Danny Simpson (early footballer)
 Simpson in Burslem Port Vale colours. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Simpson[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Dalehall, Burslem, England[1] | ||
| Playing position | Centre-forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tunstall Town | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1896–1903 | Burslem Port Vale | 123 | (43) |
| Total | 123 | (43) | |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Daniel "Danny" Simpson was an English footballer who scored 53 goals in 151 competitive games for Burslem Port Vale between 1896 and 1903. A centre-forward, he was twice the club's top-scorer, and scored the only goal of the 1898 Staffordshire Senior Cup final.
Playing career
Simpson played for Tunstall Town, before joining Burslem Port Vale in February 1896, after a successful trial.[1] He scored his first goal in the Second Division on 3 April 1896, in a 4–2 defeat to Newcastle United at St James' Park.[1] He scored twice in 12 games in 1895–96, after which the club was demoted to the Midland League.[1] He scored 14 goals in 1896–97 and 11 goals in 1897–98 to become the club's joint-top scorer in two consecutive seasons, along with Dick Evans.[1] He also scored the only goal of the Staffordshire Senior Cup final on 5 March 1898.[1]
He hit seven goals in 22 appearances in 1898–99, following the Vale's re-admittance into the Football League.[1] He finished the 1899–1900 season with three goals in 19 games.[1] He featured seven times in 1900–01, scoring three goals.[1] After suffering from poor health, he turned up at a match with Chesterfield at Saltergate on 20 October at half-time, after missing his train.[1]
Simpson got off to an excellent start to the 1901–02 campaign, finding the net in wins over Bristol City and Woolwich Arsenal at the Athletic Ground.[1] He finished the season with 12 goals in 28 games.[1] However he scored just once in six appearances in the 1902–03 season, and was released from his contract.[1] In his nine seasons with the club he had played 151 matches (83 in the Football League) and scored 53 goals (23 in the Football League).[1] His benefit match was held against rivals Stoke on 21 April 1900 – Stoke won the game 1–0.[2]
Statistics
- Sourced from Danny Simpson profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Burslem Port Vale | 1895–96 | Second Division | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| 1896–97 | Midland League | 25 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 32 | 14 | |
| 1897–98 | Midland League | 15 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 25 | 11 | |
| 1898–99 | Second Division | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 7 | |
| 1899–1900 | Second Division | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 3 | |
| 1900–01 | Second Division | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1901–02 | Second Division | 25 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 12 | |
| 1902–03 | Second Division | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 123 | 43 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 151 | 53 | ||
Honours
- with Port Vale
- Staffordshire Senior Cup winner: 1898