Denny Mundee

Dennis William John Mundee (born 10 October 1968, in Swindon) is an English former professional football utility player who made 100 appearances for both Bournemouth and Brentford in the Football League. He is a cult hero amongst the Brentford supporters and is remembered chiefly for 'The Twiddle', a step over move copied from Glenn Roeder.[3]

Denny Mundee
Personal information
Full name Dennis William John Mundee[1]
Date of birth (1968-10-10) 10 October 1968
Place of birth Swindon, England
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Playing position(s) Utility player
Youth career
1985–1986 Queens Park Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1987 Swindon Town 0 (0)
1987–1988 Salisbury 60 (28)
1988–1993 Bournemouth 100 (6)
→ Weymouth (loan) 3 (0)
1988–1989 → Yeovil Town (loan) 11 (0)
1989 → Torquay United (loan) 9 (0)
1993–1995 Brentford 84 (16)
1995–1997 Brighton & Hove Albion 56 (7)
1997 Dorchester Town 0 (0)
Salisbury City 5 (0)
Newport (IOW)
Swindon Supermarine
Clevedon Town
1998 Bath City 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Early years

Mundee began his career in youth football in Swindon and represented the town's schoolboy team.[3] Mundee was offered a two-year apprenticeship deal worth £5,000 by Harry Redknapp (manager of Third Division club Bournemouth), but he instead decided to sign for top-flight club Queens Park Rangers.[3] Mundee's father kept the details of the Bournemouth transfer fee secret from his son, to help the young Mundee make a decision based on which club felt best for him and not influenced by money.[3] Mundee failed to make a first team appearance for Rangers and moved to hometown Third Division club Swindon Town in August 1986,[1] turning professional.[2] He again failed to make an appearance and after his release, he dropped into non-League football and jooned Southern League Premier Division club Salisbury.[4]

Bournemouth

Mundee returned to the Football League to sign for Second Division club Bournemouth in March 1988.[1] He finally made his professional debut in a late 1988–89 season match away to Oldham Athletic.[3] Over the course of the next five years, Mundee played every outfield position for the club and made 122 appearances, scoring 12 goals.[2][3] He departed Dean Court on a free transfer in August 1993.[2]

Weymouth (loan)

Mundee had a spell on loan at Conference club Weymouth during the 1988–89 season.[3]

Yeovil Town (loan)

Mundee joined Conference club Yeovil Town on loan during the 1988–89 season and made 18 appearances,[5] scoring one goal.[6][7]

Torquay United (loan)

Mundee joined Fourth Division club Torquay United on loan in September 1989 and made 9 league appearances.[2]

Brentford

Mundee signed for Second Division club Brentford on non-contract terms on 12 August 1993.[2] He had been a transfer target of former manager Phil Holder during the 1992–93 season, but the move broke down.[3] Mundee began life at Griffin Park under David Webb as a right back, filling in for the injured Brian Statham.[3] After a training ground bust-up between Mickey Bennett and Joe Allon (which resulted in a broken jaw for Allon), Mundee was moved up front.[3] The high-point of Mundee's Brentford career came in a home match against Bristol Rovers in January 1994, in which he scored a hat-trick in a 4–3 defeat.[3] He finished the 1993–94 season as Brentford's second-leading goalscorer, with 13 goals.[8]

Now behind the 'FT Index' (Nicky Forster and Robert Taylor) in the pecking order up front,[9] Mundee was a regular off the bench in the first half of the 1994–95 season, before finally breaking into the starting line-up in November 1994.[10] He made 45 appearances and scored five goals during a frustrating season,[8] in which the Bees finished second in the Second Division, only to be forced to settle for a play-off place due to the reduction in size of the Premier League and its effect on the league pyramid.[11] Brentford lost on penalties to Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals, with Mundee missing his spot kick in the second leg.[3]

