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.
Powerhouse: Steve Flack's professional sports career began in boxing. Photo courtesy of Action Images
Here blogger Ollie Heptinstall, of o-heptinstall.blogspot.co.uk,
selects Exeter's five best No9s… and one to forget!
5. Adam Stansfield
(2006-10)
Stansfield, or Stanno as he was affectionately known, will go down
as one of City's most popular players. He wasn't that prolific a
goalscorer for the Grecians, netting 37 times in 142 appearances,
but his tireless work of the ball, along with his friendly,
down-to-earth personality, quickly made him a fans' favourite - not
just at Exeter, but across the Football League. His tragic death in
2010 was devastating news to City fans, his wife and three
children, who had all lost a hero. In 2010 the No9 shirt was
retired for nine seasons in Stanno's honour. Shortly after Adam's
death, his wife Marie formed the Adam Stansfield
Foundation, to raise funds for local football teams and to
increase awareness of bowel cancer.
4. Steve Flack
(1997-2006)
Flacky, a former professional boxer, joined City in 1997 for
£10,000 from Cardiff City. It was money well spent, as the lanky
frontman scored 86 goals in 268 appearances for the Grecians. Three
of those goals came inside the first 13 minutes of a 5-0 demolition
of Southport, earning the big man the first hat-trick of his career
in his final season with City and underlining his legendary status
among the City faithful.
3. Fred Binney
(1969-74)
Binney joined City for £35,000 in 1970 following a successful loan
spell with the club from Torquay the previous season (in which he
failed to cement a place in the Torquay first team). Their loss was
our gain. After scoring a total of 90 times in 177 appearences for
Exeter, he then joined Brian Clough's Brighton & Hove Albion
before a spell in America playing alongside Pelé among others.
2. Alan Banks (1963-66
& 1967-73)
Previously at Liverpool under Bill Shankly, Banksy (not that one)
spent nine seasons at Exeter. His 101 goals in 258 appearances for
the Grecians, along with his entertaining playing style, led to him
being named Exeter fans' all-time favourite player in 2007. Though
that may not have been the case had his one season spell at fierce
rivals Plymouth Argyle lasted any longer. Thankfully, he realised
the error of his ways and returned east to net 58 times for Devon's
No1 side!
1. Tony Kellow (1976-78,
1980-84 & 1985-88)
When a player has three spells at the same club, you know he's
decent. To say Tony Kellow was decent would be an insult. Arguably
the greatest player to don the red and white, his 150 goals in 377
league and cup games mean he is still, to this day, the club's
record goalscorer, and I can't see that changing any time soon.
And the
worst…
Steve Biggins
(1986-87)
At the other end of the scale, when a player has a 14-game spell
at a club, scoring twice, you know he's rubbish. Biggins, who as
far as I'm aware is no relation to Christopher, joined City on a
non-contract basis in '86 and thankfully didn't stay long before
moving down a division to Telford United where, ironically, he
scored 20 times in the 1987-88 season.
Follow Ollie on Twitter
@OliHepy