Dennis “Dan” Allsopp

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Dennis "Dan" Allsopp was born in Derby in 1871 and as a young man played football for Derby Junction. 

Derby Junction were an amateur football club who were active in the 1880s and 1890s, notably being founder members of the Midland League in 1890 and FA Cup semi-finalists in 1888. They played at Derby Arboretum.

Allsopp joined Nottingham Forest Football Club in 1892, as a replacement goalkeeper for William Brown. He became an instant success with Forest, showing an uncanny ability around the penalty area. He kept goal for the club without serious contention for over seven years and gained an FA Cup winners’ medal in 1898, his skills being especially prominent in the final against Derby County played at the Crystal Palace. Forest won 3 - 2.

In his last competitive appearance at West Bromwich Albion on 16 April 1900, Forest lost 8–0. 

In 1890 Allsopp played professional baseball for Derby Baseball Club in the National League of Baseball of Great Britain. He was Captain and played at 1st base. Steve Bloomer played at 2nd base. The president and vice president of the club were Francis Ley and his son H. Gordon Ley. 

Allsopp was captain of the Derby Baseball Club when in 1895 they won the English Baseball Association Challenge Cup. He was still playing 5 years later and was captain of the Notts Forest Baseball Club when they won the English Baseball Cup in 1900.

In later life he was a member of the Derby Town Council and was also the landlord of the New Inn, Cotton Lane, Derby.

Dan passed away on the 6th October 1921, aged 50, and was laid to rest in Nottingham Road Cemetery.

Derby Daily Telegraph 31 August 1895