The Fleet were delighted to welcome in an old face earlier today when former manager Dennis Moore popped by to see his former home ground.
Dennis and his wife Jenny came past the stadium for a drive and a look around the ground but we intercepted them to give them a guided tour and what’s more, we issued our former boss with a Fleet shirt.
We have invited them back as our guests to support our second Dennis and his squad during the forthcoming season.
Fleet fans will have fond memories of the only other manager called Dennis in our history, Moore having taken over in late 1987 and the following season he guided Fleet to the club’s first promotion in almost 15 years as he achieved the runners-up spot in the Beazer Homes League Southern Division.
A former Dagenham player and club record appearance holder who skippered the Essex side in their 1971 FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley and then lifted the FA Trophy with them at the same venue in 1980, Moore played in four Wembley finals in total. He also just missed out on representing England Amateurs at the 1968 Olympics after a narrow defeat to Spain in the qualifiers.
Moore arrived at the Fleet to assist his former Dagenham manager Eddie Presland. When Presland departed in 1987, Moore took the job on a caretaker basis initially but a strong set of results under his stewardship saw him appointed permanently.
This was in a time of huge crisis at the Fleet financially and Moore got the best out of his budget, finishing fourth in 1987/88. He went one better the following season with an exciting side who pushed Chelmsford City all the way for the title before securing second place and promotion to the Beazer Homes Premier Division. He exceeded all expectations back at the higher level, steering the club to seventh place before departing after three years in 1990.
