Much has been said of Everton’s number 9’s over the years, one of course stands in higher regard than most, stoically cemented in our heritage whilst simultaneously cast in bronze and keeping watch outside the Park End. No-one can touch him. But it’s 2 of our other number 9’s that I’d like to try and focus on. Namely Big Bob Latchford and equally as Big (and a few inches bigger) Duncan Ferguson. Two great forwards cast in the classic mould of leader of the line and the type of player that Evertonians over the years have showed a wonderfully loyal and unwavering adulation for.
That adulation has not gone unrewarded. Through more fallow periods in our history both these players stood out as sort of talismanic cult terrace figures and gave us something to cheer about when we slipped a little lower than out traditional standards would usually require. Bob in the 70’s and Dunc’ in the 90’s / 00’s. I confess to knowing little about the 1970’s and so Bob was, I admit, a little before my time. But I come from a long line of Evertonians and I’ve heard enough about him to know what he meant to this club. No doubt many of the wiser older heads on here such as Dario Terracotta, Khalekan, Allezfan and the like would be able to spin many a yarn about the exploits he managed to pull off in what, to me, seemed like a somewhat Moyesesque side, sort of consistently on the periphery of Euro places and with the odd semi or final here and there while other teams walked away with the honours.
The 90’s however I know all too well and although it came a little too close to disastrous, adversity breeds heroes and sure enough one came along in the form of Stirling’s favourite son. This was a time when we needed a bit of fight, some fire in our belly and whilst we had a lot of players capable of exactly that, it was not personified any more perfectly than in the form of Duncan, whose debut goal against the RS gave him a great platform from which he became etched onto our collective memory forever.
Derek Hodgson in his 1979 book The Everton Story likened Latchford to a lion stalking its prey. Duncan would’ve been a young cub back then, I wonder what Derek would’ve made of the figure of the Big Dunc waiting for his chance like some indescribable snarling beast determined to impose its will on anything that dared to oppose it. Bob looked after himself, and done the job he was paid for, he slotted. Dunc’ on the other hand liked a bevy, and going out slotting. The odd glass of red wine is supposedly good for you, but five bottles? A couple of days before your first derby match? Well it seemed to do the trick as he promptly went out and got his first goal for us (against them) and of course the legend was born. But who of these two is more of a legend?
The Everton appearances for each player are staggeringly similar in number, Latch with 268 and Dunc’on 273, but when talking of goals between the pair it’s no contest really, Latchford with 138 while Ferguson only notched 73 (incredibly Dunc’s one time strike partner Mickel Madar actually had a better goals to games ratio than Dunc but then again he had long hair and was French so there’s that).
But here’s the point in what I feel could make this a more even contest and possibly difficult to define exactly who is more deserving of the title “Everton Legend”. It’s that Duncan has something that Bob doesn’t from his time at Everton, and that’s a winners medal. I’d have loved Latchford to get loads, but he hasn’t, not one. Duncan has though. From our glorious Wembley ’95 triumph over the soon to be all conquering Manchester United team.
So does this count for more than Bob’s goals?
Could this possibly see Dunc’ edge out Bob in the terms of more appropriate Everton Legend?
Bob was the more successful Everton striker because of his goals and chunky thighs. But Ferguson was a big scary b@stard from a time when we had little else to shout about and has got his medal to show for it.
I need to know, who is the more legendary “Everton Legend”?
I’ll leave it open to debate, you decide…
lol
) the blooming thing couldn't keep up or sommat lol
