“On February 18, Rangers defeated St Johnstone 3-0, and James Tavernier scored twice to increase his career total for the team to 120. Is this a record for a full-back in terms of goals scored for one club, not for a lifetime? or even a protector?”Derek Robertson queries.
Over the weekend, an odd event happened.James Tavernier did not register a point as the Rangers defeated the Hearts 5-0. With at least 18 goals in each of the past four seasons and a staggering 120 goals since joining Rangers from Wigan Athletic in 2015, he has been their most consistent goal scorer in recent years.
We looked far and wide, and we really appreciate Pete Tomlin’s advice, but we were unable to locate a full-back who had scored more goals for his team than Tavernier. Since some of the numbers differ significantly between sources, we have chosen the one we believe to be the most trustworthy. You’ll understand the gist.
A CLUB’S MOST PROLIFIC FULL-BACKS
120 James Tavernier (since 2015–) Rangers
105Nelinho (1973–82) in Cruzeiro
101Manny Kaltz (1971–89, Hamburg)
88Stuart Pearce (1985–1997 Nottingham Forest)
691996–2007, Roberto Carlos, Real Madrid
Real Madrid icon Fernando Hierro beats Tavernier in men’s football if all defenders are included. We believe Hierro played in midfield for several of his 127 goals. Despite our loneliness these days, we still find it difficult to watch all 120-odd Madrid matches to figure out what position he was playing at the time of each goal. The majority, if not all, of the goals that France great Wendy Renard scored for Lyon—who give her credit for 124 goals for the club and an additional 36 for her country—came when she was a center-back while she was playing.
A CLUB’S MOST PROLIFIC DEFENDERS
Ferdinando Hierro (Real Madrid, 1989–2003) 129
124Wendie Renard (born in Lyon in 2006)
120 James Tavernier (since 2015–) Rangers
105 Nelinho (from 1973–82) in Cruzeiro
102Edgardo Bauza (1977–82, 1986–89) at Rosario Central
101Daniel Passarella (River Plate, 1974–81), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, 2005–21), and Manny Kaltz (Hamburg, 1971–89)
Paul Breitner, who scored 109 goals for Bayern Munich in two stints, has been left off the list since he mostly played midfield. Let’s not watch them all at once.
While we’re here, let’s address a subject that no one asked but which ought to be addressed: is Tavernier the highest-scoring full-back in football history? To put it plainly, no, yet he’s among the best.
Tavernier is expected to surpass Bradford City boss Graham Alexander in the near future. Alexander’s skill with penalties allowed him to score 131 goals during his career. However, Tavernier will have to wait a few more seasons to catch up to the man who tops the list: Nelinho is a Brazilian right-back who made spectacular use of the outside of his right foot during the 1970s and 1980s. If you’ve never heard of him before, this is a good place to start.
Nelinho is credited with 141 goals by the International Federation of Football Statistics & History, but this figure is unclear because it only includes games from the top division. The 20th-century Brazilian football is a statto’s worst nightmare. 180 goals is one source, 165 goals is another. Many sources agree that he scored 105 goals for Cruzeiro; therefore, we have calculated that he scored 170 goals in total during his career.
FULL-BACKS (CLUB AND COUNTRY) WITH THE MOST CAREER GOALS
170* Nelinho
Graham Alexander, 131
128 Carlos Roberto and James Tavernier
110 Manny Kaltz
105 Stuart Pearce
The same records
“Hibs and Aberdeen shared the same record after 25 games in the Scottish Premiership season: W6 D9 L10 F31 A41 Pts 27. Matt Guthrie asks, “What’s the latest point in a season that two clubs have had identical records?”
Carl O’Reilly sneers, “The end of the season is the answer.” “After a lot of tiresome Wikipedia searches, I eventually located one from the top division of English football, among many teams with very identical records. My beloved Blackburn Rovers ended the 1907–08 Division One season with the same record as Woolwich Arsenal.
That’s the only example of a season ending that any of you could locate. However, Dirk Maas, a Knowledge regular, submitted a few examples of teams who had the same number of wins, draws, and losses at the end but different goals for, goals against, and points.
Bundesliga 1978–1980
Belgium’s First Class 1983–1984
The other two were the Bundesliga of 1999–2000 (Schalke and Eintracht Frankfurt) and the Prima_Divisão of 1996–97 (Maritimo and Estrela da Amadora).
Completing the 92
According to Andy Pechey, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu has played in 85 of the 92 venues in the top four divisions throughout his (and Luton’s) ascent up the pyramid.Is this a record, or has someone completed all 92, or even more? Any means of obtaining a complete set is acceptable to me, but all the fuss over new fields and teams that were in the 92 at the time but were demoted is too.
