davieG Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 LCFC Cult Hero, legend. TWIH: The Incomparable Derek Dougan Posted: Wed 23 Jan 2013 Author: John Hutchinson Derek Dougan Image by: LCFC Archive In the latest of his ‘The Week in History’ blogs, Club Historian John Hutchinson recalls the Leicester City career of cult hero Derek Dougan who was born 75 years ago this week. This week marks the birthday of one of the most colourful and popular players ever to wear a Leicester City shirt. His name was Derek Dougan, who died in 2007. He was born 75 years ago this week, on 20 January 1938. He was a striker who was superb in the air, had an excellent first touch, and possessed a lethal shot. He was tall, agile and technically adroit. As a personality, he was forthright, colourful and entertaining to the point of irresponsibility. He was controversial, articulate, humorous, alert and plausible. A maverick, he was impulsive, ebullient, contentious and enigmatic. Some found him persuasive and intelligent. Other s found him arrogant and opinionated. He was certainly popular with the Filbert Street crowd. He was only at the Club for less than two seasons, but his impact was enormous. He was signed by Leicester manager Matt Gillies for £25,000 in May 1965 from Third Division Peterborough United. The fact that such a talented player was at Peterborough was in itself a comment on his inability to focus on developing his talent, without being distracted by controversies and other incidents off the field. Before signing for Peterborough in 1963, he had played for Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa. He had also played, as a 19 year-old, for Northern Ireland in the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden. At Blackburn, he had controversially handed in a transfer request on the day of their FA Cup Final against Wolves in 1960. At Aston Villa, he shaved his head, was involved in a fatal car crash and lost form. At Peterborough, he seemed to re-focus on his game, starred in their Cup tie against Arsenal and was happy to take the opportunity to move to Filbert Street and join a well-established First Division side, even though this meant taking a pay cut. At Leicester he had the chance to play with, amongst others, such impressive players as Gordon Banks, Peter Rodrigues, Richie Norman, David Nish, Bobby Roberts, John Sjoberg, Graham Cross, Jimmy Goodfellow, Davie Gibson and Mike Stringfellow. The Leicester City player forever associated with ‘the Doog’ however was Jackie Sinclair, a right winger from Dunfermline who also signed for Leicester in the summer of 1965. The two of them formed a lethal goal-scoring partnership. In their first season at Leicester, the Doog scored 20 goals, and Jackie scored 24 as they helped to propel Leicester to seventh place in the old First Division. Dougan regained his place in the Northern Ireland side and Sinclair was capped by Scotland. Last year, one of his team mates, Richie Norman, told me about his memories of the Doog at Leicester. “Derek was a character. When he came to Leicester he started very quietly but his character came out as time went on. The management didn’t like anyone stepping out of line. One morning he didn’t turn up for training. They sent trainer Dave Jones to his house in Anstey to find him. Dave was a stickler, a hard man and army trained. There was no answer when he knocked the door. He looked through the letter box and could see Derek flat out on the floor. Dave sent for an ambulance. He was OK! “Dave didn’t like him because he queried everything in training, which was very army regimented. We’d be in the gym doing exercises and then run round and round the pitch. Derek didn’t like that. He was a bit of a playboy. He got special shirts made in Blackburn and sent down to him. But do you know what car he had? A Volkswagen Beetle and he was six-foot-four! I used to say to him, ‘Why don’t you get a decent car?’†The next season started even more impressively for Derek, until, perhaps typically, his time at Leicester ended controversially before the season ended. He started by scoring two goals at Anfield on the opening day of the season. He scored 13 goals in his first 10 matches and went on to score 20 goals before Christmas in only 22 games. This sequence included a hat trick in the 5-0 defeat of Aston Villa, a game in which, if I remember correctly, he led a bemused marker behind the goal whilst waiting for a corner! He was the most feared striker in the land. Bizarrely, it then changed. He only scored once in his next 13 games and then, in April, he had gone, transferred to Second Division Wolves. Richie Norman told me the story leading up to the transfer. “He left the Club suddenly. We were on a training break in Brighton. He disappeared for the weekend. Then he appeared as large as life at breakfast on Monday morning. Dave Jones came down and said:’Where have you been Dougan? Pack your bags and get back to Leicester.’ When the rest of us got back to Leicester on the Wednesday there was a Mercury headline: ‘Dougan signs for Wolves’. He’d gone!†The fans were nonplussed. They couldn’t believe it. I remember sitting in a lecture the next day, thinking about nothing else! Derek went on to play for Wolves with great distinction until 1975, but those of us privileged enough to have seen him play whilst at Leicester, will never forget his superb performances which secured for him forever the status of a Filbert Street cult hero.
davieG Posted 24 January 2013 Author Posted 24 January 2013 I see the Doug. The Doog sees me. Found another article about him. http://silverfox.blog.co.uk/2011/10/10/memories-of-the-doog-11995261/
Guest MattP Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 “I see the Doog, the Doog sees me, we brought him out of Division Three, he scored the goals we made him king, now he’s gone away, over the Midlands to Molineux, with Wolverhampton he started anew, still scoring goals that made him king, Dougan forever more…†:scarf:
Borderfox Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 He was a breath of fresh air, great to watch you never knew what was coming next, he was a shock to the staff at the City a real loose cannon, but he could score goals, sad day when he left, I would compare him to Frank Worthington, another larger than life character, who also shook Leicester with his lifestyle but boy could they score, both on and off the field!
