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.
Pure class: Jamie Vardy turned heads during his spell at Highbury. Photo courtesy of Action Images
Here blogger Sean Slater, of salmonftfc.blogspot.co.uk,
selects Fleetwood's five best No9s… and one to forget!
5. Keith
Johnstone
Keith was a throwback to your old-fashioned centre-forward, a
typical No9 who loved competing and battling against big
centre-halves, and defenders would walk off the pitch knowing they
had been in one hell of a battle. Not the fastest or most skilful
player you'll see, but he knew were the goal was and the fans
appreciated his effort and work-rate.
4. Iain
Cain
According to legend, one of the best strikers, if not one of the
best players, to ever play for Fleetwood. Iain was a striker who
knew where the goal was and scored tap-ins as well as screamers
from range. He played at Conference level for many years, and would
be higher on many people's list, but I put him at No4.
3. Lee Catlow
Lee certainly knew were the net was and scored many goals for
Fleetwood, including 40 in our title-winning season in the North
West Counties League. If my memory serves me right, he won a bet
with a fan that he would break the 40-goal barrier that season. He
would have gone on to play at much a higher level with Fleetwood,
but a serious leg break cut short his time with us and he never
really recovered.
2. Andy Bell
(2006-10)
From the moment Andy Bell arrived the fans took to him straight
away, and he and Jamie Milligan formed a great partnership. Andy
would run defenders ragged and was integral to Fleetwood beating
Witton to the Unibond League title. Who can forget his magnificent
hat-trick against Nantwich Town on a quagmire of a pitch at
Highbury? Or the ribbing Jeff Stelling got off Phil Thompson and co
on Soccer Saturday when he put us 1-0 up against Hartlepool? Andy
is, and will always be, a legend in many fans' eyes.
1. Jamie Vardy
(2011-12)
Jamie only had one season at Highbury and, in all honesty, not
many people knew of him or expected much of him, but straight away
you could see he was special. His record of 31 goals in 36 league
games, plus goals in the first, second, and third rounds of the FA
Cup, showed what a talent he is. After helping us clinch promotion
to the Football League, Leicester had a seven-figure sum accepted
for his services (a non-league record) and Jamie got the dream move
he thoroughly deserved. He is, and probably always will be, the
greatest player many say they ever saw play for Fleetwood.
And the worst…
Nick Carter
Nick Carter was shocking and I don't mean shocking in a kind way.
He couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo, he couldn't run, tackle
or pass, and had a head like a ten-bob bit.
Follow Sean on Twitter @Salmon1602