OBITUARY: Derek Dougan. - Free Online Library
HE WAS a Belfast "Prod" from a line of shipyard workers, who had found in football a means of escaping the city about to sink into the Troubles, which would scar the remainder of the 20th century.
But he was also a man of wit and persuasion in an age when it was assumed, rather harshly, that footballers carried their brains in their boots.
That was not the case with Derek "Doog" Dougan, though on occasion his rationality and discretion bowed to a naturally hot temperament.
This was very evident in 1970 at Molyneux when he was playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Everton. Dougan swore with such vehemence at a linesman that he was sent off and police had to line the side of the pitch to prevent a riot.
This resulted in an eight-week suspension. Soon after his return, he suffered an eye injury in the return fixture at Goodison Park, which resulted in a long lay-off.
A gangly figure of 6ft 3ins, Dougan followed his father and grandfather into the Harland and Wolff shipyard. But football was to be his salvation.
By the age of 17, he was captain of the Distillery team, leading them to the Irish Cup Final in 1957. This attracted the attention of clubs across the sea and Portsmouth signed him the next season.
At Distillery, and as a Northern Ireland schoolboy, he had been a defender, but at Fratton Park he became a centre-forward - the position which he would make his own at Portsmouth (1957-59), Blackburn Rovers (1959-61), Aston Villa (1961-63), Peterborough United (1963-65), Leicester City (1965-67) and Wolves (1967-76).
During this time, he also played 43 times for Northern Ireland, befriending George Best, another son of the Belfast shipyards.
Though very different in outlook, both were highly articulate and humorous men and they became friends - Dougan being a pall-bearer at Best's funeral in 2005.
In 1972, Dougan was the star of the Wolves team which lost 3-2 to Juventus in the two-leg UEFA final. Two years later, he featured in the 2-1 win over Manchester City in the League Cup Final.
From 1970 to '78, he was the authoritative chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association.
More recently, Dougan, married with two children, had campaigned for the UK Independence Party.
Derek Dougan, footballer; born January 20, 1938, died June 23, 2007
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