Leicester_Numan Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 It reads like he died in the fatal car crash. Dougan used to literally ghost into the box? Maybe a bit of explanation as to whether it was a passenger or someone in another car would have been better
Dan Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 Heard the song about him a few times didn't know every word, cheers MattP. Funny character by the sound of things, bit of an old fashioned Ibrahimovic.
davieG Posted 24 January 2013 Author Posted 24 January 2013 It reads like he died in the fatal car crash. Dougan used to literally ghost into the box? Maybe a bit of explanation as to whether it was a passenger or someone in another car would have been better I think the result of dying in a car crash would be a tad more than loss of form
Guest safetosurfthisbeach Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 My parents bought his house from him on Cropston Road, Anstey back in 1967 (the Thorne family lived next door - they had a son called Willie of snooker fame, who used babysit me for my parents). Anyway, my father was from Northern Ireland too and he and the Doug hit it off straight away - our family continued to socialise with him and his wife occasionally, long after his move to Wolverhampton. He had a stunning German wife called Ute and I remember being struck by her beauty even as a wee 7 year old. The Doug used to challenge me to name any position in any club in the football league (reserves included) and he would name the player. If he could not name the player I won and he would give me half a crown. I used to look up obscure teams to try and catch him out, but I never did succeed. He knew the name of every player in every club. He still always gave me half a crown though. One time he gave me Wolves socks and a shirt. I politely accepted them and threw them away later - I was already hooked on Leicester City. I always remember him as being a perfect gentleman and I don't think I ever heard anyone say a bad word about him
molineuxphil Posted 24 January 2013 Posted 24 January 2013 I became a big fan of The Doog after seing him make his Football League debute for Aston Villa at Goodison Park Everton opening game of the 61/62 season Yul Brynner hair cut et al and just fell in love with his style of center-forward play ( i was an impressinable 12year-old at the time. One game that always sticks out in my mind was the opening fixture of the 66/67 season v Liverpool at Anfield it was a glourious summers day and i was standing on the Kop right behind the goal The Doog scored two amazing goals in no time at all just before half-time to tye the game up at 2-2 after he scored the equlizer he ran to the Kop got down on his knees and repeatedly bowed to the Liverpool fans somthing that just was not done in those far gone days. I still collect memorabilia re The Doog (i have been doing so on & off since the early to mid 60s) and i am always on the look out for anything Dougan for his time at Filbert Street 65 to 67 specialy any match day reports scrap / books this era.
davieG Posted 12 September 2015 Author Posted 12 September 2015 Leicester City v Aston Villa classic match: Derek Dougan the star in 5-0 win By Leicester Mercury | Posted: September 12, 2015 By James Sharpe Derek Dougan receives a pat on the head from a young fan after taking a tumble on to the running track; the Doog, below left, and Jackie Sinclair, right VIEW GALLERY Despite his ability on the field, having played in a World Cup finals for Northern Ireland at just 19, his £25,000 signing by City boss Matt Gillies was seen as a gamble. The fact he had been signed from Peterborough was itself a comment on his inability to focus his talent on the field without being distracted by off-field controversies. Even after scoring two goals for Blackburn in their victorious FA Cup semi-final, he handed in a transfer request on the morning of the Wembley final. When David Beckham ran out at Filbert Street in March 2000 sporting a freshly-shaven head to the gasps of the media, he was only doing a Doog. Dougan had done the same while playing for Aston Villa all the way back in 1961. But it was his time at Peterborough, Leicester and then at Wolves, where he finally began to channel his enigmatic personality to what he was good at – playing football. Behind it all, Dougan was a fantastic centre-forward. He was strong in the air, had an excellent first touch and possessed a lethal shot. He was tall, agile and technically adroit. He brought all those to the fore with immediate effect for Leicester. Dougan struck up a lethal partnership with right-winger Jackie Sinclair, who had also signed for City in the summer of 1965. In their first season, they scored 20 and 24 goals respectively as Leicester finished seventh in the old First Division. The duo would do the same the following season, no more emphatically than in a 5-0 drubbing of Villa at Filbert Street on September 24, 1966. Dougan ran riot, scoring a hat-trick in seven second-half minutes, after Mike Stringfellow had given City a first-half lead. Stringfellow turned provider for Dougan's first, crossing the ball to allow the Irishman to stab home from two yards out. Dougan nipped in to latch on to Davie Gibson's beautiful ball, rounding Villa keeper Colin Withers to add his second before sealing his hat-trick in style, dribbling past Charlie Aitken and firing a vicious left-footed shot into the net. Sinclair rammed home the fifth on an afternoon when it could easily have been more. Leicester would go on to finish eighth but the season was overshadowed by the departure of Dougan in March, and