John Danby (footballer)

John Danby

Personal information
Full name	John Robert Danby
Date of birth	(1983-09-20) 20 September 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Stoke, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Flint Mountain
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2006	Kidderminster Harriers	76	(0)
2006–2010	Chester City [1]	161	(0)
2010–2011	Eastwood Town	40	(0)
2011–2014	Chester	100	(0)
2014–2015	Bradford Park Avenue	32	(0)
2015–2019	Connah's Quay Nomads	119	(0)
2019–2021	Flint Town United	28	(0)
2022–	Flint Mountain	41	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:30, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

John Robert Danby (born 20 September 1983) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ardal NW side Flint Mountain.

Danby played for much of his career at Chester City, and the subsequent phoenix club Chester, although he has also played for Kidderminster Harriers, Eastwood Town, Bradford Park Avenue, Connah's Quay Nomads and Flint Town United.

Career

Born in Stoke, Danby came through youth system and spent five seasons with Kidderminster Harriers before beigh released and signed for Chester City in 2006. Danby's time with Kidderminster saw them relegated out of The Football League in 2004–05 but he established himself as a promising young goalkeeper.^{[ citation needed ]}

He went on to enjoy a successful 2006–07 season with Chester and was named the club's player of the season. Despite the signing of the experienced Gavin Ward, Danby was selected in goal for Chester's opening game of the 2007–08 season against Chesterfield. In two full seasons he did not miss any of Chester's competitive first–team matches, although he went off injured in a Football League Trophy tie against Crewe Alexandra in September 2007 and in a league match against Darlington in March 2008.

On 12 August 2008, Danby made his 128th consecutive start for Chester in The Football League at Barnet, to break a record set more than 40 years earlier by Mike Metcalf. ^[2] But his hopes of completing a third successive season without missing a match were ended after he injured his shoulder at Notts County on 4 April 2009 and was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Therefore, Chester brought in James Spencer in on loan. ^[3]

Following the expulsion of Chester City from the Conference in February 2010, he joined Eastwood Town in March 2010. ^[4]

He later rejoined the phoenix club Chester on 9 June 2011 despite reported interest from three Football Conference sides. ^[5] John became first choice goalkeeper in two consecutive Chester championships in Northern Premier League and Conference North, also winning Non-league Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2012. He started the third season as number one but fell out of favour midway through the campaign after manager Neil Young left the club. Later, Danby, whose contract was part-time, had been unable to train with the squad following the switch to daytime training for the 2014–15 season owing to his personal training business. ^[6]

In September 2014 he joined Conference North side Bradford Park Avenue, where he spent one season. ^[7]

Danby switched to the Welsh Premier League joining Connah's Quay Nomads in May 2015. ^[8] He made his competitive Nomads debut in August as the club reached the Europa League for the first time where he kept two European clean sheets in the defeat of Norwegian side Stabek, while along with The Nomads' defence, conceded the fewest goals in the league. This included a run of four successive clean sheets at the beginning of the campaign, and reached a total of 15 clean sheets by the end of the season. As a result, Danby was named in the Welsh Premier League Team of the Season by the Managers of opposing WPL sides. Danby went on to make a total of 175 starts in all competitions for The Nomads within four seasons, winning the Welsh Cup in the 2017/18 season. Danby's last act as a Nomads player was to find himself voted on to the bench of the Welsh Premier League Team of the Season in June 2019.

At the end of the 2018–19 season John Danby was released by Connah's Quay Nomads ^[9] and joined second-tier Welsh side Flint Town United, after one season in Cymru North he returned to the Welsh Premier League as the club finished second and was promoted. He departed the club in February 2021 due to work and family commitments. ^[10]

