Doug Taft

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Doug Taft (9 March 1926 – 29 September 1987) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Leicester, he was a tall, strong player who served in the Army during the Second World War. After the war, he joined Derby County in 1947.

Taft made six league appearances for Derby, scoring one goal. He debuted in December 1948 against Stoke City, scoring the opening goal in a 4–2 defeat, and played in a few more matches that season, including a 2–1 win over Arsenal at the Baseball Ground. He left Derby in 1949 to join Wolverhampton Wanderers as backup to Jesse Pye, but injuries limited his first-team opportunities and he did not play league football for Wolves.

He then moved into non-league football, playing for Chelmsford City (1950–1952), Bedford Town (1952–1953), and Peterborough United (1953–1955). At Bedford, he scored 22 league goals in 40 Southern League appearances (29 goals in 53 games in all competitions). At Peterborough United, Taft was prolific, making 83 appearances with 50 goals. He had a standout 1953–54 season as the Midland League’s top scorer with 42 goals and even captained the team in 1954–55 before leaving.

After Peterborough, he played for Kettering Town (1955–1956) and Rugby Town (1956–1959). He finished his career as player-manager of Hinckley Athletic, a role he held until January 1959.

Doug Taft passed away in Derby in 1987 at the age of 61.