On Easter Saturday 1967, Hatters' goalscoring legend Alf Lythgoe died, aged 60, after a long illness.
Released by Crewe Alexandra for being too small, Lythgoe moved into non-league football at Whitchurch, Congleton and Sandbach before his scoring exploits with Ashton National persuaded County to sign him in the summer of 1932.
The 25-year-old opened his Stockport account with two goals in the 5-0 win against Walsall on Boxing Day, 1932 and ended the season with 19 from just 20 starts.
The following campaign his 39 league games yielded an astonishing 46 goals to which he added six more in cup competitions from five games. He notched five hat-tricks, including one in three magical minutes against Southport, which was sandwiched in between three against Darlington and four against Wrexham for the rare achievement of a hat-trick of hat-tricks from consecutive games.
Five goals against Southport on the opening day of the 1934-35 season proved he was no one-season wonder and, after ten games that had produced 15 goals, Huddersfield Town paid £3,500 to take him to Leeds Road.
Lythgoe scored on his Terriers' debut and ended the season as top scorer for Town AND County!
He hit a total of 46 goals in 79 league and cup games for Huddersfield and, whilst he was at the Yorkshire club, was selected to play for the Football League against the Irish League in 1935.
He rejoined County in March 1938 but was unable to inspire the Hatters to retain their Second Division status. Back in Division Three (North) 20 goals saw him increase his County aggregate to 110, (from 129 league and cup games), before he was surprisingly released at the end of the 1938-39 season.
The day Lythgoe passed away Bert Lister scored a hat-trick in County's 4-1 victory over Southend United as the Hatters edged closer to the Fourth Division championship ... an appropriate tribute to a goalscoring legend.
Alf Lythgoe's League Career |
|
Club |
Date Signed |
Apps |
Gls |
|
Stockport County |
June 1932 |
69 |
80 |
|
Huddersfield Town |
October 1934 |
73 |
42 |
|
Stockport County |
March 1938 |
50 |
24 |
