Later Life
After declining several previous offers he finally accepted an invitation to watch the Sheffield derby at Hillsborough in 1992. There he was given a standing ovation by both sets of fans. He was also made a freeman of the City of Sheffield in 1993. In 2003 he was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours List. and later the same year an honorary doctorate degree from Sheffield Hallam University.
He retired as a Blades chief executive in 1996 but 3 years later he returned to the fold as chairman of the club. At the time United were £4 million in debt and languishing near the bottom of the second tier of English football. Under his chairmanship the club enjoyed a resurgence that saw them return to the Premiership after an absence of 12 years. In April 2006 with the club still celebrating promotion, Dooley announced his resignation of the chairmanship to take up the role of Vice-President.
Read more about this topic: Derek Dooley (footballer)
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