Career statistics

As of match played 10 September 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Kidderminster Harriers	2001–02 [11]	Third Division	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
	2002–03 [12]	Third Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2003–04 [13]	League Two	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
	2004–05 [14]	League Two	37	0	0	0	1	0	1 [a]	0	39	0
	2005–06 [15]	Conference National	27	0	0	0	—		2 [b]	0	29	0
	Total		76	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	80	0
Chester City	2006–07 [16]	League Two	46	0	5	0	1	0	2 [a]	0	54	0
	2007–08 [17]	League Two	46	0	1	0	1	0	2 [a]	0	50	0
	2008–09 [18]	League Two	41	0	1	0	1	0	1 [a]	0	44	0
	2009–10 [19]	Conference Premier	28	0	2	0	—		1 [c]	0	31	0
	Total		161	0	9	0	3	0	6	0	179	0
Eastwood Town	2010–11 [20]	Conference North	40	0	2	0	—		3 [c]	0	45	0
Chester	2011–12 [20]	NPL Premier Division	29	0	—		—		6 [d]	0	35	0
	2012–13 [20]	Conference North	41	0	4	0	—		2 [c]	0	47	0
	2013–14 [20]	Conference Premier	30	0	1	0	—		2 [e]	0	33	0
	Total		100	0	5	0	0	0	10	0	115	0
Bradford Park Avenue	2014–15 [20] [21] [22]	Conference North	32	0	2	0	—		1 [c]	0	35	0
Connah's Quay Nomads	2015–16 [20]	Welsh Premier League	30	0	4	0	4	0	0	0	38	0
	2016–17 [20]	Welsh Premier League	30	0	4	0	4	0	4 [f]	0	42	0
	2017–18 [20]	Welsh Premier League	32	0	5	0	0	0	3 [g]	0	40	0
	2018–19 [20]	Welsh Premier League	27	0	5	0	1	0	6 [h]	0	39	0
	Total		119	0	18	0	9	0	13	0	159	0
Flint Town United	2019–20	Cymru North	17	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	19	0
	2020–21 [20]	Welsh Premier League	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
	Total		28	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	30	0
Flint Mountain	2022–23 [23]	Ardal NW	18	0	1	0	2	0	1 [i]	0	22	0
	2023–24 [24]	Ardal NW	23	0	4	0	2	0	4 [j]	0	33	0
	2024–25	Cymru North	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
	Total		41	0	5	0	5	0	5	0	56	0
Career total			597	0	42	0	19	0	41	0	699	0

1. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
2. One appearance in Football League Trophy, one appearance in FA Trophy
3. Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
4. Five appearances in FA Trophy, one in Cheshire Senior Cup
5. One appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Cheshire Senior Cup
6. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
7. Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, one appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup
8. Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, four appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
9. Appearance(s) in FAW Trophy
10. Three appearances in FAW Trophy, one appearance in North East Wales Challenge Cup

Career honours

Chester City

• Player of the Season: 2006–07
• Club record: Most consecutive Football League starts (133)

Chester FC

• Non-League goalkeeper of the year 2011–12
• Northern Premier League Winners 2011–12
• Peter Swales Shield Winners 2012
• Conference North Winners 2012–13

Connah's Quay Nomads

• Welsh Premier League Team of the Year: 2016–17, ^[25] 2017–18 ^[26]

References

1. All Chester City players' statistics for the 2009/10 season were expunged after Chester were expelled from the Conference National for breaking league regulations, Danby made 28 league appearances during this season
2. "Barnet 3 Chester City 1". Chester Chronicle. 7 March 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
3. "Danby ruled out for season climax". BBC Sport. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
4. "Chester City FC: John Danby drop into Blue Square North". Chester Chronicle. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
5. "Chester Transfer Activity 2011/12". Chester F.C. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
6. "Blues confirm Danby departure". Chester Chronicle. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
7. "Danby Moves to Avenue". Football Conference. 20 September 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
8. "John Danby bio". Connah's Quay Nomads. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
9. "Connah's Quay Nomads squad trimmed after players released". y clwb pel-droed. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
10. "Flint Town United move for Rushton as Danby departs". y clwb pel-droed. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
11. "Games played by John Danby in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
12. "Games played by John Danby in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
13. "Games played by John Danby in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
14. "Games played by John Danby in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
15. "Games played by John Danby in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
16. "Games played by John Danby in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
17. "Games played by John Danby in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
18. "Games played by John Danby in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
19. "Games played by John Danby in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
20. John Danby at Soccerway
21. https://x.com/bpafcofficial/status/515861974761349120?s=61&t=uxWLO8id8nu1tuCALylVfw ^{[ bare URL ]}
22. https://x.com/bpafcofficial/status/517022564145979393?s=61&t=uxWLO8id8nu1tuCALylVfw ^{[ bare URL ]}
23. "John Danby - Flint Mountain Football Club Flint Mountain".
24. "John Danby - Flint Mountain Football Club Flint Mountain".
25. "2016/17 Dafabet WPL Team of the Season". Welsh Premier League. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
26. "Only two players retain places in dream team". welsh-premier.com. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}

External links

• John Danby at Soccerbase