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.
Rams-tastic: Bobby Davison was top scorer for five seasons in a row. Photo courtesy of Action Images
Here blogger Ollie Wright, from derbycountyblog.com,
selects Derby's five best No9s… and one to forget!
5. Paulo Wanchope
(1996-99)
Plucked from Costa Rican obscurity by Jim Smith, Wanchope scored
one of the best goals in the Rams' history on his debut at Old
Trafford. Receiving the ball in Derby's half, the leggy striker
loped effortlessly past four Manchester United defenders before
slotting the ball past Peter Schmeichel. Wanchope was unique -
unpredictable, unconventional and, on his day, unplayable.
4. Jack Bowers
(1928-36)
Bowers scored 16 hat-tricks for Derby and was loved for his
fearlessness as much as his phenomenal goalscoring record of 183 in
220 matches. He would hurl himself into diving headers regardless
of how many defenders were in the way - this never-say-die attitude
helped him to become the First Division's leading goalscorer in two
league seasons.
3. Bobby Davison (1982-87
& 1991)
Quick, whole-hearted and deadly, Davison was Derby's top scorer
for five consecutive seasons. His goals dragged the Rams out of
Division Three and led to consecutive promotions in 1985-86 and
1986-87. Davison left for Leeds soon after that, but returned on
loan in 1991, scoring eight goals in 10 games and taking his Derby
total to over 100.
2. John O'Hare
(1967-74)
O'Hare's importance to the greatest Derby County team of all is
without question. One of Brian Clough's first signings, he was
ever-present throughout the Rams' rise from second-tier mediocrity
to the pinnacle of the English game. His ability to receive and
keep hold of the ball under pressure was key to Derby's attacks,
which usually ended in a goal for the club's greatest No10 - Kevin
Hector.
1. Steve Bloomer
(1892-1906 & 1910-14)
Bloomer scored 317 goals in 536 games for Derby, along with 28 in
23 appearances for England. Pale-faced and often sickly looking,
Bloomer was nevertheless a devastating goalscorer, once described
as "slippery as an eel and much given to dealing out electric
shocks to goalkeepers". A bust of Bloomer stands next to the home
dugout at Pride Park and he is celebrated in the club's anthem -
Steve Bloomer's Watchin'.
And the worst…
Stern John (2005)
Ex-Forest striker John was loaned from Coventry to replace the
popular Grzegorz Rasiak, whose sale convinced many Rams fans that
the board of directors was running the club into the ground. When
John missed a couple of chances against Leicester, home supporters
howled for him to be subbed. They jeered when Paul Peschisolido was
withdrawn instead, then cheered when John was finally put out of
his misery. The hapless Trinidadian was gone weeks later - manager
Phil Brown and the board soon followed.
Follow Ollie on Twitter
@derbycountyblog