There is a bloke from Bradford who goes in my pub. When there was a discussion about favourite footballers he said Kevin Hector. I remember him but the younger ones looked baffled. He said you could tell how good he thought he was because although he is a Bradford City fan he used to go to Bradford Park Avenue games just to watch him. I didn’t remember him from then but from his days at Derby County where I think he is still the holder of the record for the most appearances.
His achievements demonstrate just how lost England football got in the 1970s given that he only received 2 England caps. One of which was as an 88th minute substitute in the 1973 game against Poland. And he then managed to beat that clown Jan Tomaszewski but not, unfortunately, the defender on the line. Bit like that Saturday night last month against France, I remember just sitting infront of the telly as the final whistle went and thinking 'I can't believe we've not won that game'.
Hector was a remarkable player. 783 senior appearances in all competitions and 324 goals. Four goals in the European Cup in 1972/73. 45 goals in 49 starts during the 1965/66 season (Bradford finished 11th!), one of which was against Hull City in the FA Cup First Round. Played in the non-leagues into his mid-40s.
I have heard that claimed a few times but, as OLM says he was born in Leeds. In season 1965–66, whilst playing for Bradford Park Avenue, he scored 44 league goals in a single 46-game league season[6]plus 6 goals in the first 4 league games of the following season prior to his transfer to Derby. Just think, we were on the crest of a wave then promotion and large crowds. We would have been a better proposition than Derby, though as you know, their support at the Baseball Ground was brilliant, Of course Brian Clough took over at Derby and within 5 years they were promoted and won had won the League. Derby are one of only 10 clubs to have competed in every season of the Football League since it’s inception in 1888. Maybe shortening names work. They were originally known as Derbyshire County AFC but it was thought too long and it was shortened to Derby County.
Quite possibly true that Derby were after Waggy at the same time they signed Hector in September 1966, but it wasn't Clough - he took over a year later.
Cloughy definitely tapped up waggy It was in the book no one ever says thank you but obviously not about hector I think it was maybe John O’Hare
No. Kevin Hector joined Derby the season before Clough took over. He certainly wanted Waggy. Me and a couple of mates were talking to him on a station on the way back from an away match where we had to change trains in 1971 or 1972 and he told us, adding in a typical Cloughie way that if he had signed him he would have played for a England. It was rumoured that Needler offered Waggy financial inducements in the way of shares in his company but Waggy didn’t take much persuading because he was happy here and didn’t want a move. (He might after seeing what Derby achieved in the next 7 seasons, winning promotion and the First Division twice, once with Cloughie in charge and again the season after Clough left and they had signed Francis Lee. )
A remarkable run, as I posted later, was his run of games for Bradford the season before his transfer to Derby and then his first 4 games for Derby which meant he had scored 50 goals in 50 league appearances.
And Wigan wish they had the level of support we get. There'll always be someone bigger and better, no point worrying about it.
I am comparing similar places. Derby and Hull have very similar populations but they are averaging just under 10,000 more than us in a division lower. Of course they are helped by not being daft enough to have 2 rugby league clubs in their city. Wigan is less than half the size of Hull with a host of top flight clubs within an easy distance so wouldn’tbexpecttohave crowds as large as ours And, of course, they are, like us a rugby town.