then World Cup winner Gordon Banks the following month. The Doog's departure to promotion-chasing Wolves was met with much ill-feeling from supporters, who believed the club had been happy to cash in on the first offer they received. Dougan made an immediate impact at Molineux, helping the club secure promotion within just a couple of months and, with it, completed his change from uncontrollable trouble-maker to flamboyant top-class goalscorer. City: Banks, Rodrigues, Norman, Roberts, Sjoberg, Cross, Goodfellow, Gibson, Sinclair, Dougan, Stringfellow. Sub: Nish Goals: Goodfellow (17), Dougan (59, 77, 80), Sinclair (84) Aston Villa: Withers, Aitken, Bradley, Pountney, Sleeuwenhoek, Tindall, Deakin, Hamilton, Scott, Hatele Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-City-v-Aston-Villa-classic-match-Derek/story-27780357-detail/story.html#ixzz3lVVgmbMN Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook
Guest Mee-9 Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 My dad always used to tell me about how all around town 'the doog' was spray painted on walls and everything possible. Still maintains he was one of the best players he's ever seen.
Spudulike Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 That photo of our four internationals would make a great statue down on Freeman's Wharf.
AndWhat? Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 Honestly think 'I see the Doog' is one of my favourite chants.
Kitchandro Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 Unbelievable to think we'd let a proven top flight goalscorer go to a 2nd division side. That just wouldn't happen in this day and age. We really have done some ridiculously stupid things in our history!
surrifox Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 the article mentions his partnership with Jackie Sinclair - I saw one of the best displays of wing play ever from Sinclair at Chelsea in a 0-2 win . He had Chelsea's left back (McCreadie ?) on toast that day.
Steven Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 My parents bought his house from him on Cropston Road, Anstey back in 1967 (the Thorne family lived next door - they had a son called Willie of snooker fame, who used babysit me for my parents). Anyway, my father was from Northern Ireland too and he and the Doug hit it off straight away - our family continued to socialise with him and his wife occasionally, long after his move to Wolverhampton. He had a stunning German wife called Ute and I remember being struck by her beauty even as a wee 7 year old. The Doug used to challenge me to name any position in any club in the football league (reserves included) and he would name the player. If he could not name the player I won and he would give me half a crown. I used to look up obscure teams to try and catch him out, but I never did succeed. He knew the name of every player in every club. He still always gave me half a crown though. One time he gave me Wolves socks and a shirt. I politely accepted them and threw them away later - I was already hooked on Leicester City. I always remember him as being a perfect gentleman and I don't think I ever heard anyone say a bad word about him Great story; great avatar.
Thracian Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 My parents bought his house from him on Cropston Road, Anstey back in 1967 (the Thorne family lived next door - they had a son called Willie of snooker fame, who used babysit me for my parents). Anyway, my father was from Northern Ireland too and he and the Doug hit it off straight away - our family continued to socialise with him and his wife occasionally, long after his move to Wolverhampton. He had a stunning German wife called Ute and I remember being struck by her beauty even as a wee 7 year old. The Doug used to challenge me to name any position in any club in the football league (reserves included) and he would name the player. If he could not name the player I won and he would give me half a crown. I used to look up obscure teams to try and catch him out, but I never did succeed. He knew the name of every player in every club. He still always gave me half a crown though. One time he gave me Wolves socks and a shirt. I politely accepted them and threw them away later - I was already hooked on Leicester City. I always remember him as being a perfect gentleman and I don't think I ever heard anyone say a bad word about him I remember Ute. She used to come into the Leicester Mercury office where I worked when The Doog was working on his column or some such thing. I'd have been a teenager at the time and you're right - she was gorgeous. Doog was such a entertaining footballer and not just with the ball - he do things that simply made you laugh like leaving the ball on the corner spot and walking away when he got so surrounded by defenders he couldn't see a way out! They there was a particularly muddy day when, as captain, he went to shake hands with his opposing number before tossing the pre-match coin. He trotted forward with his arm outstretched and completely missed the other waiting hand - slithering past into the distance. But while funny he certainly was he was no clown on the pitch but an astute and deadly centre-forward. His career with us was far to short but a treat to watch nevertheless.
Thracian Posted 12 September 2015 Posted 12 September 2015 My dad always used to tell me about how all around town 'the doog' was spray painted on walls and everything possible. Still maintains he was one of the best players he's ever seen. I'd agree with that. He and Davie Gibson were footballing poetry.
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