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David Dorward - unknown player
RodneysMiddleName
Posts: 219
It's not often you come across a player and can find nothing about their career at Charlton, but the 1930 Topical Times book of 100 Football Stars includes one David Doward, who I'd not heard of before. He's not in The Valiant 500, or mentioned in Home and Away so I can only assume his career didn't take off with us.
I was wondering if anyone out there knows anything about him, other than the info below?
The Dundee United 'arab archive' shows him playing 50 games between 1928 and 1930, having been signed from Dundee North End. He was apparently released in April 1930 so he could sign for us.
The Topical Times biog say:
Right half back. Height 5 ft 9 ins ; weight 11 st 7 lbs. A native of Dundee, he graduated with North End, a local junior combination. Was signed by Dundee United, and after two seasons there was transferred to Charlton in June of 1930. A fast, clever half-back, Dorward is a full ninety minutes' player.
I assume he had been popular at Dundee United, which prompted the Topical Times to take a punt on him becoming popular at Charlton.
I was wondering if anyone out there knows anything about him, other than the info below?
The Dundee United 'arab archive' shows him playing 50 games between 1928 and 1930, having been signed from Dundee North End. He was apparently released in April 1930 so he could sign for us.
The Topical Times biog say:
Right half back. Height 5 ft 9 ins ; weight 11 st 7 lbs. A native of Dundee, he graduated with North End, a local junior combination. Was signed by Dundee United, and after two seasons there was transferred to Charlton in June of 1930. A fast, clever half-back, Dorward is a full ninety minutes' player.
I assume he had been popular at Dundee United, which prompted the Topical Times to take a punt on him becoming popular at Charlton.
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Michael Joyce's player records skip from Dickie Dorsett (Walsall, Wolves and Villa) to David Dougal (Dundee Hibernian, Dundee, Preston and others), so to looks like David Dorwood didn't play any league matches in England for us or anyone else.
Are you sure you've got the name right. It's not 'David, forward' is it?
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Huge credit to @SporadicAddick for typing out that URL. It must have taken ages.12
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Funnily enough there is a David Dorward who was appointed to the board at Dundee United in 2016 - wonder if he's a relative?
https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/news/4464/DAVID-DORWARD-APPOINTED.html
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That picture is an excellent find, Sporadic -shows he was still at the club a year later. I wonder whether he picked up an injury soon after he joined and perhaps joined the backroom staff instead.
I'm sure about the name, Stig - I checked Michael's book as well and no mention as you say! He seems to have gone from being a well respected player for Dundee United to a peripheral figure at Charlton pretty quickly.
I wondered about the other David Doward as well, rananegra - seems like quite a coincidence for them not to be related. Although having said that, I wouldn't have thought Paul Elliott was any more of a common name.
I don't have any programmes from that era but that may be the next place I need to look.1 -
Apparently one of the Dorward daughters emigrated to the USA and married a black chap named Gibbs.
Could David and Cory be related? 0 -
No registration card for him in the Museum but there are gaps.0
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Got to be worth a quick Email to check, surely?rananegra said:Funnily enough there is a David Dorward who was appointed to the board at Dundee United in 2016 - wonder if he's a relative?
https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/news/4464/DAVID-DORWARD-APPOINTED.html0 -
Dorward, according to the museum records, played in 2 pre-season trial matches.
He played at least 9 matches for the reserves (records incomplete).
Last match we can find is friendly at Bromley 20/4/31. One of our trustees has home reserve v Arsenal and away reserve at Watford programmes where he’s listed.
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Nobody with the surname Dorward has ever played in the Football League but David Dorward played a total of 45 league games and scored 1 goal in the old Scottish Div 1 for Dundee United in 1928-29 and 1929-30. He was then listed as a Charlton player for the next two seasons and transferred to Bray Unknowns for 1932-33. They were the dominant club in the League of Ireland around that time.4
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Thank for looking into him, guys - much appreciated. I've included the page from the Topical Times album below for completeness.
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Thanks, lovely image.0
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Awesome research.0
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I wondered why a Charlton trialist/reserve should merit a place in the Topical Times list of 100 football stars and then I realised … DC Thomson (the publishers - more famous for the Beano and Dandy, of course) were based in Dundee. I bet Dorward had a bit of insider support on the editorial staff.
It's a pity we didn't sign Dennis the Menace or Desperate Dan.
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Rohmerdhal and Murphy?Dave Rudd said:I wondered why a Charlton trialist/reserve should merit a place in the Topical Times list of 100 football stars and then I realised … DC Thomson (the publishers - more famous for the Beano and Dandy, of course) were based in Dundee. I bet Dorward had a bit of insider support on the editorial staff.
It's a pity we didn't sign Dennis the Menace or Desperate Dan.0 -
Which leads nicely into a fun quiz … which other comic characters have played for us over the years?Henry Irving said:
Rohmerdhal and Murphy?Dave Rudd said:I wondered why a Charlton trialist/reserve should merit a place in the Topical Times list of 100 football stars and then I realised … DC Thomson (the publishers - more famous for the Beano and Dandy, of course) were based in Dundee. I bet Dorward had a bit of insider support on the editorial staff.
It's a pity we didn't sign Dennis the Menace or Desperate Dan.
How about Minto the Minx? Little Seth Plum?
Hold on … the East Street Kids.
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A bit more, this time from Colin Cameron's notes.
David DORWARD
b. c. 1906
Pro. Right half (5' 9-1/2", 11st).
Signed from Dundee United 20.5.30 (F.L.) having previously played for Dundee North End - check was this Dorward's second spell with the Club because it was reported that he also signed during the 1927/28 season and was then transferred to Merthyr Town. Had two years with Dundee United. Not retained at end of 1930/31 season.
(1930/31) Summer £4 Winter £5 1st team £1
Transferred to Merthyr Town 4.7.28.
We can’t find any trace of him playing in 1927/8, but the record’s not complete.
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That's really useful - thanks Henry. Dave Rudd - I think you're spot-on with that reason for him appearing in the top 100. Definitely popular on the United side of the road in Dundee.0
