Derek Dooley

Dooley was an uncompromising centre forward who came to prominence in the early 1950’s. Derek Dooley joined Wednesday in 1947 after a short spell playing amateur football for Lincoln City; it wasn’t until the 1951/52 season in which he became a Wednesday sensation scoring 46 league goals as Wednesday romped away with the second division title. The next season though his career would be cut short due to a clash with the Preston North End goalkeeper resulting in a broken leg which would have to be amputated. He ended that season with 16 goals in 29 games prior to the amputation. With his playing career being cut short Dooley undertook a number of background jobs for Sheffield Wednesday eventually becoming the manager of the side in 1971. He lasted one season and was sacked on Christmas Eve 1972, after this he switched to Sheffield United and took up a number of roles for the blades. He is described as the only man to unite both Sheffield clubs.

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