It’s often said that successful teams need defenders and midfielders to regularly chip in with their fair share of goals to back up the output of the forwards.
However, the requirement to spread goals around the team is not really a big issue if there’s an Alan Shearer or Tommy Briggs up front scoring 30-plus goals per season – just get the ball to them instead!
The individual contribution of Sammie Szmodics this season has been truly exceptional, especially considering he’s not even been playing as conventional striker. A first half hat-trick against Cambridge in the FA Cup saved Rovers from embarrassment and opened his cup account.
His 16 league goals in 25 matches have put him clear as the Championship’s top goalscorer, but also on a very high proportion of Rovers’ total goals (39).
Following the Rotherham game on New Year’s Day, he currently sits inside the top 10 in club history for the highest goal ratio when compared to the whole team’s output in a league season. Here’s the full list…
Season | Top Scorer (League) | Goals | Team | % |
1995–96 | Alan Shearer | 31 | 61 | 50.8 |
1890–91 | Jack Southworth | 26 | 52 | 50.0 |
1993–94 | Alan Shearer | 31 | 63 | 49.2 |
2012–13 | Jordan Rhodes | 27 | 55 | 49.1 |
1925–26 | Ted Harper | 43 | 91 | 47.3 |
1926–27 | Ted Harper | 35 | 77 | 45.5 |
2020–21 | Adam Armstrong | 28 | 65 | 43.1 |
1994–95 | Alan Shearer | 34 | 80 | 42.5 |
2023–24 | Sammie Szmodics | 16 | 39 | 41.0 |
1948–49 | Dennis Westcott | 21 | 53 | 39.6 |
1956–57 | Tommy Briggs | 32 | 83 | 38.6 |
2007–08 | Roque Santa Cruz | 19 | 50 | 38.0 |
1891–92 | Jack Southworth | 22 | 58 | 37.9 |
1982–83 | Simon Garner | 22 | 58 | 37.9 |
2011–12 | Yakubu | 18 | 48 | 37.5 |
2021–22 | Ben Brereton Diaz | 22 | 59 | 37.3 |
1953–54 | Tommy Briggs | 32 | 86 | 37.2 |
1955–56 | Tommy Briggs | 31 | 84 | 36.9 |
1963–64 | Andy McEvoy | 32 | 89 | 36.0 |
1913–14 | Danny Shea | 28 | 78 | 35.9 |
2013–14 | Jordan Rhodes | 25 | 70 | 35.7 |
1964–65 | Andy McEvoy | 29 | 83 | 34.9 |
2006–07 | Benni McCarthy | 18 | 52 | 34.6 |
1923–24 | Ted Harper | 18 | 54 | 33.3 |
1947–48 | Les Graham | 15 | 45 | 33.3 |
1983–84 | Simon Garner | 19 | 57 | 33.3 |
1991–92 | David Speedie | 23 | 70 | 32.9 |
2014–15 | Jordan Rhodes | 21 | 66 | 31.8 |
1958–59 | Peter Dobing | 24 | 76 | 31.6 |
1997–98 | Chris Sutton | 18 | 57 | 31.6 |
1971–72 | Tony Field | 17 | 54 | 31.5 |
1908–09 | Billy Davies | 19 | 61 | 31.1 |
1979–80 | Andy Crawford | 18 | 58 | 31.0 |
1901–02 | Jack Dewhurst | 16 | 52 | 30.8 |
1906–07 | Jack Martin | 17 | 56 | 30.4 |
2000–01 | Matt Jansen | 23 | 76 | 30.3 |
1904–05 | Adam Bowman | 12 | 40 | 30.0 |
1959–60 | Peter Dobing | 18 | 60 | 30.0 |
1920–21 | Percy Dawson | 17 | 57 | 29.8 |
1972–73 | Tony Field | 17 | 57 | 29.8 |
1981–82 | Simon Garner | 14 | 47 | 29.8 |
1903–04 | Lionel Watson | 14 | 48 | 29.2 |
1962–63 | Fred Pickering | 23 | 79 | 29.1 |
1949–50 | Dennis Westcott | 16 | 55 | 29.1 |
1954–55 | Tommy Briggs | 33 | 114 | 28.9 |
1889–90 | Jack Southworth | 22 | 78 | 28.2 |
1937–38 | Len Butt | 20 | 71 | 28.2 |
2004–05 | Paul Dickov | 9 | 32 | 28.1 |
1961–62 | Ian Lawther | 14 | 50 | 28.0 |
1905–06 | Adam Bowman | 15 | 54 | 27.8 |
1910–11 | Billy Davies | 17 | 62 | 27.4 |
