AUGUST 8th

August 8th 2006: 

The 1st and 500,000th LEAGUE GOAL-POSSIBLY?

Well here is the 500,000th goal-a belter: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2147109438656142 

This goal was scored in the 78th minute by Gary Taylor Fletcher, for Huddersfield Town against Yorkshire rivals, Rotherham United, in a 3-0 win at the Galpharm on the 8th August 2006. It was the 500,000th Football League goal.  At the end of the previous season, the goals' tally stood at 499,855 goals from 171,599 fixtures.

The 400,000th goal was scored on 29th August 1987.

The 300,000th on 24/8/68   200,000th on 8/2/52   100,000th on 5/10/29 but no-body knows who! 

With the Football League founded in 1888, the first goal scored was claimed by Gershom Cox of Aston Villa on September 8th 1888*, an own goal after 31 minutes, in a 1-1 draw with Midland rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Team mate, Tom Green saved his blushes with a later equaliser.  The Midland Evening News, published the day before, showed the kick off time to be 3.30pm. So we assume this goal was scored at 4.01pm. In those days certainly not any earlier, with crowds (mainly men) having to get to the game after work, eat dinner, travel and beer maybe, then queue at turnstiles to get in?

Knowing that the landmark goal was likely to be scored on that day, there was a trophy made ready for presentation. "The Times" newspaper recorded the event with a single sentence. A match between a Canadian touring team and Glasgow Rangers on the same day, was given 3 sentences! 

* Some records claim that Jack Gordon of PNE (below) scored the first goal against Burnley on his debut at Deepdale, on August 8th, in a 5-2 victory. Although I have found a source that says he scored the second goal after 3 minutes! He played in 20 of his club's 22 league games that season.

Team mate, Fred Dewhurst, the captain of Preston, (below) played for the club that was later to be known as "The Invincibles". He scored in the 2nd minute of that match, but records show that the game kicked off, late, at 3.50pm. So that was 3.52pm. 

Preston went on to be unbeaten that season. And then I find this...

.......according to this plaque, Kenny scored the first League goal for Bolton Wanderers, in a 3-6 defeat to Derby County at 3.47pm, the kick off was at 3.45pm. In that season, Kenny played in all 22 League games that season, scoring 11 goals. 

Just to make up for a missed couple of BLOGS due to a family occasion, here's a list of every season's Football League goals scored, ranked by most goals scored PER GAME. 1888-9 marked the first season of the F.L.

