One for the stats men - John Marquis 40 goals

[1879Rovers]

His brace at MK Dons takes his tally to 40 goals in 93 appearances.

What is his ratio compared to others that have reached 40 goals for the club?

[dknward2]

14 goals for him this season with 6 left to play maybe a bit too much to do to get to 20 but a good return to say he has struggled to have a proper strike partner.

[Dutch Uncle]

I reckon there are 50 players in Rovers history who have scored 30 or more goals in all competitions. John Marquis’ strike rate of 0.430 goals per game would put him 14th on this list. Those over 0.400 are:

1.   Tom Keetley: 186 goals in 241 appearances at 0.772 goals per game
2.   Clarrie Jordan 50 in 67 @ 0.746
3.   Colin Booth: 62 in 101 @ 0.614
4.   Laurie Sheffield: 48 in 65 @ 0.565
5.   Ronnie Dodd: 39 in 70 @ 0.557
6.   Peter Doherty: 60 in 110 @ 0.545
7.   Reg Baines: 43 in 81 @ 0.531
8.   Tony Leighton: 46 in 88 @ 0.523
9.   Alick Jeffrey: 139 in 295 @ 0.471
10.   Mike Kilhoury: 33 in 70 @ 0.471
11.   Albert Turner: 54 in 122 @ 0.443
12.   Eddie Perry: 45 in 102 @ 0.441
13.   Billy Sharp: 45 in 102 @ 0.441
14.   John Marquis: 40 in 93 @ 0.430
15.   Peter Kitchen: 105 in 256 @ 0.410
16.   Paul Barnes: 36 in 88 @ 0.409

Six of those are pre WW2, and none of the top 12 have played since 1970 reflecting the more defensive modern era of football.

Other more recent strikers rates are Heffernan 0.338, Blundell 0.327, Chris Brown 0.277, Hayter 0.218

Bottom of the whole list of 50 is Fred Emery with 31 in 438 appearances at 0.071, just below a certain James Coppinger with 65 in 572 at 0.114.

So JM is behind only Billy Sharp since 1970.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Still doesn’t score enough.

Bloody shite Cusack.

[chrisd_123]

I reckon there are 50 players in Rovers history who have scored 30 or more goals in all competitions. John Marquis’ strike rate of 0.430 goals per game would put him 14th on this list. Those over 0.400 are:

1.   Tom Keetley: 186 goals in 241 appearances at 0.772 goals per game
2.   Clarrie Jordan 50 in 67 @ 0.746
3.   Colin Booth: 62 in 101 @ 0.614
4.   Laurie Sheffield: 48 in 65 @ 0.565
5.   Ronnie Dodd: 39 in 70 @ 0.557
6.   Peter Doherty: 60 in 110 @ 0.545
7.   Reg Baines: 43 in 81 @ 0.531
8.   Tony Leighton: 46 in 88 @ 0.523
9.   Alick Jeffrey: 139 in 295 @ 0.471
10.   Mike Kilhoury: 33 in 70 @ 0.471
11.   Albert Turner: 54 in 122 @ 0.443
12.   Eddie Perry: 45 in 102 @ 0.441
13.   Billy Sharp: 45 in 102 @ 0.441
14.   John Marquis: 40 in 93 @ 0.430
15.   Peter Kitchen: 105 in 256 @ 0.410
16.   Paul Barnes: 36 in 88 @ 0.409

Six of those are pre WW2, and none of the top 12 have played since 1970 reflecting the more defensive modern era of football.

Other more recent strikers rates are Heffernan 0.338, Blundell 0.327, Chris Brown 0.277, Hayter 0.218

Bottom of the whole list of 50 is Fred Emery with 31 in 438 appearances at 0.071, just below a certain James Coppinger with 65 in 572 at 0.114.

So JM is behind only Billy Sharp since 1970.

Of all that Copps has done for this club, am I wrong in being slightly disappointed in the amount of goals he's scored for us?

Or is that number about average for a player of his type?

