Davie was thus brought up by his mother becoming an apprentice engineer and starting with football with town team, Caldervale. And it was from there that in 1886 at nineteen that he joined Coatbridge's Albion Rovers for four seasons, including two appearances for Lanarkshire, before Derby County, mid-table in the English league, came in for him. In fact his  year there was not a success. He played in two thirds of the fixtures, incidentally alongside John Goodall, but in a team that had at the end of the season to be re-elected. It scored a hat full of goals at home, virtually none away and let in more goals than any other wherever it went. 

Whether is out of choice or sent packing Davie would return home. But he also did so to marry in November 1891, his bride from just down Calder St., Catherine Roberts, he recorded as a Hammerman. And by then too his on-field career had been resurrected. After a brief two months with Larkhalls' Royal Albert he signed for Rangers, remaining, albeit as scond-choice, for four campaigns, before joining Motherwell. But again the stay would be brief. Whilst playing he had continued to work and in the Autumn of 1895 was sent by his employer to Burnley and began to turn out for that town's club. It was then in the First Division, was relegated in 1897 but bounced back immediately, at which he moved on to New Brighton and then in 1899 joined Spurs. 

By now he was in his thirties, would have a good first season at  White Hart Lane but the following season play only half the previous number of games and that seems to have been the turning point. In 1901 he went home, had a final season, with Albion Rovers once more, and then retired. 

Catherine and Davie's would have four children born in Whifflet the last in 1905, soon after when the family would move to Tyneside, with more children probably born Geordie. And there it would remain, David dying there at the age of eighty-one in 1949 to be buried locally at the city's Elswick Cemetery, Catherine having possibly already passed away at the age of just fifty-three in 1925.