Career
Pugh made his name with Runcorn, who he joined when he was 22 from Liverpool-based amateur side Zodiac Football Club in 1987. In July 1989, Pugh was given his big break when Chester signed him for £35,000. Pugh made his Football League debut on the opening day of the 1989-1990 season against Mansfield Town, with his first goal coming against Birmingham City two months later.
Pugh was a regular for the Blues in a variety of positions, it not being until the closing stages of the 1991-1992 season that he began to make the left wing slot his own.
This marked the end of Pugh’s Chester career, as he opted to stay in Division Three by joining in the summer of 1994. He also managed double figures twice and played at Wembley Stadium in the play-off final in May 1995 against Chesterfield. then defied expectations by winning the Division Two championship in 1996-1997 under Stan Ternent, but Pugh"s season was badly hit by injuries.
Further injuries meant Pugh did not appear between December and the final day of the season when he collected the championship trophy. Pugh was in the starting line-up for the club’s opening day game the following season against Reading, but he was substituted with a knee injury and did not play again.
At the end of the season Pugh announced his retirement having failed to recover from the injuries.
Pugh then moved into coaching youngsters, having had spells at Liverpool and Manchester United. Dave now also coveres matches for the Press Association.
