IT seems the days of 20-goal per season strikers at City have temporarily disappeared but it has not always been the case for the Blues - even recently.
Here M.E.N. Sport recalls the best season-hauls from some of the more prolific marksmen to have turned out for City.
Nicolas Anelka (2003-04) Frenchman bagged 24 (16 in the league) to show why City paid a club record é13m for his services
Shaun Goater (1999-2000 & 2001-2002) scored 23 league goals and 29 in all as City won back place in the Premiership and then notched 32 (28 in the league) as they did it again two years later
Darren Huckerby (2001-2002) The other player apart from Goater to score 20 league goals as Keeganés Blues topped 100 for the season.
Uwe Rosler (1994-95) scored 22 to head the charts although seven of them came in cup competitions
David White (1991-92) the speedy winger turned front man scored 21 times, 18 of them in the league
Niall Quinn (1990-91) 20 of his 22 goals came in the top flight as City finished fifth
Paul Stewart (1987-88) His 28 goals were scored in the second division
Brian Kidd (1977-78 and 1976-77) Reached the magical 20 mark two seasons running as Blues finished second and fourth in top flight
Dennis Tueart (1975-76) Despite not being an out and out striker the current director hit 24 in the League Cup winning season
Colin Bell (1970-71) Blues greatest ever midfielder banged in 20 to pip Lee to the goal-scoring crown
Neil Young & Mike Summerbee (1967-68) - a rarity indeed as both men reached the 20 mark as City won the title.
Francis Lee (1971/72) scored 35 times and went on to top the goal charts in five of seven seasons at the club
Others to top the charts post war with impressive totals were Derek Kevan (36 in 1963-64, Alex Harley (32 in 1962-63 and Denis Law (29 in 1960-61). Joe Hayes twice topped 25 goals in 1955-56 and 1957-58 and Dennis Westcott hit 25 in 1950-51.
Most prolific of the lot though is Tommy Johnson (1928/29) who scored 38 goals in the season to set a club record that might never be beaten.
Who was your favourite striker? Have your say.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
In a very ordinary side Denis Law stands head and shoulders although Joe Royle signing Mark Robbins runs him close.
How many did Paul Hince get?
can we see if DT will put his boots back on? cant do any worse!
Favourite was Francis Lee -- you always sensed with Francis that all he ever wanted to do when he received a ball in or around the area was to shoot.
In his first game at Maine Road he must have made 12 or more on target shots at goal and he was playing on the wing that day -- before he came we more often tried to pass it into the goal.
There were few defenders that could cope with his strength and sheer determination as he raced towards their goals with just one thought on his mind to bury his shot in the net.
As for taking penalties even if the keeper managed to get behind his shot they ended up in the net with the ball.
Francis was one amazing striker.
no mention of our all-time leading goalscorer Eric Brook in this article? 178 goals in 494 appearances??
You can talk about tactics and motivation all you like but I always think a manager truly stands and falls on his buys in the transfer market. Pearce has the completely reasonable excuse that the club is virtually broke so most of his signings have to be on a tiny budget but still the signings of an aging Dickov, a sluggish Corradi and an expensive but horribly enigmatic Samaras do not really cut the cheese. Hasselbaink, Jeffers, Eastwood, Kanu, Saviola, Jason Roberts and others would all have been better signings and well within our budget of 7.5 million that we spent on those 3. Without Vassell we are nothing up front, no pace, no threat.
Colin Bell. When these TV pundits throw the expression around "he's got a real engine" they are 30 years late. Colin invented the term. One of the Leagues most prolific scorers from midfield.
What's Tommy Johnson up to these days?
Unfortunately this is all that we have, memories, and most of todays fans don't even have them.
I have a real fear that this is going to be our hardest season to fight for our place in the top league. I do not believe that we shall be successful.
I'm sure I remember Lee Bradbury banging in 20 plus a season. Why's he been missed off? That Gerry Creany was pretty prolific too.
That is is Shaun Goater Feed the goat feed the goat fead the goat and he will score! feed the goat and he will score
I remember David White very well from the times I went to see City in the early 90s. He was considered one of the best around and his tallies (from the wing, mainly) proved it. It is still a bit of a mystery to me why he went to pot so quickly. Didn't his dad run a scrapyard? But I'll never forget him getting 2 against the rags, 2 against Liverpool (home AND away) and FOUR against Villa away. He was hot stuff until the end of the 93 season, then just disappeared. Real shame. Goat still my favourite, though. CTID
Both Joe Hayes - (the original baby-faced assasain - sorry Ole) - and Derek Kevan impressed me. The former for his shear effort and persistency and maximisation of his skills. A bit like Paul Dickov today but with a leathal finishing streak! About the same size too! BUT for the complete triumph of result over limited ability you would have to hand it to Derek Kevan. Scoring goals was virtually all he did! People say he did not do it at the top level but that was not the case as he proved at WBA before coming to City.
How they could do with the likes of these guys now! This season will prove this. Unless they score goals they will be banjaxed. On the current line up they will not get more than 30 points max! - if that!
In January we desperately need a striker. One goal in four says it all. Get rid of Corradi for gods sake he's useless. Hurry up Vass, we need your pace and skill. Samaras just needs time, then he'll be firing, and Dickov hasnt scored, but is working hard. Defoe is the final piece of the jigsaw. January ¿¿5m.
Selling Elk and not replacing him was the beginning of this mess.
As an out an out striker - the best I saw in a city shirt was Francis Lee.
Can you ever see a midfield player with the scoring rate of Colin Bell?
I have been watching them since 1965 and even though I now live in Cyprus I manage a few games a season and watch all their games on Satelite whilst keeing in touch through MEN.
I have a deep sense of foreboding about this season. We need to do something and do it quickly.