#	Season	goals	Matches	Ø goals
1	1889/1890	611	132	4.6288
2	1888/1889	586	132	4.4394
3	1891/1892	777	182	4.2692
4	1890/1891	554	132	4.1970
5	1930/1931	1823	462	3.9459
6	1893/1894	939	240	3.9125
7	1892/1893	936	240	3.9000
8	1894/1895	917	240	3.8208
9	1927/1928	1765	462	3.8203
10	1929/1930	1758	462	3.8052
11	1931/1932	1727	462	3.7381
12	1960/1961	1724	462	3.7316
13	1957/1958	1721	462	3.7251
14	1925/1926	1703	462	3.6861
15	1958/1959	1692	462	3.6623
16	1928/1929	1688	462	3.6537
17	1934/1935	1677	462	3.6299
18	1926/1927	1668	462	3.6104
19	1932/1933	1645	462	3.5606
20	1953/1954	1626	462	3.5195
21	1959/1960	1618	462	3.5022
22	1956/1957	1612	462	3.4892
23	1961/1962	1582	462	3.4242
24	1954/1955	1572	462	3.4026
25	1963/1964	1571	462	3.4004
26	1935/1936	1556	462	3.3680
27	1936/1937	1555	462	3.3658
28	1895/1896	807	240	3.3625
29	1964/1965	1543	462	3.3398
30	1962/1963	1536	462	3.3247
31	1955/1956	1529	462	3.3095
32	1933/1934	1524	462	3.2987
33	1946/1947	1513	462	3.2749
34	1905/1906	1242	380	3.2684
35	1952/1953	1508	462	3.2641
36	1951/1952	1490	462	3.2251
37	1914/1915	1201	380	3.1605
38	1965/1966	1457	462	3.1537
39	1909/1910	1194	380	3.1421
40	1896/1897	751	240	3.1292
41	1908/1909	1185	380	3.1184
42	1937/1938	1430	462	3.0952
43	1907/1908	1176	380	3.0947
44	1938/1939	1418	462	3.0693
45	1903/1904	939	306	3.0686
46	1950/1951	1413	462	3.0584
47	1912/1913	1153	380	3.0342
48	1967/1968	1398	462	3.0260
49	1906/1907	1148	380	3.0211
50	1897/1898	724	240	3.0167
51	1966/1967	1387	462	3.0022
52	1904/1905	904	306	2.9542
53	1947/1948	1343	462	2.9069
54	1913/1914	1103	380	2.9026
55	1902/1903	885	306	2.8922
56	1919/1920	1332	462	2.8831
57	1898/1899	868	306	2.8366
58	2018/2019	1072	380	2.8211
59	1948/1949	1303	462	2.8203
60	2011/2012	1066	380	2.8053
61	2016/2017	1064	380	2.8000
62	1899/1900	856	306	2.7974
63	2010/2011	1063	380	2.7974
64	2012/2013	1063	380	2.7974
65	1900/1901	855	306	2.7941
66	1999/2000	1060	380	2.7895
67	1984/1985	1288	462	2.7879
68	1985/1986	1288	462	2.7879
69	1911/1912	1057	380	2.7816
70	2009/2010	1053	380	2.7711
71	2013/2014	1052	380	2.7684
72	1920/1921	1276	462	2.7619
73	1990/1991	1049	380	2.7605
74	1901/1902	840	306	2.7451
75	1982/1983	1264	462	2.7359
76	2019/2020	1034	380	2.7211
77	1983/1984	1250	462	2.7056
78	1910/1911	1028	380	2.7053
79	2015/2016	1026	380	2.7000
80	1949/1950	1247	462	2.6991
81	2020/2021	1024	380	2.6947
82	1921/1922	1244	462	2.6926
83	1997/1998	1019	380	2.6816
84	2017/2018	1018	380	2.6789
85	1977/1978	1231	462	2.6645
86	2003/2004	1012	380	2.6632
87	1975/1976	1230	462	2.6623
88	1980/1981	1228	462	2.6580
89	1992/1993	1222	462	2.6450
90	2007/2008	1002	380	2.6368
91	1978/1979	1217	462	2.6342
92	2001/2002	1001	380	2.6342
93	2002/2003	1000	380	2.6316
94	1922/1923	1215	462	2.6299
95	1986/1987	1215	462	2.6299
96	1968/1969	1213	462	2.6255
97	1974/1975	1213	462	2.6255
98	1969/1970	1212	462	2.6234
99	2000/2001	992	380	2.6105
100	1995/1996	988	380	2.6000
101	1989/1990	986	380	2.5947
102	1993/1994	1195	462	2.5866
103	1994/1995	1195	462	2.5866
104	1924/1925	1192	462	2.5801
105	2004/2005	975	380	2.5658
106	2014/2015	975	380	2.5658
107	1976/1977	1183	462	2.5606
108	1996/1997	970	380	2.5526
109	1991/1992	1174	462	2.5411
110	1981/1982	1173	462	2.5390
111	1988/1989	962	380	2.5316
112	1998/1999	959	380	2.5237
113	1971/1972	1160	462	2.5108
114	1972/1973	1160	462	2.5108
115	1979/1980	1159	462	2.5087
116	1987/1988	1049	420	2.4976
117	2005/2006	944	380	2.4842
118	2008/2009	942	380	2.4789
119	1923/1924	1143	462	2.4740
120	2006/2007	931	380	2.4500
121	1973/1974	1107	462	2.3961
122	1970/1971	1089	462	2.3571
Totals		146977	49430	Ø 2.97

And on this day in 2009.......to lose at home in your first League match of the season is bad enough but to lose 1-7 at home against traditionally ‘junior’ neighbours is a disaster as Norwich City found in their opening League 1 fixture of the 2009/10 season against Colchester United at Carrow Road. Norwich manager Bryan Gunn lost his job within a week and was replaced by Colchester manager Paul Lambert, with Norwich later winning the return match at Colchester 5-0 and taking the League 1 title. It’s funny old game!