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The competitor hailing from HARBOROUGH TOWN is fully prepared for action…
Dave Staff, assistant coach of the seventh-tier team, boasts a history as a champion on the television series Gladiators.
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However, being involved in his hometown club’s journey to a second-round clash against League One Reading feels even more monumental than navigating the Travelator.
At the time of his 2009 glory, Staff played at the non-league level — he emerged as the male champion and later the champion of champions on the Sky One revival of Gladiators.
At 45, he remarked: “Around 10,000 people applied for that series. I take immense pride in that accomplishment.
“Powerball was probably my strongest event. I could handle my own body weight and was able to move swiftly. I still remember facing Gladiator Doom in an event titled Earthquake.
“You’re on a see-through platform about 50ft in the air or something like that. You wrestle to push each other off, and he broke my nose during the match. Nevertheless, the video referee awarded me the victory.
“Winning the main series earned me £25,000.
“Most of it went towards a kitchen renovation in a house we left about six months later.”
Gladiators wasn’t Staff’s only brush with the spotlight.
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He was part of the Nuneaton Borough squad that took on Premier League Middlesbrough, featuring a lineup of stars in the FA Cup third round back in 2006.
Gaizka Mendieta opened the scoring for Boro with a stunning free kick. However, a handball by Gareth Southgate led to a penalty — converted by Gez Murphy to guarantee a replay.
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Staff recalled: “There’s a well-known photo of Mendieta curling his free kick over my head and into the net.
“Unfortunately, I had to exit the field due to injury after just 18 minutes, so I missed the replay.
“After I played a full 90 minutes at Nuneaton, Mark Viduka asked one of our players, ‘What happens next?’.
“‘We’re heading to your place!’
“‘Right, cheers, mate’. He had no idea!
“That night, we celebrated in Nuneaton. I hobbled around the pubs and caught Match of the Day — Lee Dixon humorously called me ‘Davy’ Staff for some reason!
“The following morning, after staying in a hotel, we picked up the papers, and my roommate Matty Collins was on the front pages. It was an incredible experience.”
As a coach, Staff played a role in Brackley Town’s FA Trophy victory at Wembley in 2018.
Yet, nothing could rival the joy of triumph with the club from the town of his youth.
I stroll through town with my dog, and there’s an unmistakable buzz. It’s the most important match in the history of the club.
Dave Staff
Staff joined Harborough 18 months prior, assisting manager Mitch Austin, and last season they achieved promotion to the Southern League Premier Division Central — the highest tier in the club’s history.
This season, Harborough triumphed over Tonbridge Angels in their first FA Cup tie, setting the stage for a significant match against Reading.
Staff shared: “I’ve always lived in the area.
“When we scored against Tonbridge, I recognized so many faces behind the goal; it made me wish I was out there instead of in the dugout.
“I walk around town with my dog, and the excitement is tangible. This is absolutely the biggest match in the club’s history.
“As a local boy, it feels surreal, and we all hope it lasts as long as possible.”
After having already bested Doom, why not topple Reading?
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