Following on with an edited version of this that I posted on the Prediction League; Oxford United, one of my greatest memories ever was travelling up to them in the 1983-84 season, over 30 years ago... I'm sure it was an evening game, Oxford were top of the league and actually won the Old Third Division (League One) that season. The League Table for 1983-84 will show only one home defeat to Oxford United, inflicted by none other than the Mighty Gills, now not looking at the history books and just from memory, Gills snatched a very early goal, can't remember who scored, but for the rest of the game we sat back and took an absolute barrage of attacks for the remainder of the game, how we survived I will never know, but if AP wanted lessons in defensive tactics he need look no further than that game. ........ To which grumpygit replied brb I'm surprised you can't remember, it was Cavener. ok. I looked it up. ........ So i took to google based on that information, because in truth I couldn't remember the player, but it appears he played 10 times for the Gills but only scored one goal in that time. But what a goal to score against the champions of that season, who also had a good league cup run to the quarter finals before eventually being beaten by Everton (we know that feeling). So my two questions are can any other Gills fans (1) name one goal wonders of our past - and with tongue in cheek after recent Wright events, (2) does this make Cavener a legend?
Barry Cogan is another 1 goal wonder, played 16 times in the 2007/8 season. (he was a midfielder though) As for a player being a legend, my one main criteria is they have to be memorable for some reason, like you I had forgotten about Cavener.
Adam Birchall only scored 1 goal for us in 21 appearances, in a 4-0 win against Scunthorpe in the FA Cup. Such a shame his injury meant he could never really get going here. Short answer to the 2nd question - No!
Although I certainly agree Cavener was no legend, it is interesting on the difference in mentality from fans all those decades back compared to today. After all that goal was probably one of the most valuable goals in the league that season, yet compare that to say Wright in 'recent years' who scored a hat-trick of penalties, you have to question why it is players become so easily remembered or given a status. After all neither myself or grumpygit remembered who the goal scorer was back all them years against Oxford, so i would assume the power comes from social media which did not exist back in them days. Take Nelson 'England's number one' - yet you could class Ron Hillyard a greater legend but a lot of today's faithful might even say who! Interesting is all i'm saying, hence why i rarely use the legend status if at all. It's like my beef with the word hero, i even remember falling out with a certain editor once over it, surely hero is reserved for soldiers not football players? Interesting one Birchall, what could have been but never was...also i like a grumpygit's take on things in saying they have to be memorable for some reason, I wonder if asked how many supporters would actually remember Wright's vital part in Jackson's goal?
Steve Hislop who was an absolutely woeful player in the Cooper/Jepson days scorer only once. Felix Bastians on loan from Nottingham Forest scored a cracking free kick as his only goal for Gills in about 5 games. Jay McEveley scored a free kick in his period with us on loan from Blackburn which was his only goal. Charlie Daniels, another full back and another cracking free kick scored once whilst on loan from Tottenham. Anymore from obscurity?
