Dai Davies
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- For the other Welsh politician, see Dai Davies (politician).
William David Davies, better known as Dai Davies (born April 1, 1948 in Glanaman, South Wales), was a professional footballer, who played in goal between 1969 and 1987. He made 52 appearances for the Wales national football team, and played for Everton, Wrexham (twice), Tranmere Rovers and three spells at Swansea.
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[edit] Background
David 'Dai' Davies (in Wales, the diminutive for 'David' is 'Dai') was born in Glanamman in the Amman valley on April 1, 1948. His father was a coal miner and an amateur footballer, who had trials with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United.
Dai attended Amman Valley Grammar School, Ammanford, where he was often known affectionately as Dai Dai. He showed ability as a goalkeeper from an extremely early age, being picked for the village under-18 team when only 12 years old, and playing for nearby Ammanford United's adult team at just 15.
In school, Davies played both football and rugby union, appearing for West Wales School in the second row, alongside such Welsh rugby greats as Paul Ringer, Barry Llywelyn, Peter Nicholas and Selwyn Williams. He finished playing rugby when the local football club he played for, Ammanford United, lost 4-0, with Davies being at fault for all four goals, after playing a full rugby match a few hours earlier.
Davies played schoolboy and youth soccer with local clubs (Ammanford United, and then Ammanford Town) – soccer was not played at the local grammar school - before becoming a professional footballer at the age of 21, in 1969, after qualifying as a PE teacher. He signed for Swansea Town immediately after leaving training college, as Swansea Town were offering him £17.50 a week, while a teacher's salary at that time was just £14 a week. In 1970, the town of Swansea gained city status, and the club changed its name to Swansea City, to match.
[edit] Footballing career
The Swansea youth team (which also featured Giorgio Chinaglia) had an excellent run in the English Youth Cup, losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers' youth team in the fourth round. Davies was spotted by an Everton scout, and after just over a year at Third Division Swansea City, Dai Davies signed for First Division Everton, then Football League champions in December 1970 for £40,000. He played for Everton for 7 seasons.
In 1977, Davies moved to Wrexham F.C., playing there for one season, before returning to Swansea. A spell at Tranmere Rovers followed, before he went back to Swansea. He then returned to Wrexham from Swansea in 1985, and stayed until 1987, when he retired. Dai Davies played 199 games in total for Wrexham, conceding a total of 210 goals (an average of 1.06 goals a game), and kept 63 'clean sheets'. He received 28 of his 52 Welsh caps while playing for Wrexham, making him the club's most capped player.
[edit] After retirement from football
Dai Davies's autobiography was published first in Welsh, where it bore the title Hanner Cystal a' Nhad ('Half the Man my Father Was') in tribute to his father. It was later published in an English translation in 1986, by when its title had become 'Never Say Dai', a pun.
Davies is part-owner of a Welsh book and craft shop (Siop y Siswrn) in Mold, Flintshire, and is a football commentator on S4C, in both English and Welsh.
He is a qualifed teacher, and often works as a supply teacher. He runs a natural healing centre in Llangollen, North Wales, specialising in herbal remedies, remedial massage, muscle work and reiki. [1]
He is also a Druid, having been initiated into the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards (Gorsedd y Beirdd Ynys Prydain) in 1978.
[edit] External links
- Dai Davies fan site - large archive of interviews, images, statistics relating to Dai Davies, and the first 3 chapters of his autobiography
[edit] References
- Hanner Cystal a' Nhad ('Half the Man my Father Was') - The autobiography of Wales goalkeeper Dai Davies (Published by Siop y Siswrn, Mold, Flintshire, 1984)
- Never Say Dai - English translation of Hanner Cystal a' Nhad, translated by Iorweth Roberts (Published by Siop y Siswrn, Mold, Flintshire, 1986)
