Danny Bailey had two spells at Exeter City, the first when he was a member of the club’s Fourth Division championship winning team of 1990 and a second - after a two-year gap - when he played over 150 league matches up until May 1997.

Originally an apprentice with AFC Bournemouth, Danny went on to make just one league outing for the Cherries before dropping into non-league football with Dagenham. Danny was then playing for Walthamstow Avenue when Torquay United (thanks to Dave Webb who knew Danny from Bournemouth) gave him another league opportunity in March 1984. He once again only played one league match before leaving the Gulls to sign for Grays Athletic ahead of moving on to play for Wealdstone.

Danny was twenty-five when Exeter manager Terry Cooper offered him a contract in August 1989 in what proved to be an astute move with Danny playing a major part in the Grecians’ 1989/90 championship success. Wearing the number eight shirt Danny started all forty-six games during the Grecians' triumphant season scoring once at Peterborough in the October. 

After making 64 league appearances (two goals) for City, Danny was transferred to Reading for a fee of £50,000 in December 1990 where he netted twice in 50 league games. He also had a short loan spell with Fulham at the start of the 1992/93 season only to return to Exeter on a free transfer in December 1992. Danny remained at the club, where he was always a popular figure, until the end of the 1996/97 season when he signed for Farnborough Town having featured in 139 league matches (scoring on five occasions) during his second spell at St James’ Park. 

A journey around the non-league circuit began as Danny appeared for Slough Town and  Telford United before joining Forest Green Rovers for whom he appeared in the 1999 FA Trophy Final at Wembley. Danny then successively played for Welling United, Forest Green Rovers again and Aylesbury United. He then had a second stint at Grays Athletic, and fast approaching the age of forty, moved on to Weston-super-Mare, Bath City and Weymouth. Danny briefly became Leyton Pennant’s player-coach in March 2003 before spells with Chippenham Town, Stansted and Chesham United. 

Danny, by then forty-four, was turning out for Ware as late as 2006 before assuming a coaching role with Potters Bar Town. Later living in Walthamstow, Danny ran the Danny Bailey Elite Academy in association with his brother Trevor’s Interwood Academy.