Military puns were the order of the day when Bobby Zamora scored his first goal for Albion.
Now the Seagulls’ long-serving marksman is poised to break a notable but little known club record.*And it could happen when Huddersfield visit the Amex today.
The veteran striker celebrated his 35th birthday in style at Blackburn by ending his club’s record-equalling six–game goal drought.
But it left him one day short of setting a new mark for longevity as an Albion goal-getter.
Zamora’s next goal will set a new record for the period of time between a player’s first and last goals for the club – at least 5,824 days.
His Ewood winner left him on 5,817 which is level with current record holder Steve Foster.*And anyone who refers to fans “saluting” their sharp-shooting hero should he strike against the Terriers will be using an apt turn of phrase.
When Zamora broke his Albion duck, on his debut at home to Plymouth on February 12, 2000, he was arguably not the main story.
Much of the talk was about ex-soldier David Cameron, a mis-firing striker from Scotland, being told he had no future at the club after being described as “useless” by the management after the previous game.
Our reporter Andy Naylor picked up that theme and ran with it – with help of reference to the cast of Dad’s Army.
Apparently manager Micky Adams was a big fan of the sitcom.
“There is a touch of Pike about Bobby Zamora, a gangly youth wet behind the ears in first team terms,” he wrote after his first view of the man who would become a club legend.
But there was a lethal instinct too as he salvaged a 1-1 draw with a header from a cross by top scorer Darren Freeman, although Jon Sheffield should have saved it.
“I set up a few of his goals!” said Freeman, now manager at Lewes.
“He was a quiet lad, quite shy. He didn’t really want to do interviews.*But you could tell he had bags of talent – even in training.
“You get lads like myself who have to work their socks off but he was just a natural.*I can’t remember his debut but I remember setting him up for one at Torquay.”
Zamora sidefooted his way into Albion’s all-time top five of league goalscorers at Blackburn.
But his early winner at Ewood Park also completed a 20-20 club.
Zamora becomes the 20th player to score 20 goals in the top two divisions for the club.*He is also the 16th to net 20 times in the second tier.
As with the all-time top five, there is scope for him to move further up the rankings between now and May.
Terry Connor leads the way as far as the second tier goes with a nice round 50 back in the 1980s.
The current Ipswich assistant manager joined the Seagulls from Leeds when they were heading for relegation from the old First Division and it was his goal which secured what is still Albion’s most recent win at that level – at home to Coventry on April 23, 1983.
Bobby Zamora scores his first goal for Albion
The preceding years had seen the Seagulls establish themselves in the top flight thanks largely to Michael Robinson (37) and Andy Ritchie (23), who scored 60 goals between them.
Ritchie moved to Leeds two months before relegation in the surprise swap deal which brought Connor south.
And what of Peter Ward, the man Zamora passed in the all-time league goal rankings on Saturday?
He is perhaps most revered for his efforts in helping Albion rise from third tier to first in the 1970s.
But, with 19 goals, he is the club’s third top scorer in the top flight and second best when it comes to the top two divisions combined.
But the ultimate would be to see him become the first Albion player to score in all four divisions.*No one has done that.
It would be the landmark to beat all landmarks – and a record-breaking goal against Huddersfield could be a small step along the way.
But thank goodness he did not score a minute or two earlier.
Simon’s pictures from an elevated position in the North Stand at Withdean hint at something out of the ordinary.
“In those days I had to leave pitchside to go and wire five pictures for the Sports Argus at half-time,” he recalled.
“I’d maybe go five minutes before half-time and get back a few minutes into the second half.”
Zamora’s header came in the 49th minute and quick-thinking Dacky snapped it while making his way back to his usual touchline spot in front of the South Stand.
The rest is history.
23: Andy Ritchie.
19: Peter Ward.
18: Gordon Smith.
33: Danny Wilson.
31: Adrian Thorne.
27: Kevin Bremner.
26: Bill Curry.
25: Garry Nelson.
24: Ashley Barnes, Robert Codner, Peter Ward.
23: Leo Ulloa.
22: Tony Nicholas.
21: Craig Mackail-Smith, Dean Saunders.
20: Bobby Laverick, Gerry Ryan, Bobby Zamora.
43: Peter Ward (19+24).
37: Michael Robinson (all first division).
33: Danny Wilson (all second division).
32: Gerry Ryan (12+20).
Original article
Now the Seagulls’ long-serving marksman is poised to break a notable but little known club record.*And it could happen when Huddersfield visit the Amex today.
The veteran striker celebrated his 35th birthday in style at Blackburn by ending his club’s record-equalling six–game goal drought.
