John Robert Danby (born 20 September 1983) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Cymru North team Bangor City 1876.
Danby played for much of his career at Chester City, and the subsequent phoenix club Chester, although he has also played for Kidderminster Harriers, Eastwood Town, Bradford Park Avenue, Connah's Quay Nomads and Flint Town United.
Career Born in Stoke, Danby came through youth system and spent five seasons with Kidderminster Harriers before beigh released and signed for Chester City in 2006. Danby's time with Kidderminster saw them relegated out of The Football League in 2004–05 but he established himself as a promising young goalkeeper.
He went on to enjoy a successful 2006–07 season with Chester and was named the club's player of the season. Despite the signing of the experienced Gavin Ward, Danby was selected in goal for Chester's opening game of the 2007–08 season against Chesterfield. In two full seasons he did not miss any of Chester's competitive first–team matches, although he went off injured in a Football League Trophy tie against Crewe Alexandra in September 2007 and in a league match against Darlington in March 2008.
On 12 August 2008, Danby made his 128th consecutive start for Chester in The Football League at Barnet, to break a record set more than 40 years earlier by Mike Metcalf. But his hopes of completing a third successive season without missing a match were ended after he injured his shoulder at Notts County on 4 April 2009 and was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Therefore, Chester brought in James Spencer in on loan.
Following the expulsion of Chester City from the Conference in February 2010, he joined Eastwood Town in March 2010.
He later rejoined the phoenix club Chester on 9 June 2011 despite reported interest from three Football Conference sides. John became first choice goalkeeper in two consecutive Chester championships in Northern Premier League and Conference North, also winning Non-league Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2012. He started the third season as number one but fell out of favour midway through the campaign after manager Neil Young left the club. Later, Danby, whose contract was part-time, had been unable to train with the squad following the switch to daytime training for the 2014–15 season owing to his personal training business.
In September 2014 he joined Conference North side Bradford Park Avenue, where he spent one season.
Danby switched to the Welsh Premier League joining Connah's Quay Nomads in May 2015. He made his competitive Nomads debut in August as the club reached the Europa League for the first time where he kept two European clean sheets in the defeat of Norwegian side Stabek, while along with The Nomads' defence, conceded the fewest goals in the league. This included a run of four successive clean sheets at the beginning of the campaign, and reached a total of 15 clean sheets by the end of the season. As a result, Danby was named in the Welsh Premier League Team of the Season by the Managers of opposing WPL sides. Danby went on to make a total of 175 starts in all competitions for The Nomads within four seasons, winning the Welsh Cup in the 2017/18 season. Danby's last act as a Nomads player was to find himself voted on to the bench of the Welsh Premier League Team of the Season in June 2019.
At the end of the 2018–19 season John Danby was released by Connah's Quay Nomads and joined second-tier Welsh side Flint Town United, after one season in Cymru North he returned to the Welsh Premier League as the club finished second and was promoted. He departed the club in February 2021 due to work and family commitments.
In July 2026 he signed for Bangor City 1876.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsKidderminster Harriers2001–02Third Division30000000302002–03Third Division00000000002003–04League Two90000000902004–05League Two3700010103902005–06Conference National27000—20290Total760001030800Chester City2006–07League Two4605010205402007–08League Two4601010205002008–09League Two4101010104402009–10Conference Premier28020—10310Total16109030601790Eastwood Town2010–11Conference North40020—30450Chester2011–12NPL Premier Division290——603502012–13Conference North41040—204702013–14Conference Premier30010—20330Total100050001001150Bradford Park Avenue2014–15Conference North32020—10350Connah's Quay Nomads2015–16Welsh Premier League3004040003802016–17Welsh Premier League3004040404202017–18Welsh Premier League3205000304002018–19Welsh Premier League270501060390Total1190180901301590Flint Town United2019–20Cymru North1701010001902020–21Welsh Premier League110000000110Total280101000300Flint Mountain2022–23Ardal NW1801020102202023–24Ardal NW2304020403302024–25Cymru North120001000130Total530505050680Career total60904201904107110
Career honours Chester City Player of the Season: 2006–07 Club record: Most consecutive Football League starts (133)
Chester FC Non-League goalkeeper of the year 2011–12 Northern Premier League Winners 2011–12 Peter Swales Shield Winners 2012 Conference North Winners 2012–13
Connah's Quay Nomads Welsh Premier League Team of the Year: 2016–17, 2017–18
References
External links