David Mitchell (footballer, born 1945)

David John Mitchell (24 August 1945 – 10 December 2020) was an English footballer who played for Port Vale and Ipswich Town in the Football League in the 1960s.

Career
Mitchell graduated through the Port Vale youth team to sign professional forms under manager Freddie Steele in March 1964. He made his first-team debut at Vale Park on 7 September 1964, in a 1–0 defeat to Luton Town. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw at Mansfield Town on 28 September. He scored four goals in 19 league and cup games in the 1964–65 season, as the "Valiants" were relegated out of the Third Division. However, he played just five games in the 1965–66 season, scoring one goal in a 3–0 home win over Lincoln City, as Vale struggled near the foot of the Fourth Division table under new boss Jackie Mudie. He was given a free transfer in May 1966 and moved on to Ipswich Town. He played just two Second Division games for Bill McGarry's "Blues" in the 1966–67 season, and left the Football League after departing Portman Road. He later became a police officer in Stoke-on-Trent and married Mary.

Career statistics
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