1934–35 | Bruton/Thompson | 18 | 66 | 27.3 |
1935–36 | Ernie Thompson | 15 | 55 | 27.3 |
1988–89 | Simon Garner | 20 | 74 | 27.0 |
2022–23 | Ben Brereton Diaz | 14 | 52 | 26.9 |
1946–47 | Jack Smith | 12 | 45 | 26.7 |
1919–20 | Ernest Hawksworth | 17 | 64 | 26.6 |
1952–53 | Eddie Quigley | 18 | 68 | 26.5 |
1996–97 | Chris Sutton | 11 | 42 | 26.2 |
1888–89 | Jack Southworth | 17 | 66 | 25.8 |
1922–23 | Jock McKay | 12 | 47 | 25.5 |
2005–06 | Craig Bellamy | 13 | 51 | 25.5 |
1911–12 | Wattie Aitkenhead | 15 | 60 | 25.0 |
2008–09 | Benni McCarthy | 10 | 40 | 25.0 |
1986–87 | Simon Barker | 11 | 45 | 24.4 |
1989–90 | Simon Garner | 18 | 74 | 24.3 |
2019–20 | Adam Armstrong | 16 | 66 | 24.2 |
1914–15 | Percy Dawson | 20 | 83 | 24.1 |
1969–70 | Don Martin | 13 | 54 | 24.1 |
1976–77 | Bobby Svarc | 10 | 42 | 23.8 |
1980–81 | Kevin Stonehouse | 10 | 42 | 23.8 |
1931–32 | Ernie Thompson | 21 | 89 | 23.6 |
1992–93 | Alan Shearer | 16 | 68 | 23.5 |
2018–19 | Bradley Dack | 15 | 64 | 23.4 |
1892–93 | Bill Sawers | 11 | 47 | 23.4 |
1960–61 | Peter Dobing | 18 | 77 | 23.4 |
1898–99 | Daniel Hurst | 14 | 60 | 23.3 |
1897–98 | John Proudfoot | 9 | 39 | 23.1 |
1930–31 | Jack Bruton | 19 | 83 | 22.9 |
1936–37 | Jack Bruton | 16 | 70 | 22.9 |
1902–03 | Arnold Whittaker | 10 | 44 | 22.7 |
1927–28 | Tom Mitchell | 15 | 66 | 22.7 |
1984–85 | Chris Thompson | 15 | 66 | 22.7 |
1924–25 | McKay/McIntyre | 12 | 53 | 22.6 |
1985–86 | Simon Garner | 12 | 53 | 22.6 |
1899–00 | Arnold Whittaker | 11 | 49 | 22.4 |
1932–33 | Ernie Thompson | 17 | 76 | 22.4 |
1938–39 | Albert Clarke | 21 | 94 | 22.3 |
1921–22 | Percy Dawson | 12 | 54 | 22.2 |
1928–29 | Jack Roscamp | 16 | 72 | 22.2 |
1974–75 | Don Martin | 15 | 68 | 22.1 |
2009–10 | David Dunn | 9 | 41 | 22.0 |
2017–18 | Bradley Dack | 18 | 82 | 22.0 |
2015–16 | Jordan Rhodes | 10 | 46 | 21.7 |
1907–08 | Billy Davies | 11 | 51 | 21.6 |
2003–04 | Andrew Cole | 11 | 51 | 21.6 |
1957–58 | Peter Dobing | 20 | 93 | 21.5 |
1929–30 | Clarrie Bourton | 21 | 99 | 21.2 |
2016–17 | Danny Graham | 11 | 53 | 20.8 |
1987–88 | Simon Garner | 14 | 68 | 20.6 |
1900–01 | Arnold Whittaker | 8 | 39 | 20.5 |
1951–52 | Eddie Quigley | 11 | 54 | 20.4 |
1894–95 | Harry Chippendale | 12 | 59 | 20.3 |
1893–94 | Harry Chippendale | 14 | 69 | 20.3 |
1933–34 | Bruton/Harper | 15 | 74 | 20.3 |
1896–97 | John Wilkie | 7 | 35 | 20.0 |
1950–51 | Les Graham | 13 | 65 | 20.0 |
1966–67 | John Connelly | 11 | 56 | 19.6 |
1977–78 | Noel Brotherston | 11 | 56 | 19.6 |
1990–91 | Frank Stapleton | 10 | 51 | 19.6 |
1978–79 | Simon Garner | 8 | 41 | 19.5 |
1968–69 | Darling/Connelly/Martin | 10 | 52 | 19.2 |
1999–00 | Lee Carsley | 10 | 55 | 18.2 |
2001–02 | Matt Jansen | 10 | 55 | 18.2 |
1973–74 | Tony Field | 11 | 62 | 17.7 |
1912–13 | Eddie Latheron | 14 | 79 | 17.7 |
1965–66 | McEvoy/Jones | 10 | 57 | 17.5 |
1895–96 | Turnbull/Chippendale/Haydock | 7 | 40 | 17.5 |
2002–03 | Damien Duff | 9 | 52 | 17.3 |
1909–10 | Wattie Aitkenhead | 12 | 73 | 16.4 |
1970–71 | Conlon/Rogers | 6 | 37 | 16.2 |
1975–76 | Beamish/Parkes | 7 | 45 | 15.6 |
1967–68 | Mike Ferguson | 8 | 56 | 14.3 |
1998–99 | Gallacher/Ward | 5 | 38 | 13.2 |
2010–11 | Hoilett/Kalinić/Roberts | 5 | 46 | 10.9 |