sport news David Webb scored a famous winner in 1970 FA Cup final, now his son Danny is ... trends now
National League Chesterfield will be egged on by a famous FA Cup face when they go for a giant-killing against Championship West Bromwich Albion.
David Webb, scorer of Chelsea’s winner in the 1970 final replay against Leeds, has prolonged his Christmas and new year visit to son Danny, assistant manager of the Spireites, to see if the family can create more headlines in the most famous domestic knockout competition in the world.
The quaint town in Derbyshire’s peak district is a world away from the King’s Road, where Webb senior would hang out with celebrities Michael Crawford and John Cleese when Chelsea were at the heart of swinging London. Nonetheless, father and son both love it. ‘Dad can’t get his head round how many pubs and parks there are,’ says Danny with a smile.
David Webb (left) was the hero in the 1970 FA Cup for Chelsea, while his son Danny (right) - assistant manager at Chesterfield - is hoping to cause a giant-killing 53 years later
‘It’s a long way for him to come up so we pack in as much as possible. Walks on the Linacre Reservoirs trails, which is like something from Game of Thrones, and a nice Sunday lunch in one of the hundreds of pubs in the town.
‘I’ve taken to the town and the locals are friendly. They don’t consider themselves really northern but for me they are!’
Danny was born in 1983 towards the end of his dad’s illustrious career and had a more modest playing career with 18 different clubs in the lower leagues — including a spell at Southend when his father, now 76, was manager.
Coaching could prove more fruitful. Still only 39, he has already built up a decade of experience including a spell as interim manager at Leyton Orient working for chaotic owner Francesco Becchetti. Under manager Paul Cook, Chesterfield are third with healthy prospects of promotion back to the Football League but Danny surprisingly reveals it was mum Michelle rather than his footballing father who pushed him into a tracksuit career.
‘By my mid-twenties, I realised I wasn’t going to hit the Premier League as a player and had to look at different things,’ he says.
‘I got offered a job as a fire fighter when I was playing for Salisbury but they would only take me full-time and I didn’t want to retire completely. So Mum pushed me to fill in the forms to go on a coaching course.
‘The first session was basic, not a lot more than putting the cones out, but I got a buzz from it. Other people find it strange but I realised I got more satisfaction coaching than playing.
‘It’s a better fit for me and I’ve also got the best person to go to for advice in my dad. We’ve always been very close.
David Webb scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 1970 FA Cup final replay vs Leeds
‘I remember him taking me to my first FA Cup final, Manchester United v
