Legend of local football hangs up the boots

For more than a quarter of a century, Danny Gaze has been a mainstay in the local football scene.

An outstanding left-back for Buckland Athletic, probably the best ever at Homers Heath with 67 goals in 343 appearances, Gaze also worked his wing magic for Hele Rovers, Newton Abbot, St Blazey and, most recently, Brixham.

At the age of 42, Gaze decided it was time to call it a day, playing his last game for Brixham in the FA Vase at North Greenford United on Saturday.

Formerly a Physical Training Instructor in the RAF and now Curriculum Head for Sport & Fitness, Adventure, Protective Services and Animal at South Devon College, Danny has made a huge contribution to football in South Devon and he has seen a huge change in how the 11-a-side game is now perceived.

This is the story of a local football legend.

“I went to Cuthbert Mayne School as a kid but suffered a bad injury at 14, which kept me out of football,” said Danny. “It was Keith Wyn at Hele Rovers who got me back into football at 16 and I quickly moved from the reserves to the first-team.

“It was the old South Devon League and it was really thriving. Upton Athletic had a great side and we would have a couple hundred people watching when we played those local derbies.

“I then signed for Newton Abbot FC in the old Devon League but, at that time, I was in the process of applying for a job in the Royal Air Force. I spent a season with Newton, coached in America, and also had a couple of seasons with Totnes & Dartington.

“I joined the RAF at the age of 21 and played for different teams around the country, but a posting to St Mawgan meant a return to the South-West. I had eight years in the Air Force and when I came back down to the area, I signed for St Blazey, which was fantastic because I never realised the passion for football in Cornwall.

“Phil Bayliss asked me to sign for Buckland and that was the beginning of a love affair with the club. It was the first season of the South-West Peninsula League and we went on to win a couple of league titles and the St Luke’s Bowls twice as well.

“My Buckland years were so special. I played over 300 games and a great club. I was there from the beginning of their recent story and it was great to be a part of that.

“It was a really successful few years and I even got to taste the coaching side as an assistant manager, which did open my eyes. The local game has changed from when I was a young player because Saturday football was the pinnacle.

“We didn’t have small-sided football and the big difference is the commitment of young players to the Saturday game. The South Devon League had seven divisions and then you had steps up the pyramid.

“It was fantastic to have a bonus couple of seasons in the game with Brixham, which was a great privilege, but my focus now is on spending weekends with my wife Hayley, step-daughter Jada and kids Olivia and Fletcher.

“Football in the Western League does take up a lot of time, so it will be nice to be around the family on a weekend, but the big thing for me is to say a massive thank-you to all the players, coaches, volunteers and supporters I have met down the years. I’ve made friends for life through football and I thank them all.”

Well played Danny Gaze, enjoy your footballing retirement, it is well deserved.