Interview: Iain Dunn

Iain Dunn was born on April 1st, 1970 in York and from 1988 to 1992, he enjoyed a Football League career with York City and Chesterfield. By the summer of 1992, he was playing for Goole Town and in November, began playing with Town’s reserves. He scored five goals in four games before Ian Ross moved to sign him. 

“I’d gone to Town on trial,” remembers Dunn. “They were really struggling at that time, so training was a bit weird because a lot of the players were a bit down on confidence and I went in probably exploiting it a bit because I was buzzing and just happy to be there.

“I hit the ground running for the reserves, had some really good games and scored a few goals. I didn’t know at the time, but Ian had seen me in a reserve game at Middlesbrough.

“I played quite well, scored a couple and he clearly made his mind up as he came in after the game and said he wanted to sign me. There was a contract there for me to sign the following day so I went home thinking I was a Town player, magic!”

However, Goole played hard ball over letting him go: “When I left Chesterfield, I went to Goole, managed by my mate Dale Banton and he knew I’d been trialling at clubs, I’d been to Peterborough, Wolves, Scarborough and Scunthorpe and he felt I’d get back into the Football League at some point.

“I went to play for Goole and keep fit on the understanding they’d let me go at the drop of a hat. I’d been training at Town for a few weeks, but then Dale was sacked and Tommy Tynan came in. Whether it was his fault or the chairman’s I don’t know, but when Town wanted to sign me, suddenly Goole weren’t going to release me”.

Eventually, the problem was sorted and Town signed Dunn for “a small fee”, later revealed to be £500: “It wasn’t much!” says Dunn. “I think Goole got a couple of grand, a bag of balls and a pre-season friendly the following year - it was a big deal!” 

Dunn was in the squad three days later in the F.A. Cup against Bradford City at Valley Parade: “I turned up at Bradford and I’m sure some of the lads would’ve thought ‘what’s he doing here?’. It was weird because I’d only ever trained and played with the reserves. I had no idea I was playing.

“I just thought I was going along for a bit of experience. I didn’t think in my wildest dreams I’d be starting. Ian Ross called the team out and I was in it! I’m sure there was this sort of universal look up and everyone thinking ‘who?’. I think the players were as surprised as me! But the rest is history - what a debut! It couldn’t have gone better really. Bradford City, F.A. Cup, got a goal, got a penalty, lost a tooth!

“I’m not one to sing my own praises but I’d had a good game, one of those where everything went right. Noel Blake was frustrated, because he’d probably never heard of me either! I broke into the box, he brought me down, we got the penalty and as I stood up, he shouldered me right in the chin. My bottom tooth hit my top tooth, chipping it. So I’ve still got the scar of that today! And I didn’t even feel the pain. What a day!

“The fans were unbelievable. I’m sure they must have seen the teamsheet and thought the same as everyone else, ‘who’s he?’. Then in the 18th minute, I scored and they started singing my name. I was lapping it up! It was unbelievable”.

After his dream debut, Dunn remained in the side for the rest of the 1992-93 season, which was a struggle, with Town propping up Division Two almost throughout. It was looking bleak until former Town manager Mick Buxton was brought in by Ian Ross as his assistant. 

“I’d been playing up front but Mick came in to help as we were struggling. He brought me in and told me they were putting me on the right-hand side. He made it dead clear what he wanted me to do”.

Buxton’s arrival in March 1993 saw a huge turnaround: “I liked Ian Ross because he signed me, but he was also a good bloke. He liked the technical side of things and the passing game, which looks great when you’re doing well, but when you’re struggling then mistakes happen.

“They’d done it the year before and been brilliant with some great players. They were all good footballers but the season I joined, things just weren’t working for them and I think when Mick came in, he disciplined them. And as we were in a relegation battle, it wasn’t the time to be playing attractive football, we had to be harder to beat. And he made us harder to beat!”

In the last 16 games, Town won 12, which for a team that had won just five games before Buxton’s arrival, was unbelievable. “It was ridiculous!” says Dunn, “but all the players were good and Ian had a good team, it just wasn’t happening for whatever reason and mistakes were happening. Mick came in and almost overnight just eradicated the mistakes and suddenly we started looking like a competitive team again”. 

Town finished 15th but were rocked by the departure of Buxton, who left to become Sunderland’s assistant manager. Ross left the club a week later and within 24 hours, Neil Warnock had replaced him.

“Neil Warnock was totally different to Ian Ross, but in no way shape or form any less better for the lads and I think to a man they all loved him. But he had a job to sort out and when he came in he was more Mick Buxton than Ian Ross, but he knew what he needed to do to get promotion. 

“Mick actually wanted to take me to Sunderland that summer, but I was staying at Town, there was absolutely no doubt, as I wanted to see what Warnock was doing”. 

Warnock, who is now back at Town, struggled initially in 1993-94, which was to be Town’s final campaign at Leeds Road, and were engaged in another relegation battle for much of the season, until an unlikely cup run in the Autoglass Trophy changed the club’s fortunes. 

“I know the first season was a bit of a tester but we had a good run in the Autoglass and I think that saved his job. But we all knew he was good and he knew what he was doing, and he might not like me saying this but it was basic football, really hard to beat, be compact, be a good team and momentum and spirit will carry you through.

