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SWFC Legends D-F

Posted on: Fri 27 Jun 2008

Name: Teddy Davison 

Born: 02/09/1887

Position: Goalkeeper

Clubs: Wednesday, Mansfield Town

International honours: England, one cap

Davison was a rock-like servant to Wednesday who produced displays of a consistently high standard throughout his 18-year spell at the club.

Despite being only 5ft 7in Davison was an excellent goalkeeper, possessing agility and reflexes which more than compensated for any shortcomings in the height department. He also carried a reputation as a courageous player, who was both brave on the field and placid away from the game.

Davison arrived at the club from his hometown of Gateshead in 1908, having caught manager Bob Brown's attention in a trial game by pulling off a penalty save. Teddy's prowess at spot-kicks became something of a trademark quality, and on numerous occasions he saved two penalties in the same game.

His Wednesday form earned him a call-up to the England team, his sole appearance in 1922 against Wales put him in the record books as the smallest goalkeeper to play for England. He represented the Football Association 13 times on a tour of Australia in 1925 and the Sheffield FA on eight occasions.

Davison's fair-minded approach to his profession earned him the respect of colleagues and opponents alike and he was lauded for his sporting attitude in the face of victory or defeat.

Indeed, such was his reputation as a diplomat that when Teddy protested about the legitimacy of a debatable goal scored by Sheffield United in one derby clash - many in the football world felt that it must have been illegal as Davison would never 'con' a referee!

His tremendous service came to a close in 1926 when he joined Mansfield Town as player-manager.

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Season      Appearances      Goals
1908-09               8                      0
1909-10             26                      0
1910-11             31                      0
1911-12             40                      0
1912-13             42                      0
1913-14             41                      0
1914-15             41                      0
1919-20             20                      0
1920-21             44                      0
1921-22             42                      0
1922-23             40                      0
1923-24             29                      0
1924-25             20                      0
TOTAL            424                      0


Name: Paolo Di Canio 

Born: 09/07/1968

Position: Attacker

Clubs: Lazio, Juventus, AC Milan, Glasgow Celtic, Wednesday, West Ham United, Charlton Athletic

International honours: None

Former Hillsborough boss Ron Atkinson once described Di Canio as 'The Volcano' and the reasoning behind that moniker became crystal clear during the Italian's brief but turbulent stint with Wednesday.

Many supporters would have described the volatile striker as one of the most skilful players ever to pull on a blue and white shirt, as he wowed them with his sublime displays and weighed in with memorable goals at vital times. But it was often for less glorious reasons than his breathtaking ability that his antics hit the headlines.

Watching Di Canio in action was worth the admission money on its own as his typically Latin temperament bubbled in precarious fashion, with spectators never sure whether he was about to inspire or implode at any moment. Sometimes the overflow of passion worked to the team's benefit, on other occasions it proved detrimental.

The most famous example of the Roman's tendency to let his raging emotions wash over him was to signal the end of his Owls career, as he pushed referee Paul Alcock to the floor after being sent off in a game against Arsenal.

Wednesday smashed their transfer record by paying Celtic £4.5m to bring Paolo to the Premiership in the summer of 1997 and the white-booted figure caused a stir from the off, receiving an FA fine and warning for bearing his backside after scoring his first SWFC goal.

The sight of Di Canio in celebratory mood became familiar over the 1997/98 campaign and his 14 goals included some absolute stunners. He tied both goalkeepers and defenders in knots by claiming superb solo efforts against Everton (twice) and Southampton, while late clinchers against Barnsley and Manchester United and a sweeping volley against Newcastle heightened his popularity with the fans.

But a petulant and unnecessary sending off for dissent during an FA Cup tie with Watford was a sign of what was to come later in 1998. A public clash of personalities with new manager Danny Wilson had unsettled Di Canio and his pent-up frustration was unleashed in the worst possible manner - the 'Alcock push' incident.

After serving an 11-match ban, the forward went AWOL and failed to return to training duty, prompting his sale to West Ham for a cut-price fee.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1997-98             40                     14
1998-99               8                       3
TOTAL              48                     17


Name: Derek Dooley 

Born: 13/12/1929

Position: Attacker

Clubs: Wednesday

International honours: None

Sheffield-born Dooley joined the Owls in 1947 after beginning his career as an amateur with Lincoln City. Having earned a reputation as a goalscorer in the SWFC reserve side, he was given an opportunity at first team level.

