Derek Saunders
.png) Saunders in 1955 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 January 1928 | ||
| Place of birth | Ware, England | ||
| Date of death | 3 March 2018 (aged 90)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Half-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1953–1959 | Chelsea | 203 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Derek Saunders (6 January 1928 – 3 March 2018) was an English footballer who played for Chelsea during the 1950s.[2]
Biography
Born in Ware, for whose Spartan League side he made 31 appearances in 1945–46 as its youngest ever captain, Saunders played in a number of positions. He matured into a wing-half and furthered his career with amateur side Walthamstow Avenue, who he captained in their 1952 FA Amateur Cup Final win. He joined Chelsea in June 1953 and immediately turned professional, making his club debut against Sheffield United.
Saunders was a member of Chelsea's
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1958. A year earlier, he had played for the representative London XI side in the same competition. He made 223 appearances for Chelsea, and scored nine goals. Upon leaving the club in 1959, Saunders became the Head Groundsman at Vincent Square, the central London playing fields for Westminster School
.
References
- ^ Derek Saunders' obituary
- ^ "Derek Saunders". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
External links
- Hadgraft, Rob (2004). Chelsea: Champions of England 1954-55. Desert Island Books Limited. ISBN 1-874287-77-5.
- Profile of Derek Saunders
