Bobby Gough

Port Vale He joined Port Vale in June 1968, when they were then in the Fourth Division. He was one of manager Gordon Lee's first signings. He scored his first senior goal on 16 September in a 3–0 win over York City at Vale Park. He added to his tally with a goal against Exeter City and also scored in both legs of Vale's FA Cup win over Shrewsbury Town. He finished the 1968–69 campaign with four goals in 42 games.

He was more prolific in the 1969–70 season, scoring nine goals in 45 league games to help the club achieve promotion in fourth place. The most notable of these goals was a effort that helped Vale to a 3–2 win at Oldham Athletic on 13 September; The Sentinel reporter Chris Harper noted that "Gough can certainly hit a ball". He coped well in the Third Division, and scored a hat-trick at the Gay Meadow on 12 September, in what finished as a 7–3 defeat for the "Valiants". By the end of the 1970–71 campaign, he shot eight goals in 37 games, including a goal against fallen giants Aston Villa. He finished the 1971–72 season as the club's top scorer with ten goals in 47 appearances after forming an effective strike partnership with Sammy Morgan.

However, in 1972–73, he was limited to two goals in 29 games, hitting the net in easy wins over Southend United and Rotherham United. Instead, Ray Williams and Sammy Morgan were forming an impressive attacking partnership, scoring 22 goals between them. Gough was dropped in November 1973 and went out on a one-month loan to struggling Fourth Division side Stockport County in December but failed to score in six appearances. He asked to leave Vale to sort out some personal problems but was persuaded to stay by new manager Roy Sproson.

Southport Southport were starting their 1974–75 campaign in the Fourth Division, having suffered relegation out of the Third Division. The club entered free-fall and had to apply for re-election at the end of 1975–76, having finished second-from-bottom in the Football League. Gough managed 16 goals in 61 league appearances for the club in his two seasons before he joined Colchester United for a £7,000 fee in January 1976.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals Walsall 1966–67 Third Division

1968–69 Fourth Division

1969–70 Fourth Division

1970–71 Third Division

1971–72 Third Division

1972–73 Third Division

1973–74 Third Division

210!!33!!15!!2!!4!!0!!229!!35 Stockport County (loan) 1973–74 Fourth Division

1974–75 Fourth Division

1975–76 Fourth Division

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1975–76 Third Division

1976–77 Fourth Division

1977–78 Third Division

1978–79 Third Division

1979–80 Third Division

1980–81 Third Division

196!!65!!21!!8!!15!!7!!232!!80

1980–81 Isthmian League Premier Division

1981–82 Isthmian League Premier Division

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499!!124!!37!!10!!37!!16!!573!!150

Honours Port Vale Football League Fourth Division 4th-place promotion: 1969–70

Colchester United Football League Fourth Division 3rd-place promotion: 1976–77