David 'Dave' Penney is an English football manager and former player, currently managing League Two side Darlington.

Penney didn't enter professional football until the relatively late age of 21. He had been working as a bricklayer and playing for nothing at Pontefract Collieries for 5 years before he was spotted by Derby County scout Ron Jukes, who recommended him to manager Arthur Cox. He was offered a contract at the then Third Division club and they climbed two divisions before he left for Oxford United for