Derek Pace
Encyclopedia
Derek 'Doc' Pace was a footballer
who played in the position of Striker
for Sheffield United
and Aston Villa
.
Junior School
in Essington and was captain for Walsall
Schoolboys playing at centre half
. On leaving school, he went on to play for amateur sides Bloxwich Scouts in the Bloxwich Combination, Bloxwich Wesley in the Walsall Minor League and had a spell with Walsall Wood in the Walsall Senior League during the 1948-49 season
.
Derek was signed by Aston Villa from Bloxwich Scouts in September 1949, not long after his signing for Villa
; he was called up for two years National service
in the Medical Corps
where he obtained the nickname
"Doc". Derek was small in stature for a centre forward at five feet eight inches, and less than 12 stone
, but was nonetheless hardy and tough, and a real problem for defenders
to cope with. He came out of the Army in June 1953.
on March 17, 1951.
In 1953-1954 season
, Derek was one of seven forwards
who appeared for Aston Villa following the departure of regular forward Trevor Ford
- who had joined Sunderland
. He seized his opportunity and scored six goals from six league matches. The following season, he played in 18 league matches scoring one goal also made one appearance in the FA Cup
.
In 1955-56
, Villa were next to bottom of the league three points behind Sheffield United with three matches remaining. Sheffield United manager Joe Mercer
had tried to sign Pace in mid-season, but his attempts were blocked by Villa. And in the closing games it was Derek's goals that did a great deal to save Villa from relegation
, they eventually finished third from bottom on goal difference
and avoided relegation. In 1956-57
Derek played in 21 league
matches scoring six goals and in six cup games scoring two goals. Although he missed out on being selected for the Aston Villa 1957 FA Cup Final
side, being twelfth man after playing in all the rounds up to the semi-final.
He started the 1957-58 season with Villa and played in 12 games scoring three goals - including the Charity Shield
side that was beaten by Manchester United
. In total he scored 42 league and FA Cup goals in 106 matches for Aston Villa.
12,000. It was with the Blades he began to excel as a striker
. He made his debut for United on the day he had signed – scoring after just eight minutes, against Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane
on December 26, 1957.
At Sheffield United he switched his playing position to centre-forward, and met with increasing success. Pace was a superb header of the ball and some of the goals he scored with his head were spectacular. He could also shoot with both feet and had outstanding anticipation and timing. Many of his goals were scored from half chances in the goalmouth.
He was an ever present in the side when United achieved First Division
status again in season 1960-61
with Pace scoring 26 goals, including a FA Cup
run in which the team reached the Semi-finals. He became a great favourite with the Blades fans, who warmed to his enthusiasm, sportsmanship, quick shooting and brilliant heading ability, and his signing was undoubtedly a major factor in bringing better days ahead to the Lane
.
Immediately after his signing, the improvement to the Blades team was instantly apparent. Between February 22, 1958 and April 5, 1958, United won eight consecutive league matches, with Pace scoring nine of the goals in this period. The spell included one of United’s most memorable FA Cup victories. The occasion was a 4th Round against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane
in front of 51,536 spectators. Pace put United ahead in the first minute and United won the tie 3-0. Pace was a consistent scorer for the Blades, and started 1960 in great form. Between January 2 and March 5 of that year, he scored 16 goals in eight matches, including a hat-trick
against his former club and (at the time) Division Two
league leaders Aston Villa at Villa Park on February 27, 1960.
His last match for Sheffield United was against Burnley at Bramall Lane on August 29, 1964. In total he had scored 140 goals in 253 league appearances (175 goals in 302 league and cup games) for United. He was the Blades top scorer for six successive seasons.
in July 1966, only playing four matches plus one as substitute, and scoring one goal - a flying header at Grimsby Town
on August 27, 1966.
In his career he scored a grand total of 233 goals in 444 games.
. He died on October 17, 1989.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played in the position of Striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
Early career
Pace went to EssingtonEssington
Essington is a village and civil parish in South Staffordshire, England. It is considered by the Office for National Statistics to be part of the Wolverhampton Urban Subdivision, and is within the West Midlands conurbation....
Junior School
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
in Essington and was captain for Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
Schoolboys playing at centre half
Football (soccer) positions
In the sport of association football, each of the eleven players on a team is assigned to a particular position on the field of play. A team is made up of one goalkeeper and ten outfield players who fill various defensive, midfield and attacking positions depending on the formation deployed. These...
. On leaving school, he went on to play for amateur sides Bloxwich Scouts in the Bloxwich Combination, Bloxwich Wesley in the Walsall Minor League and had a spell with Walsall Wood in the Walsall Senior League during the 1948-49 season
1948-49 in English football
The 1948–49 season was the 69th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth won the First Division title for the first time with a team of no recognised stars and very few international players. They won the league by five points from Manchester United and Derby...
