Derek Pace

[Woodwardfan]

I am sure that Gerry Summers and Doc Pace had a sports shop on Abbeydale Road. All of us of a younger age were drawn there to buy boots, footballs etc.

S'pose if they had the shop now and selling to us old un's it would be called Gerry and the Pacemaker.

I was a Suggs lad, toured the shop regularly, never bought a thing!

 

[Woodwardfan]

I am sure that Gerry Summers and Doc Pace had a sports shop on Abbeydale Road. All of us of a younger age were drawn there to buy boots, footballs etc.

S'pose if they had the shop now and selling to us old un's it would be called Gerry and the Pacemaker.

Brilliant

 

[Sirius]

I remember my dad telling me about going to the home game on Boxing Day 1957 against Blackburn. During the warm up many Blades fans were asking each other on who was wearing our number 9 shirt as they couldnt recognise him. Doc scored in the 8th minute of the 4-2 win and then went on to be popular with our fans. He was signed by us on Xmas Eve just after the local newspapers went to press so very few in the crowd were aware that we had signed a new player!

Fantastic game Silent. As a gesture
Of goodwill to all men (women) and pigs' I took four mates from the dark side to see that game. In return I had to endure a game at the sty. I had bragging rights well into the new year

 

[Snowflake]

My father (aged 91), who has recently had to go into a Nursing Home, was a massive Doc fan - second only to Jimmy Hagan. Going through his effects I came across this cutting from the Star's Obituary to the great man so I thought I would share it with the aficionados. He kept it because he always remembered the goal as the best headed goal he saw at BDTBL, but also because you can just about make out my father and I standing on the terrace (he circled us in black). I was 6 at the time and used to stand on the wall with my feet between the railings hanging on with my hands. Nice memories.


View attachment 12289

Lovely story, thank you for sharing it.

 

[Willie Carlin]

My father (aged 91), who has recently had to go into a Nursing Home, was a massive Doc fan - second only to Jimmy Hagan. Going through his effects I came across this cutting from the Star's Obituary to the great man so I thought I would share it with the aficionados. He kept it because he always remembered the goal as the best headed goal he saw at BDTBL, but also because you can just about make out my father and I standing on the terrace (he circled us in black). I was 6 at the time and used to stand on the wall with my feet between the railings hanging on with my hands. Nice memories.


View attachment 12289

Good centre forward Doc. Great memories of him.

 

[HarryHaslam]

I am sure that Gerry Summers and Doc Pace had a sports shop on Abbeydale Road. All of us of a younger age were drawn there to buy boots, footballs etc.

S'pose if they had the shop now and selling to us old un's it would be called Gerry and the Pacemaker.

Where abouts was it? I can remember that one that is now Pizza Hut next to abbeydale picture house, barrington, harrington? Sure it was something like that but the name is escaping me, was it that they owned?

 

[Bladebiker]

Where abouts was it? I can remember that one that is now Pizza Hut next to abbeydale picture house, barrington, harrington? Sure it was something like that but the name is escaping me, was it that they owned?

I think it was up near the Woodseats Road junction. It was just called- imaginatively - Summers and Pace

 

[Wapping Blade]

I think it was up near the Woodseats Road junction. It was just called- imaginatively - Summers and Pace

Don’t remember it, The Lakes chippy was on that stretch but by memories are from the mid-70s onward so maybe too late. sitwell was also in that area.

 

[HarryHaslam]

I think it was up near the Woodseats Road junction. It was just called- imaginatively - Summers and Pace

Ah ok, I really should remember that but got no recollection.

 

[Bladebiker]

I could be wrong of course - it was a long time ago!

 

[sitwell]

Don’t remember it, The Lakes chippy was on that stretch but by memories are from the mid-70s onward so maybe too late. sitwell was also in that area.

Same here timewise, dont recall it the only sports shops I remember on Abbeydale are House of barrington and Butterworths which was bikes.

 

[LSF]

I think the shop was at corner of Abbeydale and Thirlmere Rd. Pasta shop now occupies the space. Passed it every day on my way to school in early/mid sixties.

 

[wavy-blade]

My father (aged 91), who has recently had to go into a Nursing Home, was a massive Doc fan - second only to Jimmy Hagan. Going through his effects I came across this cutting from the Star's Obituary to the great man so I thought I would share it with the aficionados. He kept it because he always remembered the goal as the best headed goal he saw at BDTBL, but also because you can just about make out my father and I standing on the terrace (he circled us in black). I was 6 at the time and used to stand on the wall with my feet between the railings hanging on with my hands. Nice memories.


