John Lennon wrote a song about it (and spoke it) but in football it signifies a team’s top scorer (usually). As we hit the 9-day mark of our Christmas countdown, we turn to the great Derby number 9’s!

RamZone team member Paul Mortimer has lovingly prepared a look at the Rams great target men that wore the number 9 regularly or in some cases, fleetingly.

With 9 days till Christmas, RamZone gave to me – Derby’s Number 9’s!:

1. 

John O’Hare was Brian Clough’s first signing for Derby County and cost just £30,000 from Sunderland. He made over 300 appearances for Derby, scored 81 goals, collecting Division Two and League Championship medals. In his last professional appearance he added a European Cup medal, as a substitute in Forest’s triumph over Hamburg.

2.

Alf Bentley, who starred for Derby between 1906 and 1911, was less than 5’ 6” tall but was one of the Rams most prolific strikers. He hit 27 goals in 1907 and the same again in 1908, and 30 in 1909-10. He hit 112 goals in just 168 Rams appearances.

3.   

Roger Davies, purchased by Brian Clough for just £12,000 from non-League Worcester City, holds the post-Bloomer Rams record for the most goals in one game, five against Luton Town in August 1976

4.

Charlie George, usually Derby’s No. 10, donned the No. 9 shirt for the first game of the 1976-77 season and scored in a 2-0 home win over Newcastle United.

5.

Harry Bedford, a great Rams No. 9 and inside-forward between 1925 and 1930, scored four goals in one game on three occasions. He later became the masseur at Derby County Cricket Club for over 20 years.

6.

Ray Straw scored 37 goals in Derby’s goal-happy 1956-7 season when they stormed to promotion from Division Three North. Derby notched 111 goals during that season.

7.

The great Jack Stamps occupied the No. 9 shirt on many occasions in Derby’s 1946 FA Cup-winning season and also donned the Nos. 8, 10 and 11 shirts during that campaign. Jack scored twice in Derby’s 4-1 (aet)  win over Charlton Athletic in that FA Cup final - but he might well have netted a hat-trick - it was his goal-bound shot that petered out on its way to the net when the ball famously burst!

8.

Kevin ‘Zak’ Hector, Derby’s greatest No. 10, was deployed as the Rams’ No.9 on (yes!) nine occasions during 1975-6 by manager Dave Mackay. Zak only scored once in that spell, he was obviously best at inside-left!

9.

Steve Howard was easily the most prolific and popular number 9 in the last decade, as his hard work and shoulder to the wheel style of play was not lost on fans. He scored regularly as the Rams finished third in 2006/07 and eventually earned promotion to the Premiership.

He was easily the Rams top scorer with 19 goals (16 league - 3 Cup), two of those were absolutely crucial in the Play-off Semi-Final first leg against Southampton. He went on to win the Jack Stamps Trophy as Derby's Player of the Season for 2006–07.

It was a sad day when he was moved down the road to Leicester but before he left managed to score one last goal for Derby. It came against Manchester United at Old Trafford - the team he supported as a child.

Not a bad way to go out!

Tomorrow: Derby Legends of the Football League

Photo: Action Images

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