United's Best Number 9's

[metalblade]

Haha the pig keeper Peter Wicks nicknamed by us Weetabix. I seem to remember old Bill was very fast and gave the Fulham defence a torrid time in a cup replay. Wasn't he signed as cover when Reece broke his leg ?

 

[LSF]

Indeed he was!
5K from Norwich and an absolute snip. That pre season we played Norwich in a friendly on the Ball Inn, it was supposed to be a 'behind closed doors' but such things didn't exist to us lads off Myrtle Road, the Ball Inn was our playground and nobody turfed us off so we watched from the touchline as United took Norwich apart and won 4-0. Mick Jones was outstanding and I remember listening to the Norwich coaching staff discussing him and saying he was the best centre forward in the country bar none.
Punton was on the left wing for Norwich and me and my mates thought this bald headed bloke who looked about 50 to us had been drafted in from off the street as Norwich were shorthanded. Bit of a shock when we signed him as stop gap for Reece but he turned out a real good replacement in the end and his goal against the unclean and his tormenting of Fulham in the 4th round replay at the Lane was particularly memorable.

 

[Mad Mick]

From memory he was also about 5 foot tall. I remember the goal against the pigs I was also on the kop. Great days.

 

[Grecian2000]

Punton was on the left wing for Norwich and me and my mates thought this bald headed bloke who looked about 50 to us had been drafted in from off the street

To be fair to Bill, looking back at the team photo's of the era, most of the squad looked in their forties!

Baldies were few and far between as sportsmen in the sixties and long before the fashion for shaving it all off. Punton and Kettleborough were a rare breed for us. Throw in Brian Close for Yorkshire, young Buxton (who had alepesha) for Derbyshire and Arnie Long the erstwhile Surrey wicketkeeper who astonished us all by taking his cap off one sunny day to reveal a bald pate, and that just about does it. Even Bobby Charlton used to disguise his baldness with a comb over!

 

[Slugger]

On the evening of March 11th 1992, Mr Robert Davidson wore the number 9 jersey.

 

[Pinchy]

He scored twice in that Fulham replay; not tap-ins either!

As to famous bald players: Andy Lockhead, Peter Noble and don't forget the greatest of them all - the legendary Neville Davitt.

 

[Silent Blade]

Besr United number 9 for each decade

1900s- Arthur Brown
1910s- Joe Kitchen
1920s - Harry Johnson
1930s -Jimmy Dunne and Jock Dodds
1940s- No one stood out in that decade
1950s- Doc Pace
1960s- Mick Jones
1970s- billy Dearden
1980s- Keith Edwards
1990s- Brian Deane

Harry Johnson scored the most but Jimmy Dunne had the better goal ratio

 

[kingston RAWW]

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