cottage - from The Great Escape to The Magnificent Seven(th) in 12 months. For a club consistently among the smallest in the Premier League, the turnaround he produced on a tight budget was our stand-out success in management. Yet one year later, the canny Croydonian surpassed himself by taking Fulham on a Fantastic Voyage across Europe.
Nine and a half months, 18 games and over 20,000 miles. For plotting that route, inspiring his team, and navigating a thrilling course through treacherous ties, Hodgson is the repeat winner in this category having excelled as an explorer as well as a manager.
The 62-year-old's management style is impossible to pigeon hole - he's a drill sergeant, but not a bawler; he's avuncular, but not a soft touch; he's cosmopolitan, but quintessentially English. But above all, he can draw upon 34 years of dug-out experiences and still come up with new ideas.
Firstly, domestic matters. Fulham only finished 12th, but Hodgson can be excused a run of just two wins from the last 10 league games as he held his best troops back for continental combat (thus flouting one of the more ridiculous Premier League rules). However, before the denouement, Hodgson could point to two Manager of the Month awards - only David Moyes could match that in 2009/10 - one for an unbeaten October, and another for an 11-point February haul. Fulham only lost in extra-time at Manchester City in the Carling Cup and also made the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Onto the Europa League odyssey. After cruising against FK Vetra of Vilnius, Fulham's play-off second-leg task was nasty - travel east as far as you can go without leaving UEFA territory to face improving Russian opposition in Amkar Perm. Playing on an artificial pitch far from home without six first-choice players, Hodgson's men struggled - but they remained organised and held out until the 90th minute, going through on aggregate.
In Group E, Fulham took four points off CSKA Sofia, but poor officiating cost them on both occasions against Roma. By this stage, record signing Andrew Johnson had played his last European game of the season due to injury. To compensate, Hodgson worked on the attacking instincts of Zamora and Gera who would go on to net six goals each in the competition. To progress, Fulham had to win a difficult decider at Basel - the visitors' three-pronged central midfield dominated possession and they triumphed 3-2.
Two months later, they lined up against holders Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 32. Impressively, spirit again overcame style - although it appeared the Cottagers may have met their match when they lost 3-1 at Juventus in the last 16 and then went a goal down early on in the second leg. But this time, decisions went in their favour and Hodgson masterminded a jaw-dropping 4-1 victory capped by late substitute Clint Dempsey's stunning chip.
Wolfsburg and Hamburg were out-thought and out-fought by Hodgson and his heroes in the quarters and semis, the inverted wingers Duff and Davies grabbing vital home goals while in Germany, the keeper and back four (Schwarzer plus Baird, Hughes, Hangeland and Konchesky) demonstrated the strength of their defensive unit with clean sheets.
Alas, Fulham's brave rearguard was crucially unlocked by the Aguero-Forlan combination in the last few minutes of extra-time in the Nordbank Arena on May 12. The disappointment will linger for Hodgson, but the memories of how this modest but committed man took a modest but committed team to a European final will abide much longer. As Sir Alex Ferguson simply put it: "What Roy has done there this season is one of the best British club achievements of all time."