John Dempsey Is 65 Today

[White Noise]

What are peoples recollections of the first Mr Dempsey?

In what circumstances did he leave us for The Dark Side? Was it a big blow at the time?

[Snibbo]

Remember he had the worst comb-over haircut in history.  Worse than Bobby Charlton's IMHO:



Saw him play for us a lot - he was an automatic selection so it did seem like a blow when he left.

I always thought he was solid, if unspectacular. Wouldn't put him in the same league as Brede for instance.

[TheDaddy]

Trolling around for something on John Dempsey without Scum being mentioned i came across this little pic. if its been shown before sorry !

[TheDaddy]

DEMPSEY, John. Fulham, Chelsea, (1964-1975). Republic of Ireland international (19 caps), played 310 games in his career. John joined Chelsea from Fulham in 1969 for £70,000 left Stamford Bridge, for Philadelphia Furies six years later. Now works at a special school for handicapped children in North London. (Won FA Cup and Cup Winners Cup medals during his stay at the Bridge)

[CorkedHat]

i would have seen most games Dempsey played for us and as someone has already said he was solid as opposed to being spectacular and is certainly not in Brede's class.
But he still had a bit of class about him and I was sad when he left us to go to that other team up the road.
Happy Birthday, John  :wine:

[CorkCity]

We played Oxford City in a pre-season friendly, Bobby Moore was the manager, John Dempsey was marking me, I was 17 at the time and I can tell you he kicked me all over the place, probably thought he would teach a young whipper snapper a thing or two.
I was delighted when he went off early in the second half. I don't think he signed for them as far as I know he went into management himself.

[OldBrownShoe]

He was certainly a solid performer, not adequately replaced and a steal for the Dark Side.  One of our better central defenders. Over time seems remarkably unremembered by so many Fulham supporters or perhaps they weren't yet born.

[TonyGilroy]

He was certainly a solid performer, not adequately replaced and a steal for the Dark Side.  One of our better central defenders. Over time seems remarkably unremembered by so many Fulham supporters or perhaps they weren't yet born.

He replaced the flamboyant Keetch and came into the side at about the time that our great players were retiring or fading. The team was unsuccessful and the defence full of holes.

I can't remember if he left before or after our relegation but he and Clarke were actually our only players wanted by 1st division clubs. Not Earle, Barrett or Conway.

He grew up in a seriously poor Fulham team lacking even the characters of a few years previous.

He did fine at Chelsea but that's hardly going to endear him to Fulham supporters. He had a good career and I believe has subsequently worked with underprivileged kids so clearly he's one of the good guys.

[gang]

He also played a few games at centre forward and scored a couple of goals if my memory serves me well.

[TonyGilroy]

I'd forgotten that.

It was a cup game against Wolves(?) and he scored a hatrick in a 5-0 win.

Not an experiment that the manager thought worth repeating.

[FFCcravencottage]

Trolling around for something on John Dempsey without Scum being mentioned i came across this little pic. if its been shown before sorry !

Ha ha that is me carrying the banner under my arm in the front (13 years old then) that was the Northampton away game on 23rd April 1966. One of my best away games mainly because Chelsea lost to Sheffield Wednesday 2 -0 in the Semi Final of the FA Cup on the same day at Villa Park.
We hold the record attendance at that ground it only had 3 sides lol.

Talk about time flying 58 on Tuesday 22nd, yet I really can remember that game as if it were only yesterday. So this is what it is really all about those few special games that really stand out and will always be in you memory. For the younger supporters what great memories our Europa adventure (and for the old'ns as well).
I would love to see a FA cup win before I give up the ghost.
I might just add this was the year we did the real great escape, only 2 points for a win then, and we were in serious deep trouble with 13 games to go.
I may be wrong but didn't we have John Lacy at the time and was that why we let Dempsey go?.