.
Derek was signed by Aston Villa from Bloxwich Scouts in September 1949, not long after his signing for Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
; he was called up for two years National service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
where he obtained the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
"Doc". Derek was small in stature for a centre forward at five feet eight inches, and less than 12 stone
Stone (weight)
The stone is a units of measurement that was used in many North European countries until the advent of metrication. It value, which ranged from 3 kg to 12 kg, varied from city to city and also often from commodity to commodity...
, but was nonetheless hardy and tough, and a real problem for defenders
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
to cope with. He came out of the Army in June 1953.
Aston Villa
He played as an inside-forward with Aston Villa, and although he enjoyed lengthy runs in the side, he did not quite fully establish himself at Villa Park, although he did score on his debut against BurnleyBurnley 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...
on March 17, 1951.
In 1953-1954 season
1953-54 in English football
The 1953–54 season was the 74th season of competitive football in England.-National team:The Marvellous Magyars shocked football by defeating England 6–3 at Wembley Stadium.-Honours:...
, Derek was one of seven forwards
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who appeared for Aston Villa following the departure of regular forward Trevor Ford
Trevor Ford
Trevor Ford was a Welsh international centre forward footballer who played for Aston Villa, Cardiff City, Sunderland and Swansea Town. He was born and died in Swansea.-Football career:...
- who had joined Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. He seized his opportunity and scored six goals from six league matches. The following season, he played in 18 league matches scoring one goal also made one appearance in the 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...
.
In 1955-56
1955-56 in English football
The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. The First Division was won by Manchester United, the fourth time they had won that particular accolade.-Awards:Football Writers' Association...
, Villa were next to bottom of the league three points behind Sheffield United with three matches remaining. Sheffield United manager Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...
had tried to sign Pace in mid-season, but his attempts were blocked by Villa. And in the closing games it was Derek's goals that did a great deal to save Villa from relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
, they eventually finished third from bottom on goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
and avoided relegation. In 1956-57
1956-57 in English football
The 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East...
Derek played in 21 league
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
matches scoring six goals and in six cup games scoring two goals. Although he missed out on being selected for the Aston Villa 1957 FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
side, being twelfth man after playing in all the rounds up to the semi-final.
He started the 1957-58 season with Villa and played in 12 games scoring three goals - including the Charity Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
side that was beaten by Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. In total he scored 42 league and FA Cup goals in 106 matches for Aston Villa.
Sheffield United
On December 26, 1957, he was finally signed by Sheffield United manager Joe Mercer for £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
12,000. It was with the Blades he began to excel as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. He made his debut for United on the day he had signed – scoring after just eight minutes, against Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
on December 26, 1957.
At Sheffield United he switched his playing position to centre-forward, and met with increasing success. Pace was a superb header of the ball and some of the goals he scored with his head were spectacular. He could also shoot with both feet and had outstanding anticipation and timing. Many of his goals were scored from half chances in the goalmouth.
He was an ever present in the side when United achieved 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....
status again in season 1960-61
1960-61 in English football
The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions...
with Pace scoring 26 goals, including a 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...
run in which the team reached the Semi-finals. He became a great favourite with the Blades fans, who warmed to his enthusiasm, sportsmanship, quick shooting and brilliant heading ability, and his signing was undoubtedly a major factor in bringing better days ahead to the Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
.
Immediately after his signing, the improvement to the Blades team was instantly apparent. Between February 22, 1958 and April 5, 1958, United won eight consecutive league matches, with Pace scoring nine of the goals in this period. The spell included one of United’s most memorable FA Cup victories. The occasion was a 4th Round against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
in front of 51,536 spectators. Pace put United ahead in the first minute and United won the tie 3-0. Pace was a consistent scorer for the Blades, and started 1960 in great form. Between January 2 and March 5 of that year, he scored 16 goals in eight matches, including a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against his former club and (at the time) Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
league leaders Aston Villa at Villa Park on February 27, 1960.
His last match for Sheffield United was against Burnley at Bramall Lane on August 29, 1964. In total he had scored 140 goals in 253 league appearances (175 goals in 302 league and cup games) for United. He was the Blades top scorer for six successive seasons.
After the Blades
In December 1964, he moved to Notts County where he scored 15 goals from 29 matches. He then left to join WalsallWalsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
in July 1966, only playing four matches plus one as substitute, and scoring one goal - a flying header at Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
on August 27, 1966.
In his career he scored a grand total of 233 goals in 444 games.
After Football
After retiring from football Derek became a sales representative for Churchfield Springs Ltd of West BromwichWest Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
. He died on October 17, 1989.