Mundee's relationship with manager David Webb soured during the 1995 off-season.[3] While negotiating a new contract, Mundee requested a £5,000 signing-on fee, which would enable him to replace his car, in which he was driving 200 miles a day, commuting to Middlesex from his Bournemouth home.[3] Mundee was given a week-to-week contract and was released in October 1995, with the chairman citing budgetary concerns.[3] Mundee became disillusioned with football, as Webb had insinuated in the local press that Mundee had been living an expensive lifestyle, when in reality his wages were £450 a week.[3] Mundee made 100 appearances and scored 18 goals in just over two years at Griffin Park.[2] Looking back in 2005, Mundee said "I can honestly say that the time I spent at Brentford means more to me than any other club I have been at".[3]

Brighton and Hove Albion

Mundee moved to Second Division club Brighton & Hove Albion on a one-month contract on 19 October 1995.[3] The man who signed Mundee, Liam Brady, was soon sacked and Mundee's future was assured when former Bournemouth teammate Jimmy Case was appointed manager.[3] Mundee made 62 appearances and scored eight goals during a terrible period for the Seagulls,[2] which had seen the club plummet to the bottom of the Football League by the time he was released on 11 December 1997.[3] Back and ankle injuries and weight gain brought about the end of his professional career.[3]

Dorchester Town

Mundee attempted to resurrect his career by joining Southern League Premier Division club Dorchester Town in late 1997.[12] However, with his contract still held by Brighton & Hove Albion, he was twice listed for his Dorchester Town debut, but was unable to play.[12]

Non-league football

Mundee ended his career with a number of short spells in non-league football during the second half of the 1997–98 season, with a return to Salisbury City and short spells with Newport (IOW),[13] Swindon Supermarine,[13] Clevedon Town and Bath City.[14][15]

Personal life

Mundee grew up in Swindon, to parents from Shepherd's Bush, London.[3] His brothers Barry and Brian also became footballers, with Brian playing league football for Bournemouth, Northampton Town and Cambridge United.[16] As of 2005, Mundee was working as a self-employed exterior wall coating specialist, alongside his brother Brian.[3]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Torquay United 1989–90[2] Fourth Division 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
Brentford 1993–94[8] Second Division 39 11 2 0 2 0 4[lower-alpha 1] 2 47 13
1994–95[8] 39 5 1 0 1 0 4[lower-alpha 2] 0 45 5
1995–96[8] 6 0 — 2 0 — 8 0
Total 84 16 3 0 5 0 8 2 100 18
Brighton & Hove Albion 1995–96[2] Second Division 32 3 4 0 — 2[lower-alpha 1] 1 38 4
1996–97[17] Third Division 24 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 4
Total 56 7 4 0 0 0 2 1 62 8
Career total 149 23 7 0 5 0 10 2 171 26
  1. Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. 2 appearances in Second Division play-offs, 2 appearances in Football League Trophy
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References
  1. "Denny Mundee". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  2. Denny Mundee at Soccerbase
  3. Lane, David (2005). Cult Bees & Legends: Volume Two. Hampton Hill: Legends Publishing. pp. 154–163. ASIN B00NPZL58S. ISBN 0954368282.
  4. Denny Mundee at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  5. "The Yeovil Town Story Part 45". Ciderspace. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  6. "Season 1988–89 Appearances". ciderspace.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  7. "Season 1988–89 Goals". ciderspace.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  8. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 479–481. ISBN 9781906796723.
  9. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 112. ISBN 0955294916.
  10. Griffin Gazette versus AFC Bournemouth. Quay Design of Poole. 29 April 1995. pp. 34–35.
  11. Moore, Tom (25 April 2013). "Brentford look to end 20 years of hurt with win over Doncaster in promotion decider". London 24. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  12. Western Daily Press (20 December 1997)
  13. "Players". swindonsupermarinefc.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  14. "All time list of Bath City FC players". Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  15. The Green 'Un (7 March 1998)
  16. Steve Butt. "TALKING SPORT: Happy Mundee feeling flush". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  17. "Games played by Denny Mundee in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
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