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Denis Shiels

Name: Denis Patrick Shiels
Born: 24 August 1938, Belfast
Height: 5.08 ft
Weight: 11.01 st
Position: Forward

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 2 ‘B’ Caps (1959-1960), 1 Amateur Cap (1958).
Club Honours: (with Distillery) Ulster Cup Winner 1957/58.

Club Career:
Teams
Seasons
Signed
Fee
League
FA Cup
FL Cup
Other
Bangor
-
-
Amateur
-
-
-
-
Distillery
56/57-58/59
-56
Amateur
*55(0)/21
-
-
-
Sheffield United
58/59-63/64
Dec-58
£4,500
34(0)/ 8
1(0)/0
-
-
Peterborough Utd
64/65
Jul-64
£6,000
12(0)/ 4
-
1(0)/0
-
Notts County
65/66
Jul-65
-
28(1)/ 6
1(0)/0
1(0)/0
-
Retford Town
66/67
Jul-66
-
-
(Midland League)
Sligo Rovers
-
Feb-67
-
7(0)/ 2
-
-
-
TOTALS
-
£10,500
136(2)/41
2(0)/0
2(0)/0
-
* all games.

Biography:
The son of former Distillery player Paddy, Denis was a versatile forward who would follow in his father’s footsteps at Grosvenor Park. He made his Whites debut on 20 April 1957, marking the occasion with two goals. In the following campaign he scored a total of eleven goals, mainly from outside-right, including two in the Ulster Cup deciding 4-1 win over Glentoran. That same season Shiels also played in the 3-1 Co. Antrim Shield Final defeat by Linfield.

Early in the 1958/59 season Shiels played for Northern Ireland in an Amateur international defeat by England. Soon after he was transferred to Sheffield United, along with Harry 'Tucker' Orr, in a deal worth a total £9,000. In his six seasons with the Blades he never really established himself. His best return was 1959/60 when he played a total of eighteen games, scoring five times. That same campaign he collected two ‘B’ Caps, home and away, against France. In 1960/61 when United were promoted from the Second Division as runners-up, Shiels played just three times, and in the three First Division campaigns that followed made just five further League appearances.

In July 1964 Shiels dropped down to Division Three in search of more regular football. With Peterborough United he managed just thirteen games and four goals, mainly as centre-forward. He dropped down another Division to play with Notts County. Featuring mainly at inside-right at Meadow Lane, he teamed-up with a former Sheffield United forward ‘Doc’ Pace. Perhaps the most notable moment of Shiels’ Magpies career came on 5 February 1966 when he became the club’s first substitute, rising from the bench in the 75th minute of a match against Lincoln City.


Northern Ireland B Cap Details:
11-11-1959 France. H D 1-1
16-03-1960 France. A L 0-5

Summary: 2/0. Won 0, Drew 1, Lost 1.

Northern Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
27-09-1958 England A L 2-6 1 Goal

Summary: 1/1. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.

Comments

Unknown said…
Denis Shiels made seven lge.apps for Sligo Rovers, scoring twice.

Odd Espen, Oslo.