Jim Towers

Edwin James Towers (15 April 1933 – 16 September 2010) was an English professional footballer, best remembered for his time as a centre forward in the Football League with Brentford. He is the club's all-time leading goalscorer and in 2013 was voted the club's greatest ever player.

Career

Brentford

Youth years Born in Shepherd's Bush, Towers began his career as a schoolboy, playing for his local Gaumont cinema team. He frequently played against another boy, the Acton Odeon cinema team's George Francis, with whom Towers' future professional career would be intertwined. Towers was offered a professional contract in 1951, prior to departing to undertake his National Service. Towers made his professional debut on 30 August 1954 as an outside forward and made a dream start, by scoring in a 2–2 Third Division South draw with Shrewsbury Town. He was soon moved back to his natural centre forward position by Bill Dodgin and made 37 appearances and scored 16 goals during the 1954–55 season as the Bees finished in mid-table. with Towers scoring 22 goals in 41 appearances.

1958–1959 Towers' most lethal season in front of goal came in 1958–59, scoring 37 goals in 50 appearances and finishing one goal shy of Jack Holliday's goals-in-a-season record set in the 1932–33 season. Towers is the club's all-time top scorer with 163 goals in 282 games.

Queens Park Rangers Towers and Francis joined Brentford's Third Division West London rivals Queens Park Rangers in an £8,000 deal in May 1961. He fired in 16 goals in 32 appearances to help Rangers to a fourth-place finish and departed the club in August 1962.

Millwall Towers signed for Third Division club Millwall in August 1962 for a £5,000 fee. but departed in January 1963. but had an agonising end to the season after the Gills missed out on promotion with a fifth-place finish. He departed the club in July 1963.

Aldershot Towers joined Fourth Division club Aldershot in July 1963.

Gravesend & Northfleet Towers joined Southern League First Division strugglers Gravesend & Northfleet in July 1965. He undertook his National Service alongside George Francis in Germany with the Royal Irish Fusiliers and he represented the British Army of the Rhine team. He died in September 2010, after suffering with a serious illness.

Career statistics

Honours Brentford Hall of Fame