To start, let me share a modest brag from Michael Pilcher. He comments, “It reminds me of the honorary members page on the Ninety Two Club website, which I just checked, when I gloriously completed the 92 myself back in April 2017 and signed up for it.” As I quote, “it was essential that should any honorary memberships be offered then they should only be to those within the game who could be proved to have qualified under the same conditions as existing members,” I assume the NTC performed the arithmetic for this. Two names are mentioned: Duncan Forbes (with Norwich in 1981) and Alan Durban (with Shrewsbury in 1976).
Trevor Hockey, a former Wales international, is said to have completed all 92 grounds by the age of 25, which is rather amazing. Tommy Widdrington, the journeyman midfielder who is currently manager of Aldershot Town and is most known for his stint at Southampton, played at 92 league grounds. We have a fantastic reason to share this video of him making a slightly mistimed tackle during an FA Cup match at Port Vale.
Lee Dixon, Steve Finnan, Robbie James, and Dave Beasant were among the other recommendations. Dixon, who played at 91, and Craven Cottage, the odd man out, are our picks for the closest players. When Fulham was promoted to the Premier League in 2001—turning out to be Dixon’s final season—glory beckoned, but he was injured and missed Arsenal’s trip.
What does a number mean?
Liam McCormack writes, “Jayden Danns entered the game as a substitute for Liverpool, wearing shirt number 76.”Is that shirt number the highest that has ever been seen in a cup final? In the United Kingdom? In Wembley? Around the globe?
Porto, under José Mourinho, would like to respond to this question with two fingers up. Benni McCarthy (77) and Vitor Baía (No. 99) played in the Champions League final against Monaco when they won it in 2004. In their last-16 match against Manchester United, Roy Keane may have won due to Vitor Baía’s unconventional shirt number.
However, Danns’ number might set a record for a significant English cup final. The best matchup we could locate was Harvey Elliott (67), a player for Liverpool against Chelsea in 2022.
Archive of Knowledge
“At the bar the other evening, a friend of mine boldly asserted that he had heard of a match being postponed over thirty times. Is he flirting with me?In 2006, Jonathan Gainter was asked.
Jonathan’s pal said it like it was. There were no less than 29 postponements required for the Scottish Cup second-round match between Inverness Thistle and Falkirk back in the bitter cold of 1979. The clubs had to wait 47 days after the game was originally scheduled for January 6th before the Kings Mills ground was finally deemed playable on February 22nd. Four goals in the first half helped Falkirk secure their place in the third round when the match finally took place. But due to the 71-day gap between Falkirk’s victory and the second-round draw, Billy Little’s team had to travel to Dundee for the third round, which took place just three days later and resulted in a late penalty ending their cup run.
Even with these 29 incredible postponements, the tie is nevertheless overshadowed by a Scottish Cup match that happened 16 years prior, when extremely cold temperatures again severely disrupted the schedule — not only in Scotland but throughout the entire United Kingdom. The weather postponed almost 400 English league and cup matches, forcing both sides of the border to prolong the season by one month. As one FA Cup third-round match between Lincoln and Coventry finally happened on the sixteenth try, the match between Airdrie and Stranraer was busy breaking a British record with thirty-three postponements. Airdrie won 3-0, making it their 34th consecutive lucky win.
It should be noted that 1962–1963 was not the worst day for domestic cancellations. The only game out of 56 wartime league matches to beat the weather occurred on February 3, 1940, earning that honor. Plymouth took full advantage of their opportunity in the spotlight, crushing Bristol City 10-3.
Interactive: Are you able to assist?
Given that Sheffield United and Burnley only have 13 points apiece, it’s probable that their combined point total won’t be enough to retain them in the lead. Has anything similar ever occurred? Crispin Leyser wonders.
This season, Neil Harris has managed in three different divisions inside the same nation: League One (Cambridge), League Two (Gillingham), and Championship (Millwall). Tom Aldous queries, “Has any other manager managed this or managed more in a single season?”
Harry Melrose, a Scottish player who passed away last week at the age of 88, occasionally scored four, five, and six goals in a match, but never three. Has anyone else carried out this action? David Warriston wonders.
Though they have scored the fewest goals in the division with 32 goals in 34 games, Gillingham is currently in a playoff spot in League Two. Has the team with the lowest score ever been promoted? Chris Matterface muses.
While searching the Iranian Pro League, I discovered two teams that, although having a total score of 15 goals in 32 games, were not in the relegation zone. Paykan has only one victory from 16 games and is still three teams below Foolad, who have only managed to win four of their 16 games. What is the least that a team has accomplished to avoid being demoted? Elliot Carr-Barnsley continues.
Mahon Murphy questions, “Have two goalkeepers from the same club ever been on opposing sides in a penalty shootout?”
Which team has been demoted the quickest after winning the European championship? The boys at the Star & Dragon Pub in Carbondale ask, “And have any players gone from being European champions to being relegated with the same club (without playing for another club between becoming winners and losers)?”
“The total home vs away score in the round of Premier League games from February 17–19 was 10–24. Has Team Away ever won a bigger match in a premier European league than this one? Will Turland queries.
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