[drfc1951]

Good to see my first Rovers hero on there,Tony Leighton

[Dutch Uncle]

Chris - it is difficult to find someone to compare Copps with - a creative midfielder without too many defensive duties but not a striker, and who was with us long enough to make a comparison worthwhile - say over 100 appearances. Jamie Paterson is the nearest I can come up with, but then 12 of Paterson's 37 goals were penalties (only 3 of Copps 65 have been penalties). Taking away penalties Paterson's goals came at 0.212, so about twice that of Copps.

Me - I have trouble finding any sentence with the words Coppinger and disappointment in it.**

Any other ideas for a comparison?

** Edit: unless we are talking about Stephen Coppinger, the nearly well known South African squash international........ 

[sheffield exile1]

Not saying who mine was but he was also from Mexborough,  "walked on water, na na na na na na na na" and partnered big Bren...

[chrisd_123]

Chris - it is difficult to find someone to compare Copps with - a creative midfielder without too many defensive duties but not a striker, and who was with us long enough to make a comparison worthwhile - say over 100 appearances. Jamie Paterson is the nearest I can come up with, but then 12 of Paterson's 37 goals were penalties (only 3 of Copps 65 have been penalties). Taking away penalties Paterson's goals came at 0.212, so about twice that of Copps.

Me - I have trouble finding any sentence with the words Coppinger and disappointment in it.**

Any other ideas for a comparison?

** Edit: unless we are talking about Stephen Coppinger, the nearly well known South African squash international........ 

Maybe disappointed is the wrong word!

I think with Copps, he, quite rightly, is worshipped my the majority if not all Rovers fans, myself included.

But does that love of him make us maybe expect more from him? So in this case, I'd expect him to have had more goals if that makes sense?

Maybe not disappointing then but as he's been here longer than probably 10% of our fan base have been alive, it's a stat I look at and think "Oh, only that many goals?"

[NickDRFC]

If Copps has more of an end product he wouldn’t have made anything like as many appearances for us - he’d have been playing for much better teams for much of his career

[selby]

 A very clever footballer, played wide left, fans were split as to how important he was for us, similar skills and vision, probably played before his time, Albert Broadbent.

[idler]

Yogi was always good to watch and could hit a ball as well. Underrated by a lot of people.
Warming up at the town end before one game the fans were giving him a bit of banter and he turned round bent down and dropped his shorts in the direction of said home fans. Laughs all round and no complaints. Those were the days.

[1879Rovers]

Thanks DU. I knew you would give me the answers.

[Woodhead Passer]

Does anyone know how many assists Copps has got? I'm sure that'll be much higher than his goal ratio.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I think you might be surprised.

Last figures I saw, Coppinger’s golden season for assists was 04/05, with 11. But then he was an out and out winger then.

O’Driscoll turned him into a more rounded playmaker and his role for a decade has been to help us control games. But rarely to provide the bullets to kill off an opposition.

 I’d be surprised if he’s got many more assists than goals. But he’s been vital to the successes we’ve had all the same. And more than all of that, he reminds you of why you love football. He does things that not one of us could do and he makes it look so beautifully simple that you can’t imagine why everyone shouldn’t be able to do it. It’s been a privilege to be on the ride with him.

Gives us one more vintage year next season and then you can hang up the boots.

[Donny Exile in York]

I don't think no Rovers striker since 1970s being in the top 10 or 12 reflects just defensive football.. it also reflects how badly we have been at recruiting and or developing a top quality striker at any level or league for such a long time.. in fact until Sharp and Marquis and at conference level Paul Barnes we have been consistently over 40+ years absolutely dreadful. We have traditionally defended better and conceded less than we have been successful as a goal scoring team..

As a comparison take Scunny.. even since the early 90s they've consistently not been so great defensively and shipped goals but from Tony Daws and Andy Flounders to Billy Sharp and Andy Keogh, from Martin Patterson to Gary Hooper our what I would say are smaller sized neighbours and rivals have recruited or developed strikers alot better than us. Question is.. Why And how?!

[Dutch Uncle]

Good comments DEiY, and I agree in general, with a couple of noble exceptions, Cramb and Graeme Jones maybe to add to Heffernan, Blundell, Hayter and Brown.