He failed to impress on his first two outings, but a brace against Barnsley in October 1951 prompted a scoring streak of 24 goals in 12 games.

Dooley was a formidable opponent for defenders with his power and enthusiasm, attributes which brought a total of 47 goals during the promotion season of 1951/52. During that campaign Dooley struck five goals against Notts County, four against Everton and Hull City and hat-tricks against Brentford and West Ham.

His second season saw the big striker struggle initially to adjust to playing at a higher level. Indeed, at one stage Dooley was dropped for a home game against Charlton, selected instead for reserve team duty against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane the same afternoon.

It is testimony to the esteem in which he was held that many Wednesdayites opted to make the trip across the city to watch Derek, rather than attend the first team game at Hillsborough!

Having scored twice in a minute against the Blades' reserves, Dooley was recalled to first team duty and regained the form of the previous season. He had registered 16 goals in 24 games since his recall when the Owls visited Preston North End in February 1953.

On an icy pitch, Dooley broke a leg in a collision with home goalkeeper George Thompson. The injury became complicated when gangrene set in and doctors had to amputate to save his life.

Ironically, the game ended in a 1-0 win for Preston, the same result as when Dooley made his SWFC debut against the Lancashire outfit almost three years earlier.

The news shocked the football world and the city of Sheffield. However, Derek Dooley's name will always be associated with the free-scoring local lad who became a legend representing his boyhood club.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1949-50               1                      0
1950-51               1                      0
1951-52             31                    47
1952-53             30                    16
TOTAL              63                    63


Name: John Fantham

Born: 06/02/1939

Position: Attacker

Clubs: Wednesday, Rotherham United

International honours: England, one cap + under-23

Fantham's tally of 167 goals in his 13 years as an Owl earned him the tag of being the club's highest post-war aggregate goalscorer.

The local lad had the ability to anticipate when a chance was about to arise and when it did, he was always in a position to complete the job. Fantham not only had the ability to finish off the chances in the box, but also had a number of spectacular strikes on his CV.

The son of a professional footballer, John could have chosen to ply his trade as a professional cricketer or golfer. He represented Sheffield and Yorkshire Boys at cricket as well as football, but eventually he opted to follow in his father's footsteps and chose the winter sport.

Wednesday had to move quick to secure Fantham's services in 1956 as Wolverhampton Wanderers also displayed an interest in signing him. He made his first team debut in February 1958 and cemented a regular berth the following season, filling the shoes of Albert Quixall in a more than competent fashion - his end of year statistics reading 12 goals in 33 games.

John rapidly found his feet in the top flight, hitting the target 17 times in 42 League outings in 1959/60. In the following campaign he struck 23 goals in all competitions as SWFC finished second in Division One.

His best overall tally was 24 in 1961/62 - around which time he was capped by England, in addition to representing his country at under-23 level.

He was a regular marksman over the next few seasons and was a key member of the team which reached the FA Cup Final in 1966. In 1968 he overtook Redfern Froggatt at the summit of the post-war scoring charts and his record remains unbeaten to this day.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1957-58               7                     0
1958-59             33                   12
1959-60             47                   18
1960-61             45                   23
1961-62             51                   24
1962-63             35                   11
1963-64              20                  12
1964-65              43                  20
1965-66              43                  15
1966-67              33                  14
1967-68              40                  14
1968-69              31                    4
1969-70                7                    0
TOTAL             435                `167


Name: Bob Ferrier 

Born: 1874

Position: Midfielder

Clubs: Dumbarton, Wednesday

International honours: England, one cap + under-23

Ferrier became known as part of a dangerous right-sided partnership with Archie Brash which resulted in panic among many opposition defences. In Ferrier at inside forward and brash on the right flank, the Owls had a pair of creators whose clever interplay supplied the ammunition for the other forwards and was the envy of other clubs.

Dumbarton-born Ferrier came to Sheffield from his hometown team in 1894 and made an instant impact in his first campaign. His most significant contribution that term came in an FA Cup quarter final against Everton, when he cut in from the wing to score a fine goal.

That strike was even more remarkable considering he had sustained a bad injury earlier in the tie.

A cup-tie at Sunderland in January 1898 signalled a change of position for Ferrier who switched to wing half in the absence of Harry Brandon. He performed so well that that became his permanent position and his career was given fresh impetus as a result.

