GiveMeSport
·7 May 2022
GiveMeSport
·7 May 2022
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 2021/22 campaign is now forever etched into footballing folklore.
Following Fulham‘s final match of the season away at Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon, which they lost 4-0, the former Newcastle striker has finished on 43 Championship goals.
To score that number of goals in the modern era is frankly absurd, especially when you remember that the previous record in the division was 31 goals, set by Brentford‘s Ivan Toney in 2020/21.
Mitrovic’s enormous tally will likely not be equalled by another player for a long, long time.
So, the question that remains is; who has managed to score more goals during a single season in one of England’s top four divisions?
Well, the answer is quite a few players.
According to a detailed document by the folks over at RSSSF, 18 players in the long history of the English game have rippled the back of the net 44 or more times in a season.
Let’s take a look at who they are…
Jimmy Cookson (Chesterfield, 1925/26) – 44 goals
Albert Whitehurst (Rochdale, 1926/27) – 44 goals
Dixie Dean (Everton, 1931-32) – 44 goals
Tom Bamford (Wrexham, 1933/34) – 44 goals
Arthur Rowley (Leicester City, 1956/57) – 44 goals
Kevin Hector (Bradford Park Avenue, 1965/66) – 44 goals
Jimmy Hampson (Blackpool, 1929/30) – 45 goals
Peter Simpson (Crystal Palace, 1930/31) – 46 goals
Derek Dooley (Sheffield Wednesday, 1951/52) – 46 goals
Alf Lythgoe (Stockport County, 1933/34) – 46 goals
David Morris (Swindon Town, 1926/27) – 47 goals
Tom Waring (Aston Villa, 1930/31) – 49 goals
Clarrie Bourton (Coventry City, 1931/32) – 49 goals
Terry Bly (Peterborough United, 1960/61) – 52 goals
Joe Payne (Luton Town, 1936/37) – 55 goals
Ted Harston (Mansfield Town, 1936/37) – 55 goals
George Camsell (Middlesbrough, 1926/27) – 59 goals
It’s been over 50 years since a player finished an English season with more goals than Mitrovic in 2021/22, the last to do so being Hector with Bradford Park Avenue in 1965/66.
Mental, right? We really watched history unfold in front of our eyes at Craven Cottage this season.
Dean’s record of 60 goals in a single season is likely to remain unbroken for the rest of the time, as that number is just beyond ridiculous.
Even the GOATs Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo