Roger Davies (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Roger Davies is a retired English football forward who played professionally in England, Belgium and the United States. He currently provides radio commentary for Derby County
games.
. Davies spent three seasons with Bridgnorth. In the summer of 1971, he signed with Worcester City of the Southern Football League
. He performed well enough to come to the attention of Derby County
’s manager who purchased Davies’ contract for £12,000 in September 1971. He spent the 1971-1972 season with the Derby County reserves in the Central League
where he won the league championship. Derby then loaned Davies to Preston North End at the start of the 1972-1973 season. He gained his First Division
debut with Preston on August 26, 1972. After two appearances for Preston, he returned to Derby where he began to see first team time. In 1973, he became a part of Derby County lore during a third round FA Cup
replay at Tottenham Hotspur
. At the eighty minute mark, Tottenham held a 3-1 lead, all but assured of advancement to the next round when Davies scored twice in quick succession to tie the game. He rounded out a hat trick in extra time as Derby eliminated Tottenham 5-3. In 1975, Davies and his team mates, including Alan Hinton
who would play a large part in his future career, took the league championship.
In August 1976, Davies moved to Jupiler League
team Club Bruges for £135,000. He spent just over a season with Bruges, winning Belgium Player of the Year in 1977 and the Jupiler League championship. In December 1977, he returned to England when Leicester City purchased his contract. In the spring of 1979, Alan Hinton
, now managing the Tulsa Roughnecks
in the North American Soccer League
induced Davies to move to the United States. He spent the summer season in Tulsa suffering from injuries which limited him to twenty-two games.
In the fall of 1979, Davies returned to England where he rejoined Derby County
. By this time, Derby had fallen from the heights of the mid-1970s and was relegated at the end of the season. While Davies was in England, Hinton had been hired to manage the Seattle Sounders
. On December 14, 1979, he convinced the Sounders to trade the Roughnecks for rights to Davies’ services. In 1980, Davies returned to the States where he signed with the Sounders. That season was one of his best. He scored an incredible twenty-five goals in twenty-nine games and was chosen as the league’s most valuable player as voted on by his fellow players. Davies played two more seasons in Seattle, before being traded to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He played only eighteen games in 1983, scoring three goals and left the league to return to England. In 1983, he signed with Darlington F.C.
of the Football League Fourth Division
after a brief stop at Burnley F.C.
He played only ten games with Darlington before moving to Gresley Rovers of the West Midlands (Regional) League in February 1984. Over the next two and a half years, he played seventy games for Gresley, scoring eleven goals. In June 1984, he also took over responsibility for managing the team. In November 1985, Gresley released Davies and four other players who quickly moved Stapenhill F.C.
of the Leicestershire Senior League
.
While now retired from playing, he continues to devote himself to the game as a radio commentary for Derby games.
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
games.
History
Davies was born and grew up in Wolverhampton where he played football from a young age. When he was fifteen, he dropped out of school and became an apprentice in an engineering company. However, he continued to play during his free time, up to three or four games a week. When he turned eighteen, he joined Bridgnorth Town which itself had just joined the amateur Midland Football CombinationMidland Football Combination
The Midland Football Combination is an English football league covering parts of the West Midlands. It comprises five divisions, a Premier Division, Divisions One and Two and two Reserves Divisions...
. Davies spent three seasons with Bridgnorth. In the summer of 1971, he signed with Worcester City of the Southern Football League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
. He performed well enough to come to the attention of Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
’s manager who purchased Davies’ contract for £12,000 in September 1971. He spent the 1971-1972 season with the Derby County reserves in the Central League
Central League (football)
The Central League , is a football league in England for reserve teams primarily of Football League clubs in the Midlands and North of England....
where he won the league championship. Derby then loaned Davies to Preston North End at the start of the 1972-1973 season. He gained his First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
debut with Preston on August 26, 1972. After two appearances for Preston, he returned to Derby where he began to see first team time. In 1973, he became a part of Derby County lore during a third round FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
replay at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. At the eighty minute mark, Tottenham held a 3-1 lead, all but assured of advancement to the next round when Davies scored twice in quick succession to tie the game. He rounded out a hat trick in extra time as Derby eliminated Tottenham 5-3. In 1975, Davies and his team mates, including Alan Hinton
Alan Hinton
Alan Thomas Hinton is an English former footballer who most notably played for Derby County and Nottingham Forest in the 1960s...
who would play a large part in his future career, took the league championship.
In August 1976, Davies moved to Jupiler League
Jupiler League
The Belgian Pro League is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Belgian Second Division...
team Club Bruges for £135,000. He spent just over a season with Bruges, winning Belgium Player of the Year in 1977 and the Jupiler League championship. In December 1977, he returned to England when Leicester City purchased his contract. In the spring of 1979, Alan Hinton
Alan Hinton
Alan Thomas Hinton is an English former footballer who most notably played for Derby County and Nottingham Forest in the 1960s...
, now managing the Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
induced Davies to move to the United States. He spent the summer season in Tulsa suffering from injuries which limited him to twenty-two games.
In the fall of 1979, Davies returned to England where he rejoined Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. By this time, Derby had fallen from the heights of the mid-1970s and was relegated at the end of the season. While Davies was in England, Hinton had been hired to manage the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
. On December 14, 1979, he convinced the Sounders to trade the Roughnecks for rights to Davies’ services. In 1980, Davies returned to the States where he signed with the Sounders. That season was one of his best. He scored an incredible twenty-five goals in twenty-nine games and was chosen as the league’s most valuable player as voted on by his fellow players. Davies played two more seasons in Seattle, before being traded to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He played only eighteen games in 1983, scoring three goals and left the league to return to England. In 1983, he signed with Darlington F.C.
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
of the Football League Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
after a brief stop at Burnley F.C.
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
He played only ten games with Darlington before moving to Gresley Rovers of the West Midlands (Regional) League in February 1984. Over the next two and a half years, he played seventy games for Gresley, scoring eleven goals. In June 1984, he also took over responsibility for managing the team. In November 1985, Gresley released Davies and four other players who quickly moved Stapenhill F.C.
Stapenhill F.C.
Stapenhill F.C. is a football club based in the Stapenhill area of Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. They joined the Leicestershire Senior League Division Two in 1957. They reached the 2nd round of the FA Vase four times in their history...
of the Leicestershire Senior League
Leicestershire Senior League
The Leicestershire Senior League is a football competition based in Leicestershire, England.-History:...
.
While now retired from playing, he continues to devote himself to the game as a radio commentary for Derby games.