DAVE DOGGETT
Dave Doggett has been a fan of the Mighty U’s since the early 1960s and his earliest memory is of the original part of the Main Stand being built. From that time until going off the Uni in the late 60s he was a regular on the steps of the Allotment End.
Dave was sponsored by British Rail as an Engineering Student and joined them after graduating from Guildford University. His career then entailed moving around the country but, with his free railcard, regularly followed the U’s Home and Away whenever possible.
When he eventually retired in 2010 he moved back to Cambridge and became an active committee member of the fledgling CFU. At that time the U’s were bottom of the Conference and were once again having problems financially. At a club AGM his questioning so impressed Director Renford Sargent that he set up a meeting with, then Chairman, Paul Barry. Dave pledged some financial support, became Chief Exec and, with the help of the wily Fans Director Colin Proctor, managed to persuade Terry Baker and Eddie Clark to get on board too. Dave told his sons to forget about any inheritance they might have been eyeing up.
With the desperately needed cash injection from the new Directors, improvements were made to the Club Shop and Ticket Office and Dave began a close scrutiny of the Club mechanisms and implemented improvements to financial practices.
In 2012 Dave took over the role of Club Chairman, Jez George stepped down as Manager and Richard Money was recommended and duly appointed as his successor. Dave (closely shadowed by the inimitable Colin Proctor, with their undisputable love of all things Cambridge United) rolled up his sleeves and for the next couple of years worked six days a week to get the Club back onto a more stable and viable footing. Like another of tonight’s inductees he has carried out multiple roles here, on one occasion selling a visiting supporter a ticket, checking the same ticket at the turnstiles then, later, serving the same man from the burger van.
Standout proud Chairmanship moments include: obviously the Wembley finals against Gosport and Gateshead, a Sky Sports feature where he sat with Sir Bobby Charlton and making a tit of himself to the backdrop of the Baha Men’s ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ live on tv. These made up for the experience he’d previously had when somebody threw-up all over him on the train back from the Torquay Play-Off Final. It never rains but it pours.
Dave’s over-arching desire was to raise the profile of the Club during his tenure, particularly raising its significance in the town. Obviously two Wembley wins and the Man Utd 4th Round FA Cup tie helped greatly but his ‘kidnapping’ exploits (which he says he had no prior knowledge of), with the help of Radio Cambridgeshire, went a long way to raising awareness across the County.
For those of you that don’t remember, Dave was actually arrested in the Ticket Office (raising all sorts of speculation!) and pleas were put our for his release, on Radio Cambs, which required pledges of money for local charities. Dave says that he actually enjoyed a pleasant breakfast at a local hotel until his eventual release. Another resulting moment of pride was when he was invited to a King’s College Award Dinner and was distinguished with the prestigious award for ‘Community and Business Achievement’ which he received from BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen.
A big part of the legacy, largely resulting from the Man Utd money, was the extension of this very room and, of course, until tonight, the fans jokingly attributed, and now legendary, upgrade of the toilets.
Sadly, at Christmas 2017, after five years as temporary custodian of the Club (which is how he prefers to remember his involvement), Dave decided to hand over the reins and retire gracefully to a small family farm in Dunbar.
From those few years of stabilisation and foundation building the Club has been able to reassert itself into the EFL and is currently in one of the healthiest positions of its 113 year history.
Thanks Dave
Dave Doggett has been a fan of the Mighty U’s since the early 1960s and his earliest memory is of the original part of the Main Stand being built. From that time until going off the Uni in the late 60s he was a regular on the steps of the Allotment End.
Dave was sponsored by British Rail as an Engineering Student and joined them after graduating from Guildford University. His career then entailed moving around the country but, with his free railcard, regularly followed the U’s Home and Away whenever possible.
When he eventually retired in 2010 he moved back to Cambridge and became an active committee member of the fledgling CFU. At that time the U’s were bottom of the Conference and were once again having problems financially. At a club AGM his questioning so impressed Director Renford Sargent that he set up a meeting with, then Chairman, Paul Barry. Dave pledged some financial support, became Chief Exec and, with the help of the wily Fans Director Colin Proctor, managed to persuade Terry Baker and Eddie Clark to get on board too. Dave told his sons to forget about any inheritance they might have been eyeing up.
With the desperately needed cash injection from the new Directors, improvements were made to the Club Shop and Ticket Office and Dave began a close scrutiny of the Club mechanisms and implemented improvements to financial practices.
In 2012 Dave took over the role of Club Chairman, Jez George stepped down as Manager and Richard Money was recommended and duly appointed as his successor. Dave (closely shadowed by the inimitable Colin Proctor, with their undisputable love of all things Cambridge United) rolled up his sleeves and for the next couple of years worked six days a week to get the Club back onto a more stable and viable footing. Like another of tonight’s inductees he has carried out multiple roles here, on one occasion selling a visiting supporter a ticket, checking the same ticket at the turnstiles then, later, serving the same man from the burger van.
Standout proud Chairmanship moments include: obviously the Wembley finals against Gosport and Gateshead, a Sky Sports feature where he sat with Sir Bobby Charlton and making a tit of himself to the backdrop of the Baha Men’s ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ live on tv. These made up for the experience he’d previously had when somebody threw-up all over him on the train back from the Torquay Play-Off Final. It never rains but it pours.
Dave’s over-arching desire was to raise the profile of the Club during his tenure, particularly raising its significance in the town. Obviously two Wembley wins and the Man Utd 4th Round FA Cup tie helped greatly but his ‘kidnapping’ exploits (which he says he had no prior knowledge of), with the help of Radio Cambridgeshire, went a long way to raising awareness across the County.
For those of you that don’t remember, Dave was actually arrested in the Ticket Office (raising all sorts of speculation!) and pleas were put our for his release, on Radio Cambs, which required pledges of money for local charities. Dave says that he actually enjoyed a pleasant breakfast at a local hotel until his eventual release. Another resulting moment of pride was when he was invited to a King’s College Award Dinner and was distinguished with the prestigious award for ‘Community and Business Achievement’ which he received from BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen.
A big part of the legacy, largely resulting from the Man Utd money, was the extension of this very room and, of course, until tonight, the fans jokingly attributed, and now legendary, upgrade of the toilets.
Sadly, at Christmas 2017, after five years as temporary custodian of the Club (which is how he prefers to remember his involvement), Dave decided to hand over the reins and retire gracefully to a small family farm in Dunbar.
From those few years of stabilisation and foundation building the Club has been able to reassert itself into the EFL and is currently in one of the healthiest positions of its 113 year history.
Thanks Dave
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