David Peach

David Sidney Peach (born 21 January 1951) is a former footballer, who played at left back for Southampton in the FA Cup Final 1976.

Playing career

Chelsea & Gillingham

Peach played briefly as an associate schoolboy for Chelsea, before moving to Gillingham as an apprentice in May 1966, turning pro in February 1969. He also played minor counties cricket for Huntingdonshire. In 1972 he was sent off in successive seasons in matches at Hartlepool United,^[1] a coincidence in an era when sendings-off were still very uncommon. He was rated the best player in the Fourth Division and came to the attention of Lawrie McMenemy who made him his first signing for Southampton in January 1974, for a reported fee of £50,000.

Southampton

He made his debut in a match that is memorable to Saints fans for all the wrong reasons as Southampton lost 7-0 away to Ipswich. Peach soon settled into the team initially in midfield before becoming an imaginative, quick thinking attacking left-back and the club’s regular penalty taker. His first penalty was probably the most famous, when he belted home the second goal against Crystal Palace in the F.A. cup semi-final on 3 April 1976, which took the Saints to the final against Manchester United.

Peach also played in the losing League Cup final against Nottingham Forest on 17 March 1979, scoring the opening goal. He and Nick Holmes are the only two players to have played in two Cup Finals for Southampton.

He played several times for the England under-21 and ‘B’ teams,^[2] and was in the England squad on their tour of South America in June 1977, although he never played.

On 18 August 1979, he became the highest scoring full-back in the history of the Football League when he scored a penalty against Manchester United.

Swindon & Orient

He was transferred to Swindon Town for £150,000 (then Swindon’s record signing) in March 1980. Signed by Bobby Smith to replace Town legend John Trollope, circumstances were against Peach from the very moment he joined the club; his time at Swindon had the worst possible start - his debut coming in 6-2 thrashing at Millwall.

That defeat, along with the size of the transfer fee, got Peach off to a terrible start with the fans - and he was never a popular player throughout his whole Town career.

By March 1982, Swindon were in financial difficulties and Peach was released to Orient on a free transfer to reduce the club's wage bill, after a disappointing period at the County Ground.

In moving to Orient, he swapped a team heading for relegation to Division 4 for one heading for relegation from Division 2. Whilst at Orient, he became the first player to have played on every Football League ground.

After football

After retiring from league football, Peach turned out for several Hampshire non-league clubs, including a spell as player-manager at Wellworthy Athletic in Lymington and Lymington Town. Nowadays, he lives in the New Forest where he runs his own building business.

Honours

As a player

With Southampton:

• FA Cup winner 1976
• League Cup Runner-up 1979

References

General

• Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (2003). In That Number - A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X. 
• Tim Manns (2006). Tie a Yellow Ribbon: How the Saints Won the Cup. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 0-9534474-6-4. 

Specific