Dave Sutton, Date of Birth, Place of Birth
TweetDave Sutton
English footballer and manager
Date of Birth: 21-Jan-1957
Place of Birth: Tarleton, England, United Kingdom
Profession: association football player
Nationality: United Kingdom
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About Dave Sutton
- David William "Dave" Sutton (born 21 January 1957) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Plymouth Argyle, Reading, Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers and Rochdale.
- He later became a manager. Despite being born in Tarleton near Preston in Lancashire Sutton began as an apprentice with Plymouth Argyle.
- He made 61 appearances at centre half plus 9 on loan at Reading before a transfer to Huddersfield Town under Mick Buxton in 1978.
- This was a highly successful move as Sutton moved up with them from the Fourth Division to the top half of the Second in the early 1980s.
- Mick Buxton later listed him as one of his best ever signings.
- After six years and 242 appearances he moved to then Third Division Bolton Wanderers where he made 98 appearances over four seasons experiencing relegation in 86-87 then promotion through the play-offs in 87/88. After his release that summer he signed for Rochdale as team captain and helped the club improve under Danny Bergara after a shaky start.
- However just after Christmas he was advised to give up playing or risk severe back problems.
- Bergara retained his services as club physio then he became caretaker-manager for three games (all defeats) before Terry Dolan was appointed.
- Dolan also kept him on and indeed offered him a position at Hull City when he changed clubs in 1990/91.
- Sutton was the only member of Dolan's team to decline the offer and became caretaker for the rest of the season which was effectively over. Sutton was finally given a permanent appointment that summer and crucially, permission to spend the bulk of the £200,000 received from the sale of goalkeeper Keith Welch which meant a mass clear out and the arrival of players such as record signing Andy Flounders and inspirational defender Alan Reeves. Sutton's adventurous style was a clear break from the defensive-minded Dolan and Rochdale just missed out on a play-off place in 1991/92.
- The following season they slipped back slightly.
- In 1993/94 Dale again missed out on the play-offs on the last day of the season. Expensive signings such as Paul Williams and Darren Oliver had not been successful and Reeves and goalkeeper Martin Hodge left the club.
- Sutton did not replace them quickly enough and after a run of heavy defeats he left the club by mutual consent at the end of November 1994. Despite being linked to a vacancy at Northampton Town Sutton's next job was as manager of ambitious non-league club Chorley F.C.
- He resigned the post after 18 months, citing work commitments with the market gardening business he ran in partnership with his father.
Read more at Wikipedia