Dave Durie

Who is Dave Durie?

David George Durie is an English former professional football player. He played as a forward.

Blackpool-born Durie began his professional career with his hometown club in 1952. He was signed as a deputy to Allan Brown, but eventually succeeded him. He made his Football League debut on 3 March 1953 in a single-goal victory at Burnley. He made six more league appearances that season, and scored one goal in a 5–1 defeat at Middlesbrough on 11 April.

In 1953–54, Durie made three league appearances. He again scored one goal, in a 4–2 victory over local rivals Preston North End at Bloomfield Road on 31 March 1954.

Durie attained the same statistics in 1954–55, his goal this time coming in a 3–3 draw at Charlton Athletic on 16 September 1954.

In 1955–56, with Allan Brown out through injury, Durie made fifteen league appearances, scoring fourteen goals. He also made his FA Cup debut, against Manchester City on 3 January 1956. The match was abandoned after 50 minutes due to fog, however.

Durie was the club's second-top scorer behind Jackie Mudie in 1956–57, with 22 goals in all competitions to his name. He scored a hat-trick in the second league game of the season, a 3–2 victory at Everton in front of 55,000 spectators. He also scored his first FA Cup goal, in a 6–2 win at home to Fulham in the fourth round.