[Wiltshire Exile]

Good to see my first Rovers hero on there,Tony Leighton

Ah, the great Tony Leighton! I remember him playing for the Reserves against Stockport County Res. sometime in the early '60's. Rovers won 6-0......................and he scored the bl**dy lot.Yes, really! The visitors applauded him off at the end. Happy days, eh? 

P.S.
Dutch U.: Anything on your stats regarding this feat?

[Dutch Uncle]

Good to see my first Rovers hero on there,Tony Leighton

Ah, the great Tony Leighton! I remember him playing for the Reserves against Stockport County Res. sometime in the early '60's. Rovers won 6-0......................and he scored the bl**dy lot.Yes, really! The visitors applauded him off at the end. Happy days, eh? 

P.S.
Dutch U.: Anything on your stats regarding this feat?

All I have Wilts is the club handbook of 1960-61 reporting on the 1959-60 season. As well as scoring 15 goals in 26 Division 4 appearances that season, Tony Leighton also scored 14 goals in 16 games for the reserves, including as you say all 6 at Home to Stockport reserves on 30 January 1960. 14 of Leighton's 15 Division 4 goals came in 16 appearances after 30 January, so that was obviously a big turning point for him (and Rovers who climbed the table out of the Re-election places).

[Wiltshire Exile]

Good to see my first Rovers hero on there,Tony Leighton

Ah, the great Tony Leighton! I remember him playing for the Reserves against Stockport County Res. sometime in the early '60's. Rovers won 6-0......................and he scored the bl**dy lot.Yes, really! The visitors applauded him off at the end. Happy days, eh? 

P.S.
Dutch U.: Anything on your stats regarding this feat?

All I have Wilts is the club handbook of 1960-61 reporting on the 1959-60 season. As well as scoring 15 goals in 26 Division 4 appearances that season, Tony Leighton also scored 14 goals in 16 games for the reserves, including as you say all 6 at Home to Stockport reserves on 30 January 1960. 14 of Leighton's 15 Division 4 goals came in 16 appearances after 30 January, so that was obviously a big turning point for him (and Rovers who climbed the table out of the Re-election places).

Brilliant, Dutch! Many thanks.

Am I right in thinking that after Tony L. left us. he finished his career at Huddersfield Town?

[Dutch Uncle]

Not quite Wilts. After leaving us for Barnsley, he did then go to Huddersfield for 4 years, but then had a couple of years at Bradford City after that. He remained a regular goalscorer everywhere he went.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Leighton

I didn't realise he died early aged 38 with Motor Neurone disease. RIP Tony.

[Wiltshire Exile]

Not quite Wilts. After leaving us for Barnsley, he did then go to Huddersfield for 4 years, but then had a couple of years at Bradford City after that. He remained a regular goalscorer everywhere he went.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Leighton

I didn't realise he died early aged 38 with Motor Neurone disease. RIP Tony.

Thanks again for this info. Dutch.

I was aware that he had died at a young age but not as young as 38. Very sad.

R.I.P. Tony.

[idler]

If I remember right he ended his days either midfield or centre half at City.
I remember wondering how we could let him go with his record. I'm sure that there was a story in the paper saying that he was in tears when the Rovers released him. I think that it was Oscar Hold that came in and got rid of most of the old side.

[Donny Exile in York]

Good comments DEiY, and I agree in general, with a couple of noble exceptions, Cramb and Graeme Jones maybe to add to Heffernan, Blundell, Hayter and Brown.

Point taken about Cramb. A shining striking light in a barren 90s striker abyss.. with his 21 in all competitions one year.. even Greame Jones, David Jones and Johnny Muir didn't score as many as their ability at div 4 level should have done, loved them all though!

[roversdude]

Now if only David Jones hadn’t had a coming together with a baseball bat, what could he have achieved

[Donny Exile in York]

Now if only David Jones hadn’t had a coming together with a baseball bat, what could he have achieved

Very true, he'd of took us up, and helped Johnny Muir get over 20 goals for sure.