“But we also had talented players, there were a lot of good players in that team. They were all good footballers but we all got on as well so the mix was perfect. Warnock knew that and played on it, he knew how to keep the team spirit going, he knew he had a lot of good players but also knew we were going to be hard to beat. Nobody liked playing against us!”.

It was during this season Dunn picked up the “super-sub” tag, and out of 45 appearances, 17 were from the bench: “Looking back, I sort of accepted that [being sub], but I had a lot of respect for the gaffer. I trusted that what he was doing was right, but he made me feel an important part of the squad.

“He made us all feel important in our own different roles. If we were ever struggling or playing badly, he’d say ‘go and warm up, Dunny’ and it’d get the fans going! I look back and he was working me, working the fans because when I went for a warm up they started singing! 

“That always had an impact on the team straight away because they’d be looking over and thinking ‘who’s coming off’ and invariably someone did come off but the momentum started to build, so he worked it well”.

In the Autoglass, Town were progressing through the competition and a trip to Wembley was looking increasingly likely. Town fans started to believe after a 1-0 win in the Area Semi-final against Stockport County in March 1994. Dunn bagged the winner that night and set up a two-legged Area Final with Carlisle United. 

Dunn scored the fourth goal in a 4-1 first leg victory over Carlisle  at Leeds Road and after a tense 2-0 defeat at Brunton Park, Town were through after winning 4-3 on aggregate. 

In the final, Town faced Swansea City and lost 3-1 on penalties after drawing 1-1. Dunn started on the bench but was introduced at half-time for Darren Bullock: “I came on at half-time as Bully had lost his head. I always felt confident that I’d get some minutes on the pitch and the gaffer brought me on, it’s a shame we didn’t get over the line that day. 

“And 100% you want to win it, and Warnock knew that the momentum from that would build over into the following season and we were all desperate to win it. We didn’t just turn up to play at Wembley. 

“Not winning made us even more determined the following season as we didn’t want to lose again! Whoever said that the worst place to lose is Wembley is right, because it suddenly feels like you’re in a place of massive disappointment”.

Days later, Town played their final league match at Leeds Road, beating Blackpool 2-1. The move to the new McAlpine Stadium galvanised everybody, players and fans alike.

“There was a whole buzz around the club,” says Dunn. “I hadn’t been around Leeds Road long enough to be really disappointed to be leaving. I had a connection to it because it was a fantastic old ground and the atmosphere was amazing, but I hadn’t been there long enough. I think you have to have been a fan all your life to miss it and feel that loss.

“For me, I’d been there a year and a bit, I’d been lucky to play there and it was a wonderful stadium but look at what they ended up with! Town made a bold move and moved because they knew they needed to. No-one would suggest they made a mistake as it’s one of the best grounds in the league.

“Leeds Road was brilliant, playing there was immense but moving across was a positive move. Everyone could see what was being built and it was phenomenal. As players, it was exciting, we all wanted to play in it, as much as we loved Leeds Road, you’re looking across the road and seeing the new stadium getting bigger and thinking ‘wow, I want to be a part of this’! 

“The whole positivity of the move helped. And at the start of the season, we felt like everything was in place and we were ready to go and it felt like lift off time”.

Town looked like real promotion candidates throughout 1994-95, but would eventually have to settle for the play-offs at the end of the season, after finishing 5th in Division Two.. 

Town faced Brentford in the play-off semi-finals, with both home and away legs ending 1-1. In the second leg, at Griffin Park, a penalty shootout ensued. Darren Bullock famously scored the winning penalty, sending Town to Wembley for the second time in a year.

“Brentford had had a good season and had some great players, but Bully scored the penalty. What a night that was!”. 

Facing Bristol Rovers in the final, Andy Booth put Town 1-0 up after 45 minutes, but Marcus Stewart had equalised moments later. With the game at 1-1, Dunn was brought on with 10 minutes remaining. It turns out he knew all along that he’d been getting on the pitch! 

“We went to the Belfry, building up to the game. The gaffer never usually names his team and he had me in. All season I’d been sub, but I was worrying whether I’d be in the squad. And there were only three subs then and about 20 of us went to The Belfry. 

“He said ‘listen Dunny, don’t worry you’re definitely in the squad on Saturday, you’ll be sub and you’ll come on at some point’. I was over the moon with that as I knew for that week that I was going to be in the squad at Wembley and probably going to come on at some point. 

“He’d already worked up to that final 10 minutes with me five days before, I honestly believe that, he’s that clever a bloke, he had me thinking about winning the game, because every sub comes on thinking they’re going to change the game. So rather than worrying for five days about not being in the squad, he had me thinking what minute I would be coming on and what minute I’d be changing the game. I think he was a genius in that respect.

“I honestly think he’d already laid the groundwork for that last 10 minutes in the week before by telling me not to worry and that I’d get on the pitch. He didn’t name the team until the day before, but nobody else knew that they were in the squad…unless he called everyone in!” he jokes. 