Ferrier was a major part of the 1899/1900 promotion campaign in the first season at Owlerton. His experience proved crucial as Wednesday re-established themselves in the top flight.

The Scot missed only one game in the memorable 1902/03 term when the club achieved their first ever league championship success, and was a regular in the side in the following year's successful defence of the title.

After 12 years sterling service in South Yorkshire, Ferrier returned north of the border in 1906.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1894-95                7                      0
1895-96              33                    12
1896-97              47                    18
1897-98              45                    23
1898-99              51                    24
1899-1900          35                    11
1900-01              20                    12
1901-02              43                    20
1902-03              43                    15
1903-04              33                    14
1904-05              40                    14
TOTAL             329                    18


Name:  Alan Finney 

Born: 31/10/1933

Position: Attacking midfielder

Clubs: Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers

International honours: England B + under-23

Finney featured in over 500 games during his time at Hillsborough and the consistency of his performances made a popular member of the team among the club's supporters.

He joined Wednesday from amateur football in 1949 and made his first team debut at the age of 17, against Chelsea in 1951.

His first league goal came in a famous clash with Everton in May that year - the Owls thumped the Toffees 6-0 but were still relegated to the Second Division on goal average at the expense of Chelsea.

However, SWFC bounced straight back to the top flight as Division Two champions the following season, with Finney supplying the chances for a local discovery named Derek Dooley.

The Langwith product was blessed with the ability to play on both wings and although he was chiefly a provider, Alan contributed his fair share in terms of goalscoring too. His form brought recognition for England at 'B' and under-23 levels.

Finney was a regular as the club again won the Second Division championship in 1955/56 and 1958/59 and he also featured in every game of the FA Cup runs of 1954 and 1960, which saw Wednesday stumble at the semi final hurdle. He was an ever-present during the 1960/61 campaign in which SWFC finished runners-up.

It is of interest to note that Alan made his debut in the same game as Albert Quixall and not only were the two players partners on the right flank, they were also in the same unit while serving their national service.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1950-51                7                       1
1951-52              27                      4
1952-53              20                      1
1953-54              30                      4
1954-54              31                      5
1955-56              26                      6
1956-57              39                    13
1957-58              44                      6
1958-59              38                    11
1959-60              45                      9
1960-61              48                      7
1961-62              50                      8
1962-63              24                      4
1963-64              41                      8
1964-65              29                      9  
1965-66                3                     1
TOTAL              503                   90


Name: Redfern Froggatt

Born: 23/08/1924

Position: Attacker

Clubs: Wednesday

International honours: England, four caps + two goals

In over 20 years as a Wednesday player, Froggatt notched up around 540 senior outings - in addition to setting a post-war goalscoring record. He was an intelligent player, well equipped to beat defenders and convert chances either in the air or on the ground.

The son of former SWFC captain Frank Froggatt, 'Red' was signed from Sheffield YMCA in August 1942. He became a regular in the Owls' attack in the 1945/46 season, having made his first team bow in February 1943.

He was renowned as a player who could slot into any of the forward positions, and could create opportunities for teammates as well as finishing chances himself.

This versatility resulted in Froggatt playing over half a century of games as a winger, and indeed some fans were of the option that was his best position.

Redfern represented England at 'B' level against Switzerland at Hillsborough in 1950 and his first cap came in 1952 against Wales at Wembley. Incidentally, he and his cousin Jack Froggatt of Portsmouth filled the left wing positions in a 1953 Wembley international against Scotland.

He was capped four times by England and represented the City on three occasions in the Sheffield v Glasgow games - scoring three goals.

It is possible that more international caps would have been forthcoming but for Wednesday changing divisions on so many occasions in his time at S6. However, he was involved in four promotion campaigns, the last of which saw him follow in the footsteps of his father by captaining the Owls to the Second Division championship.

Season      Appearances      Goals
1945-46                 6                     3
1946-47               37                     4
1947-48               40                  10
1948-49               41                  10
1949-50               31                  14
1950-51               41                  14
1951-52               24                    7
1952-53               33                    6
1953-54               24                    8
1954-54               22                    5
1955-56               42                  14
1956-57               33                  12
1957-58               38                  10
1958-59               38                  26
1959-60               45                    6
TOTAL               458               149

Derek Dooley
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