But it left him one day short of setting a new mark for longevity as an Albion goal-getter.
Zamora’s next goal will set a new record for the period of time between a player’s first and last goals for the club – at least 5,824 days.
His Ewood winner left him on 5,817 which is level with current record holder Steve Foster.*And anyone who refers to fans “saluting” their sharp-shooting hero should he strike against the Terriers will be using an apt turn of phrase.
When Zamora broke his Albion duck, on his debut at home to Plymouth on February 12, 2000, he was arguably not the main story.
Much of the talk was about ex-soldier David Cameron, a mis-firing striker from Scotland, being told he had no future at the club after being described as “useless” by the management after the previous game.
Our reporter Andy Naylor picked up that theme and ran with it – with help of reference to the cast of Dad’s Army.
Apparently manager Micky Adams was a big fan of the sitcom.
“There is a touch of Pike about Bobby Zamora, a gangly youth wet behind the ears in first team terms,” he wrote after his first view of the man who would become a club legend.
But there was a lethal instinct too as he salvaged a 1-1 draw with a header from a cross by top scorer Darren Freeman, although Jon Sheffield should have saved it.
“I set up a few of his goals!” said Freeman, now manager at Lewes.
“He was a quiet lad, quite shy. He didn’t really want to do interviews.*But you could tell he had bags of talent – even in training.
“You get lads like myself who have to work their socks off but he was just a natural.*I can’t remember his debut but I remember setting him up for one at Torquay.”
Zamora sidefooted his way into Albion’s all-time top five of league goalscorers at Blackburn.
But his early winner at Ewood Park also completed a 20-20 club.
Zamora becomes the 20th player to score 20 goals in the top two divisions for the club.*He is also the 16th to net 20 times in the second tier.
As with the all-time top five, there is scope for him to move further up the rankings between now and May.
Terry Connor leads the way as far as the second tier goes with a nice round 50 back in the 1980s.
The current Ipswich assistant manager joined the Seagulls from Leeds when they were heading for relegation from the old First Division and it was his goal which secured what is still Albion’s most recent win at that level – at home to Coventry on April 23, 1983.
Bobby Zamora scores his first goal for Albion
The preceding years had seen the Seagulls establish themselves in the top flight thanks largely to Michael Robinson (37) and Andy Ritchie (23), who scored 60 goals between them.
Ritchie moved to Leeds two months before relegation in the surprise swap deal which brought Connor south.
And what of Peter Ward, the man Zamora passed in the all-time league goal rankings on Saturday?
He is perhaps most revered for his efforts in helping Albion rise from third tier to first in the 1970s.
But, with 19 goals, he is the club’s third top scorer in the top flight and second best when it comes to the top two divisions combined.
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But the ultimate would be to see him become the first Albion player to score in all four divisions.*No one has done that.
It would be the landmark to beat all landmarks – and a record-breaking goal against Huddersfield could be a small step along the way.
- STEVE FOSTER scored his first Albion goal in front of 23,180 fans at the Goldstone on October 27, 1979 in a 4-2 home defeat to Norwich during the club’s first season in the top flight. His last came almost 16 years later, also in Hove but before a gathering of just 5,247, in a 2-2 draw at home to Shrewsbury on September 30, 1995, as the Seagulls headed towards relegation to the basement. Bobby Zamora’s first goal came in the fourth tier and was was watched by an attendance of 5,654.
But thank goodness he did not score a minute or two earlier.
Simon’s pictures from an elevated position in the North Stand at Withdean hint at something out of the ordinary.
“In those days I had to leave pitchside to go and wire five pictures for the Sports Argus at half-time,” he recalled.
“I’d maybe go five minutes before half-time and get back a few minutes into the second half.”
Zamora’s header came in the 49th minute and quick-thinking Dacky snapped it while making his way back to his usual touchline spot in front of the South Stand.
The rest is history.
- LEADING SCORERS – TOP FLIGHT
23: Andy Ritchie.
19: Peter Ward.
18: Gordon Smith.
- LEADING SCORERS – SECOND TIER
33: Danny Wilson.
31: Adrian Thorne.
27: Kevin Bremner.
26: Bill Curry.
25: Garry Nelson.
24: Ashley Barnes, Robert Codner, Peter Ward.
23: Leo Ulloa.
22: Tony Nicholas.
21: Craig Mackail-Smith, Dean Saunders.
20: Bobby Laverick, Gerry Ryan, Bobby Zamora.
- LEADING SCORERS – TOP TWO DIVISIONS
43: Peter Ward (19+24).
37: Michael Robinson (all first division).
33: Danny Wilson (all second division).
32: Gerry Ryan (12+20).
Original article