View attachment 12289

91 Is a great age , hope he is happy in the Nursing home , I recently lost my Dad so spend and cherish the time with your Dad if you can.
Hope he still is able to follow the Blades and still enjoy the victories !

Edit ..... just noticed this was first posted in 2015 !!!

 

[Cyprus Blade]

91 Is a great age , hope he is happy in the Nursing home , I recently lost my Dad so spend and cherish the time with your Dad if you can.
Hope he still is able to follow the Blades and still enjoy the victories !

Edit ..... just noticed this was first posted in 2015 !!!

Sadly my dad passed away shortly after entering the Nursing home but thank you for your post. I am sorry for your loss and hope that time will heal the pain you must feel. I never feel closer to my dad than when I sit on the Kop and I am sure that somewhere he is watching on. He was buried with the blades scarf he wore at Wembley in the 90's. His ashes were spread at Shirecliffe by United's training ground - my father played bowls there when it was the Atlas and Norfolk sports and social club. Both of my parents have a brick in the wall at BDTBL. "United Forever". Despite the result that day at Wembley I still cherish the memory of three generations of our family sitting side by side cheering on the red and white wizards. On the subject of Doc he was signed for us by Joe Mercer and converted to a Centre Forward. Our top scorer for 6 seasons with a goal every 2 games. I sometimes think he doesn't get the credit he deserves in our club's history. What he would be worth now I shudder to think. There is a decent biography on doc here https://mickysix.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/walsall-player-65-derek-doc-pace/ .

 

[Tickhill Blade]

 

[Champagneblade]

Sadly my dad passed away shortly after entering the Nursing home but thank you for your post. I am sorry for your loss and hope that time will heal the pain you must feel. I never feel closer to my dad than when I sit on the Kop and I am sure that somewhere he is watching on. He was buried with the blades scarf he wore at Wembley in the 90's. His ashes were spread at Shirecliffe by United's training ground - my father played bowls there when it was the Atlas and Norfolk sports and social club. Both of my parents have a brick in the wall at BDTBL. "United Forever". Despite the result that day at Wembley I still cherish the memory of three generations of our family sitting side by side cheering on the red and white wizards. On the subject of Doc he was signed for us by Joe Mercer and converted to a Centre Forward. Our top scorer for 6 seasons with a goal every 2 games. I sometimes think he doesn't get the credit he deserves in our club's history. What he would be worth now I shudder to think. There is a decent biography on doc here https://mickysix.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/walsall-player-65-derek-doc-pace/ . View attachment 147450

Thank you for sharing this thread and condolences albeit belated to you both.

Are you still in Cyprus as YorkBlade only just relocated there.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Thank you for sharing this thread and condolences albeit belated to you both.

Are you still in Cyprus as YorkBlade only just relocated there.

No - I came back to the UK in 2015 after 9 years there for a variety of reasons - now living in Norfolk amongst the Canaries.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Sadly my dad passed away shortly after entering the Nursing home but thank you for your post. I am sorry for your loss and hope that time will heal the pain you must feel. I never feel closer to my dad than when I sit on the Kop and I am sure that somewhere he is watching on. He was buried with the blades scarf he wore at Wembley in the 90's. His ashes were spread at Shirecliffe by United's training ground - my father played bowls there when it was the Atlas and Norfolk sports and social club. Both of my parents have a brick in the wall at BDTBL. "United Forever". Despite the result that day at Wembley I still cherish the memory of three generations of our family sitting side by side cheering on the red and white wizards. On the subject of Doc he was signed for us by Joe Mercer and converted to a Centre Forward. Our top scorer for 6 seasons with a goal every 2 games. I sometimes think he doesn't get the credit he deserves in our club's history. What he would be worth now I shudder to think. There is a decent biography on doc here https://mickysix.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/walsall-player-65-derek-doc-pace/ . View attachment 147450

Thanks for sharing that, and for the link, which was an interesting read. This thread, and the one on diving headers, sent me back to the old scrapbooks, and if you will forgive me the self-indulgence, here are 11 goals, all headers, from Derek Pace. My favourite photo is the last one, my favourite moment, the one before (v Wednesday):