Dennis Bailey (footballer, born 1965)

Dennis Lincoln Bailey (born 13 December 1965) is an English former professional footballer. He is best remembered for being the last player before Mo Salah to score a league hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

For other people named Dennis Bailey, see Dennis Bailey (disambiguation).

Dennis Bailey
Personal information
Full name Dennis Lincoln Bailey[1]
Date of birth (1965-12-13) 13 December 1965[1]
Place of birth Lambeth,[1] London, England
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1982–1984 Watford
1985–1986 Barking
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1987 Fulham 0 (0)
1987 Farnborough Town 16 (3)
1987–1989 Crystal Palace 5 (1)
1989 → Bristol Rovers (loan) 17 (9)
1989–1991 Birmingham City 75 (23)
1991 → Bristol Rovers (loan) 6 (1)
1991–1995 Queens Park Rangers 40 (10)
1993–1994 → Charlton Athletic (loan) 4 (0)
1994 → Watford (loan) 8 (4)
1995 → Brentford (loan) 6 (3)
1995–1998 Gillingham 88 (11)
1998 Lincoln City 5 (0)
1998–1999 Farnborough Town 30 (13)
1999 Cheltenham Town 8 (2)
1999–2001 Forest Green Rovers 60 (9)
2001 Aberystwyth Town
2001–2002 Tamworth 7 (2)
2002–2003 Stafford Rangers 30 (12)
2003–2004 Moor Green 24 (3)
2004–2006 Stratford Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bailey started his career at Watford playing in their youth and reserve sides between 1982 and 1984.[2] He subsequently joined Barking, before joining Fulham on non-contract terms in November 1986.[2] He signed for Farnborough Town in February 1987, before returning to league football in December 1987 with Crystal Palace, joining for a fee of £10,000.[2] He was loaned to Bristol Rovers in February 1989, before joining Birmingham City in August of the same year.[2] He was loaned to Bristol Rovers again in March 1991,[2] but returned from his loan to feature as a substitute when Birmingham beat Tranmere Rovers to win the 1991 Associate Members' Cup Final.[3]

Bailey signed for Queens Park Rangers for £175,000 in July 1991.[2] He made his debut on the opening day of the 1991–92 season against Arsenal, scoring in a 1–1 draw.

On 1 January 1992 he scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win away at league leaders Manchester United; one of the last league games to be broadcast live by ITV.[4] He was the last player to achieve the feat in the league at Old Trafford until Mohamed Salah did the same in October 2021.[5] The only other player to do so after Bailey was Real Madrid's Ronaldo in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League.

In total Bailey played 39 league games for QPR, scoring 10 goals. He was soon frozen out of the first team by the likes of Gary Penrice and Bradley Allen, and in October 1993 he was loaned to Charlton Athletic and later that season to Watford.[2] While with Watford he scored in three successive games after coming off the substitutes bench, greatly helping the club's escape from the relegation zone.[2]

Bailey was loaned to Brentford in January 1995, before signing for Gillingham in August of the same year for £50.000,[2][6] helping them win promotion from Division Three that season. He subsequently played for Lincoln City, before moving into non-league football for a second spell with Farnborough Town. He then moved on to play for Cheltenham Town,[7] Forest Green Rovers, League of Wales side Aberystwyth Town, Tamworth, Stafford Rangers, Moor Green and Stratford Town. He retired as a player in November 2006.[8]

He then went on to do coaching, often helping coach a Saturday morning football group in Monkspath in the West Midlands. In 2011, Bailey was coaching and playing for his local church team, Renewal Christian Centre in Solihull, in the West Midlands Christian Football League.[8]

References
  1. "Dennis Bailey". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  2. Jones, Trefor (1996). The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. Surrey: T.G Jones. p. 29. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
  3. Dick, Brian (28 May 2015). "Birmingham City nostalgia: John Gayle blows Tranmere away with Wembley double". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  4. Bevan, Chris (3 February 2006). "Hat-trick hero still going strong". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  5. "Salah hits hat-trick as Liverpool thump Man Utd". Premier League. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  6. "Introducing Gillingham". Cambridge United Official Matchday Programme. Queensway Publishing Ltd: 4. 3 February 1996.
  7. Harman, John, ed. (2005). Alliance to Conference 1979–2004: The first 25 years. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 151, 157. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
  8. "Past Masters – Dennis Bailey". Gillingham F.C. 16 February 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.
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