Do you have any interesting, happy, or humorous memories of Derek?
If so, please let us know and we will be happy to share them with the world!
Pace, Derek Gerry Summers is still going strong lives in Leicester, I know as I’m his daughter
30-10-22 Kate Licencr
Pace, Derek Hi David. Do you have any idea as to wether Gerry Summers is still going? I am researching my teams oldest living player.
02-06-22 Baz
Pace, Derek I was taken to my first Sheffield United match in 1955-56 by my Dad ( who hated football but knew I had a love for the game) I used to get in after that through the Silver Shareholders Turn-style, John Street. I watched Derek from 1957 along with likes of Brian Clough for Sunderland and Middlesbrough. I became one of three Ball-Boys in the promotion season of 1960. I was able to meet my heroes close up. Derek was a funny the cheeky sole of the dressing room. He was close with Gerry Summers another Midlander, two very different characters, but they went into business together and opened a sports outfitters on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield (called, Summers & Pace). They needed a shop assistant and I promoted my mother who worked for them for several years. She described them both as gentleman. Derek was then on the move, he left Sheffield Utd and later became a company rep. He was always a smiling chap, as a player very underrated, often a prolific goal scorer. I never remember him playing in the reserves at Bramall Lane, he was only ever a first team player and he scored many hat-tricks for Utd,. He was a casualty of the great youth Policy that John Harris (Manager) developed. In a new Junior squad was Mick Jones along with others and slowly the old guard disappeared, until eventually there was only Alan (Hoggy) Hodgkinson (my personal hero) who has sadly left us in recent times. I know Derek died very young ( on the few occasions I met him later he seemed lost without his football) RIP a fabulous cheeky chappy.
14-02-21 John Howard Ashcroft
Pace, Derek Speaking as a Wednesdayite, I well remember my first steel city derby when Derek scored the only goal of the match. It was in 1959, at Bramall Lane, cold and misty, I was 11 and Wednesday wore white socks. Peter Swan was Wednesday’s centre half and after that match he always reserved ‘special treatment’ for Derek whenever they played against each other. Poor Derek. I’ve seen many more steel city derbies over the years and that first one was the one and only United victory I have witnessed. Derek wasn’t a typical centre forward to look at, he was slim and only medium height but he could jump high and head the ball superbly. He was a regular 20 goal a season man for the Blades. Remember him well.
18-01-21 David Moore
