This season Prostate Cancer UK is the official charity of The
Football League. To celebrate, we've asked bloggers from each of
the 72 clubs to count down their top five strikers to have worn the
No9 shirt, in recognition of the fact that prostate cancer
affects one in nine men.
One-season wonder: Craig Davies hit 23 goals for Chesterfield. Photo courtesy of Action Images
Here blogger Dean Mansell, of awayend.co.uk, selects
Chesterfield's five best No9s… and one to forget!
5. Steve Norris
(1992-95)
The fact Steve Norris was Chesterfield's top scorer for three
seasons running, scoring a total of 44 goals in 97 appearances,
meant he was always going to make the top five. The livewire
striker arrived from Halifax Town and had flair and that rare
ability of having a 'nose for a goal'. The Shaymen felt the loss of
his goals the following season by suffering relegation. He will
always be a name mentioned when the team's current strikers are
going through a dry spell and the "if only we had" line gets rolled
out.
4. Dave Waller
(1987-91)
A prolific striker who scored 53 goals in 119 appearances for the
club, a similar return to that enjoyed by his previous club, Crewe
Alexandra. He was part of the side that played in the first Wembley
play-off final in 1990 (losing to Cambridge United in the Division
Four showdown). Waller was a no-nonsense striker who could find the
net on a regular basis, having the 'right place, right time' knack
all the best front men posses.
3. Craig Davies
(2010-11)
Chesterfield's 2010-11 promotion winning side won the League Two
title at a canter, with Davies netting 23 times in 41 appearances
and more than matching that number in assists. A capture from
Brighton and Hove Albion, he proved to be the signing of the summer
for Chesterfield. His performances caught the eye that season,
earning him a move into the Championship with Barnsley. The fact he
played only one season for the club goes to show the impact he made
to make it on to this prestigious list.
2. Kevin Randall
(1966-72)
A toss of a coin was employed to decide on the top two positions
in the list. The reason for this difficult decision was the lethal
partnership formed by Kevin Randall and the man occupying top spot,
Ernie Moss. Between 1968 and 1972, their combined strike-power
helped the blues to their first silverware in 35 years with the
1970 Fourth Division title in 1970. Writer Stuart Hall once
described how Randall "flitted down the right wing like a
blue-shirted phantom" against a strong Stoke side containing
international defenders. An almost telepathic understanding between
him and Moss led to his 96 goals in 258 appearances. He went on to
become a coach, physio, assistant manager and manager at the club.
He was No2 to John Duncan during the incredible 1997 FA Cup run
that ended in the semi-finals. All this has led to the God-like
status he now holds among the Chesterfield faithful.
1. Ernie Moss (1968-75,
1979-81, 1984-86)
It would have been far too easy to take a look at the goalscoring
records held for Chesterfield and install the all-time top scorer
as number one on the list. The fact Ernie Moss holds that record is
not the only reason he deserves the honour. The local boy who made
good, the record 165 goals (not one of them a penalty!), a total of
three championship-winning medals (two with Chesterfield) and once
running the Moss & Miller sports shop where I purchased all of
my football boots when I was a lad, all tell you why Ernie is
regarded as a sporting legend amongst footballing colleagues and
fans alike. A stereotypical English striker, prolific with both
feet and in the air, he scored goals wherever he played though, as
mentioned previously, he benefited from the many assists provided
by Kevin Randall. Will Ernie's all-time scoring record ever be
beaten? I very much doubt it.
And the worst…
Jason Lee (1998-2000)
When smaller clubs pay substantial fees for players, the pressure
for them to produce on the pitch is that little bit higher than
normal. Unfortunately for Jason Lee, the £250,000 paid to Watford
for his services was and still is a record for the club. It's fair
to say things didn't go quite according to plan and the 28
appearances and one goal he produced is probably all that needs to
be said.
Follow Dean on Twitter @awayend
and you can also
buy his book online