RIP Dai Davies
By Nigel Davies
If, like me, you are old enough to remember goalkeepers playing without gloves then you’ll also remember Dai Davies between the sticks for Tosh’s Super Swans. And if that’s the case then just like me you’ll have shed a tear at the recent news that Dai had lost his battle with cancer . Here’s our ATFV tribute to Tosh’s first choice First Division keeper…..
The news emerged in August 2020 that Dai was facing an impossible fight against incurable cancer.
The hugely popular stopper was being treated in the Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham after a devastating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of this horrible disease.
True to form though, Dai battled and gave everything in his fight and it was an amazing six months later that the battle was eventually lost, Dai passing away in February 2021.
Glanamman boy Davies started his career with the Swans in the Third Division but after just a handful of appearances Everton swooped in and took him to the First Division.
Davies spent seven seasons with the Toffees but there was a loan spell with the Swans in the middle of that which yielded another six appearances between the sticks.
After leaving Everton for Wrexham in the late ’70s Dai Davies firmly established himself as a first choice No. 1 and his 144 appearances for the Robins over four seasons helped him cement his position in the international set up and he went on to gather 52 caps for Wales – back in the days when internationals were a treasured rarity in the football calendar.
Finally the flirting with a Swansea City career was over as John Toshack signed Davies to be his ‘keeper in the First Division. For many it was harsh on the man he deposed, Dave Stewart, but it’s hard to argue with Toshack’s decision as Davies played a pivotal part in that exciting and successful first foray into the top division – leading from the back I guess you could say.
Seventy appearances as a Swan followed before Davies moved on once more, this time to Tranmere Rovers. He spent just one season at Tranmere before retiring but there was still one more glorious game in him as he came out of retirement to help Bangor City, saving a penalty against Athletico Madrid along the way in the European Cup Winners Cup.
After finally hanging up his gloves Dai moved into punditry and he was a frequent voice on Wales games, and as a fluent Welsh speaker he was an automatic choice for many Welsh language outlets.
Someone who knew Dai pretty well is former Swans ‘keeper Mike Hughes, a youngster at the club during Dai’s time, and he spoke to ATFV to pay an emotional tribute to one of his mentors:-
“Dai was a special guy to me. This is a man that won 52 caps for Wales and is still the third most capped goalkeeper.
“People talk about the odd occasional mistake, as all good goalkeepers make, but I’ll always remember that save against Leeds when it was perfectly balanced at 1-1. That could have changed the course of that game, and he just pulled out this world class save. We went in then at the break all square, came out and won the game 5-1.
“And it’s only the odd person that will remember that , but it really epitomised Dai for me – his professionalism and the way he worked on the training ground.
“I was 16, nearly 17, when Dai came to the club. He had such an infectious personality and it was a joy to be around him on the training ground, it really was.
“He turned to me one day and just smiled through the gap in his teeth and he said: ‘Look son, if you’re good enough you’ll have this shirt. It’s not mine for keeps, you’ll have it if you are good enough to take it.’
“There was no airs and graces with him, he was just a really down to Earth, lovely, lovely guy”
Dai Davies was a talented goalkeeper, a larger than life personality, and a much loved and respected person. He was also Swansea City’s No.1 in perhaps the finest season this club has ever witnessed, and his loss will be felt keenly across football and within the Jack Army.
All at A Touch Far Vetched extend our condolences to Dai’s family and friends as they come to terms with his passing.
RIP Dai Davies - gone but never forgotten!
