Former Sheffield Wednesday striker Derek Dooley has sadly passed away at his Sheffield home today at the age of 78 having been ill for some time.
Dooley- a Sheffield lad, born in 1929 made a name for himself at Wednesday in the early 1950's and had a phenomenal goal-scoring record of 63 goals in 63 games, a feat that has not and is unlikely to ever be emulated by anyone at the club.
His playing career was cruelly cut short in 1953, when after suffering a broken leg in a match against Preston the leg become infected with gangrene and had to be amputated in order to save his life.
Derek returned to work with the Owls as manager in January 1971 but lost his job on Christmas Eve 1973 and then went onto work in the sportswear industry before moving on to Bramall Lane. He worked in the commercial department at Sheffield United and having proved his worth he progressed to director and also had a spell as Chairman of the club.
Dooley was one of the few sportsmen to be widely respected by Owls and Blades fans alike and received an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University, was awarded the Freedom of the City of Sheffield and was inducted into the Sheffield walk of fame in 2007.
His achievements were also recognised by the Queen who awarded him the coveted title of MBE in the 2003 New Years Honours list.
A minute's silence will be held in memory of Derek Dooley as a mark of respect before the kick-off on Saturday against Queens Park Rangers.
On behalf of Owls-mad I would like to express sincere condolences to Derek's family and friends.