“The day was just out of this world. It felt like it was meant to be. Warnock had me warming up for 25, 30 minutes getting the fans wound up, because every time I got up to warm up the fans would start singing my song and the atmosphere would get going. I’m sure he knew what he was doing! Then eventually he called me over and said I was going on at left wing and said ‘just do what you do’!”

Dunn replaced Gary Crosby on 80 minutes and within seconds he was crossing the ball into the box, and after Andy Booth headed it across goal, Chris Billy was bursting in from nowhere and with a diving header put Town 2-1 up. And so it remained. Town were promoted!

“The game was going a bit and we were slipping. It’s funny because when you watch the footage when I come on, you can just hear my song. All of a sudden, I’ve got the ball, one touch, I’ve dropped my shoulder and I knew I had just put a good ball into the box as Boothy would invariably be at the back stick and he was! His header was brilliant, right back across goal, Chris Billy was there, brave as a lion! He got squashed in the celebrations!

“I think over the season we deserved it, I think everyone was confident across that season. As soon as we knew we were in the play-offs, we didn’t fear anybody. Birmingham were out of the equation and we knew we could beat the others. They were all good teams, but we felt we had a bit more and so it proved!”.

Just eight days after Wembley, news broke that Warnock had resigned. “It was gutting when he left. But if the gaffer makes his mind up, that’s it! I think he let us know after the game, but I’m not certain. It was definitely within a couple of days of the game and he made sure the players knew before it came out. It was a shock though, I don’t think anyone saw it coming”.

Dunn ponders the possibilities had Warnock stayed: “Looking at his career after, if they’d have kept him, we had the momentum and some good players, maybe he could have done what he did with Notts County and took us into the top league. I wouldn’t have put it past him and we’d have been hard to beat that following season, there’s no doubt about that”.

Brian Horton was appointed as Warnock’s successor in June 1995 and in his first season, steered Town to 8th in Division One. He went about putting his own stamp on the club.  

“It was a totally different style of football. He was a nice enough guy but he had a different footballing ethos to Warnock. I’d say his mistake was trying to change it from what Warnock had because it was an honest group of players who were full of momentum.

“The momentum was still there with the players, the majority of us were still there in the first season and I think that carried so much weight. But then Horton had his ideas of how to play football, we suddenly saw a more technical style of football coming in. He was trying to change us into a footballing team but there was too much influence from the season before and how we played, for that to happen instantly. 

“I don’t think I was his type of player. I was a hard-running player who could hit the odd rocket and put a good cross in. I don’t think I was what he wanted, he wanted a more technical player. I had technical ability but he wanted more. I just look back and wish he’d have given me a bit more of a chance to do what he wanted me to do. 

“I played a lot of reserve football that season and was doing really well. David Moss, who managed the reserves, had a lot of time for me and liked me. He was trying to keep my head up. I played a few first team games and was sub for a few but I could sense the writing was on the wall”. 

In 1996-97, Dunn suffered a foot injury in pre-season, which turned out to be plantar fasciitis. Because of this, he could barely walk but with limited methods at the time, and the enforced absence of physio Dave Wilson, who was suffering from cancer, it went untreated.

After that injury, he was loaned to Mick Buxton’s Scunthorpe United in September 1996. However, he suffered another injury on his debut, the perpetrator was a familiar face. “I was through on goal against Chester, about to score and got taken from behind right on my calf - Peter Jackson! Jacko took me out, so my month at Scunthorpe I went from almost scoring to hobbling off, my calf was ripped and I had three weeks on the sidelines”.

He returned to Town and after being told by Horton that he wouldn’t be getting a new contract, Dunn left for former club Chesterfield in March 1997, signing for £35,000. He later had spells with Gainsborough Trinity and Harrogate Town.

Dunn now works for York City Council and is also a pundit on BBC Radio York. He will always be a Town legend, but also has a place in the history books, having scored British football’s first Golden Goal in November 1994 in the Auto-Windscreens Shield against Lincoln City. 

“I always seemed to score cup goals! So it’s probably apt that I scored in that game. I was proud - and it’ll only ever be done once! Funnily enough, when I scored that goal I didn’t realise the significance of it and I don’t think any of us did until the referee blew the final whistle. But even then, it was a case of ‘we’ve won’, brilliant! 

“A couple of days later, the secretary called me in and said that there was going to be a presentation and I said ‘what for’! And he said ‘you scored the first Golden Goal in British football’ and then it dawned on me! So at the next home game they presented me with a golden football, which is a nice little memento”.

Dunn has often returned to Town, playing in the 2003 Survival Trust match and occasionally as a BBC Radio Leeds pundit. He was voted Town’s ultimate cult-hero in a 2004 BBC poll and is always guaranteed a fabulous reception whenever he returns, usually to a chorus of “he’s got no hair but we don’t care”!

“It’s unbelievable, I’m blessed to have had that rapport with the supporters at the time, but it’s carried on as well.

“I look back on my career and think, I might not have played in the Premier League or done this, that or the other, but I had a bloody good time at Huddersfield and I’m remembered. I look back with a lot of pride at my time at Huddersfield. I’ve thanked fans in the past but I’ll always be eternally grateful for the support they gave and still give me”.