WarsawPact wrote:Don Penn wasn't much taller than Buckley - and most of that was taken up by Penn's afro!
Buck still scored 18 goals that season.
The season that Buckley scored 18 goals, 79/80 he had big Roy McDonough alongside him. McDonough was one of football's hard men, according to Wikipedia he was sent off 21 times in his career, 13 times in the Football League. As far as I can recall Penn played either "in the hole" or on the wing in that season, wearing the number 7 shirt, and shirt numbers meant more in those days. Wherever he played he did score 26 goals that season - but how many of them were thanks to McDonough taking the heat from the defenders I cannot say.
73/74 Buckley with Andrews and Shinton: 24 goals
74/75 Buckley with Andrews and Wright: 27 goals
75/76 Buckley with Andrews and Wright: 35 goals
76/77 Buckley with Andrews and Wright: 23 goals
77/78 Buckley with Alf Wood and Terry Austin: 29 goals
78/79 Buckley went to B'ham City after scoring 8 goals in 16 matches alongside Terry Austin and Roy McDonough.
79/80 Buckley with Roy McDonough and Don Penn: 18 goals
80/81 Buckley only had McDonough for some matches, the rest of the time with Rees or Penn: 13 goals
81/82 Buckley with Don Penn: 7 goals
82/83 Buckley with Olly Kearns and Kevin Summerfield: 15 goals
After that season although only aged 32 he rarely started another match, concentrating on managing the side.
I think those stats support my argument, while he was a natural goalscorer who could score alongside a smaller player, that to be his most effective Buckley needed a big forward alongside him.