Issue No. 13

'Bugsy' as he is nicknamed continues. "We
spent a lot of family holidays in France and
as I was coming to the end of my career I
had a few injuries and there was a lot about
football I didn`t like so we thought, why not
make a new life."
David was in a fortunate position,
financially, after a career in professional
football totalling more than 400 games. A
career which saw him win the Football
League, the FA Cup and two FA Charity
Shields.
He says: "I had my pension from football as
well as other business interests so I didn`t
have to worry about that side of things and
looking after the family."
David met his wife Jackie when they were
16 and 14 respectively. They married in 1990
and she of course followed him around
England as he stopped off to play for; West
Brom, Liverpool, West Ham, Everton,
Coventry, Birmingham City and Sheffield
Wednesday, his last club.
Indeed it was the move to Yorkshire for
'Bugsy' that proved the catalyst for the
move to France. Jackie recalls.
"It was probably me more than David who
wanted the move to France. When he
signed for Sheffield Wednesday it was the
first time he ever had to commute to work
as we usually moved to the new area when
he changed clubs. It was the first time he
ever had to travel to a club and that was
something neither of us liked."
So the family packed up and headed for a
new life in France. A beautiful 17th century
farmhouse of yellow Dordogne stone,
typical of the area, became home for the
couple and their three children, David,
Sophie and Alexandra, `Alex`.
David never harboured any plans to coach
or manage in England and that didn`t
change when they relocated. But in order to
enjoy their new life to the full 'Bugsy' was
determined to keep fit.