Derek Spence
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| Derek Spence | ||
 Derek Spence in 1994 |
||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Derek William Spence | |
| Date of birth | January 18, 1952 | |
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| Playing position | Striker (retired) | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 19??-1971 1971-1972 1972-1977 1976-1977 1977-1978 1978-1980 1980-1982 1982 198? 198? 1986 |
Crusaders Oldham Athletic Bury Blackpool Olympiacos Blackpool Southend United Sparta Rotterdam See Bee Hong Kong Rangers Bury Total |
? (?) 6 (0) 140 (44) 27 (3) 21 (6) 58 (18) 104 (32) ? (?) ? (?) ? (?) 13 (1) 348 (98) |
| National team | ||
| 1975-1982 | Northern Ireland | 29 (3) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Derek William Spence (born January 18, 1952 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish former professional football striker.
Contents |
[edit] Club career
After starting out with Crusaders in his native land, Spence made the short trip to British shores to join Oldham Athletic in 1971. He spent a year at Boundary Park, making just six league appearances for the Latics, before joining Bury. It was at Gigg Lane that he spent the majority of his thirteen-year career and scored the most league goals: 44 in 140 games.
In 1976, Spence joined Blackpool, and made his debut for the Seasiders against Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest on October 16. He complemented the twin striking powers of Mickey Walsh and fellow new signing Bob Hatton; however, at the end of the season he found his place under threat from Stan McEwan.
A serious injury kept Spence out of the entire 1977-78 campaign, which ended with Blackpool's relegation to Division Three for the first time. After a short spell with Greek club Olympiacos, Spence returned to Blackpool and joined forces with Tony Kellow, who had signed from Exeter City. Between them, they scored 27 goals, nearly half of the team's total, with Spence top scorer with 16.
On December 26, 1979, in a game against Hull City at Bloomfield Road, Spence suffered an injury serious enough to eventually force his premature retirement from the game.
In 1980, Spence moved to Southend United, for whom he scored 32 goals in 104 games over a two-year period.
Between 1982 and 1986, Spence spent spells with Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam and Hong Kong's See Bee and Hong Kong Rangers before finishing his professional career with a second spell at Bury in 1986. He retired in 1986 at the age of 34. He hung up his boots with amateur side Oldham Dew.
[edit] International career
Spence won his first Northern Ireland cap on March 16, 1975, in a single-goal victory against Yugoslavia in Belfast. He went on to win 29 caps in total, scoring three goals. His most notable appearance occurred on October 13, 1976, when he came on as a late substitute to equalise against the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifying game in Rotterdam.[1]
He ended his international career after discovering, via Teletext, that Billy Bingham had left him out of the 1982 World Cup squad.
[edit] Post-retirement
Spence ran his own off-licences in Walmersley, Greater Manchester, firstly, and then in Hambleton, Lancashire. He eventually returned to his first love of football by setting up his own coaching school, Sportslink, and in 1990 he took over as Blackpool Football Club's community officer from fellow ex-Tangerine and Shaker Craig Madden, a role he continues to fulfill.
[edit] Honours
[edit] Southend United
- Division 4 champions: 1980-81
