Skip to main content

Northern Ireland's Seasonal Top Scorers in the English Top Flight

The highest (Northern) Ireland scorers in each Football League First Division (1888-1992) and Premier League (1992-date) season...

Goals are for the League only except for the 1939/40 abandoned season where all statistics when officially expunged and the 1945/46 transitional season where the only national competition was the FA Cup.

1888/89

1889/90

1890/91

1891/92

Elleman

8

  • Archie Goodall

3

  • Archie Goodall

1

  • Archie Goodall

2

  • Allan Elleman
  • Jack Reynolds
  • Archie Goodall

1892/93

1893/94

1894/95

1895/96

6

  • Archie Goodall

7

  • Jack Reynolds
  • John Peden

6

  • Jack Reynolds
  • Archie Goodall

3

  • Archie Goodall

1896/97

1897/98

1898/99

1899/00

9

  • Archie Goodall

4

  • Archie Goodall

5

  • Jack Kirwan

6

  • Andy Gara

1900/01

1901/02

1902/03

1903/04

11

  • Andy Gara

2

  • Archie Goodall

4

  • Archie Goodall

8

  • Harry Buckle

1904/05

1905/06

1906/07

1907/08

O'Hagan

4

  • Harry Buckle

1

  • Harry Buckle

1

  • Charlie O’Hagan
  • Bill McCracken

0

1908/09

1909/10

1910/11

1911/12

3

  • Tom Shanks

2

  • Andrew Hunter

8

  • Billy Lacey

11

  • Billy Gillespie

1912/13

1913/14

1914/15

1919/20

8

  • Billy Gillespie

12

  • Billy Gillespie

2

  • Billy Lacey

8

  • Bill Halligan

1920/21

1921/22

1922/23

1923/24

8

  • Jimmy Ferris

14

  • Billy Gillespie

9

  • Billy Gillespie

14

  • Billy Gillespie

1924/25

1925/26

1926/27

1927/28

9

  • Billy Gillespie

12

  • Billy Gillespie

11

  • Bobby Irvine
  • Billy Gillespie

5

Billy Gillespie

1928/29

1929/30

1930/31

1931/32

8

  • Bobby Irvine

36

  • Jimmy Dunne

41

  • Jimmy Dunne

33

  • Jimmy Dunne

1932/33

1933/34

1934/35

1935/36

26

  • Jimmy Dunne

18

  • Sam English

15

  • Joe Bambrick

15

  • Joe Bambrick

1936/37

1937/38

1938/39

1939/40 (abd)

-

30

  • Peter Doherty

23

  • Peter Doherty

11

  • Alex Stevenson

1

  • Jackie Carey

1945/46 (canc.)

1946/47

1947/48

1948/49

10 (FA Cup)

  • Peter Doherty

14

  • Peter Doherty

13

  • Peter Doherty

16

  • Sammy Smyth

1949/50

1950/51

1951/52

1952/53

15

  • Davy Walsh

9

  • Davy Walsh

13

  • Sammy Smyth

12

  • Sammy Smyth

1953/54

1954/55

1955/56

1956/57

17

  • Jimmy McIlroy

10

  • Jackie Blanchflower
  • Billy Bingham

8

  • Tommy Eglington

13

  • Jimmy McIlroy

1957/58

1958/59

1959/60

1960/61

19

  • Billy McAdams

13

  • Peter McParland

22

  • Billy McAdams

18

  • Billy McAdams

1961/62

1962/63

1963/64

1964/65

17

  • Peter McParland

9

  • Derek Dougan

9

  • Jimmy McIlroy

22

  • Willie Irvine

1965/66

1966/67

1967/68

1968/69

29

  • Willie Irvine *Overall First Division Top Scorer*

16

  • Derek Dougan

28

  • George Best *Overall First Division Top Scorer*

19

  • George Best

1969/70

1970/71

1971/72

1972/73

15

  • George Best

18

  • George Best

18

  • George Best

12

  • Derek Dougan

1973/74

1974/75

1975/76

1976/77

16

  • Bryan Hamilton

10

  • Bryan Hamilton

10

  • Bryan Hamilton
  • Sammy McIlroy

3

  • Gerry Armstrong
  • Sammy Nelson
  • Pat Rice

1977/78

1978/79

1979/80

1980/81

9

  • Sammy McIlroy

10

  • Martin O’Neill

6

  • Sammy McIlroy

5

  • Sammy McIlroy

1981/82

1982/83

1983/84

1984/85

6

  • Sammy McIlroy

8

  • Sammy McIlroy
  • Norman Whiteside

10

  • Norman Whiteside

9

  • Norman Whiteside

1985/86

1986/87

1987/88

1988/89

7

  • Kevin Wilson

20

  • Colin Clarke

16

  • Colin Clarke

9

  • Danny Wilson

1989/90

1990/91

1991/92

1992/93

14

  • Kevin Wilson

7

  • Iain Dowie

9

  • Iain Dowie

11

  • Iain Dowie

1993/94

1994/95

1995/96

1996/97

5

  • Iain Dowie

9

  • Iain Dowie

8

  • Iain Dowie

4

  • Jim Magilton

1997/98

1998/99

1999/00

2000/01

4

  • Keith Gillespie
  • Michael Hughes

3

  • Danny Sonner

6

  • Gerry Taggart

2

  • Kevin Horlock
  • Gerry Taggart

2001/02

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

4

  • Steve Lomas

1

  • Damien Johnson
  • Aaron Hughes

1

  • Damien Johnson

2

  • Michael Hughes

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

4

Steven Davis

2

Keith Gillespie

4

David Healy

8

Chris Brunt

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

4

  • Martin Paterson

4

  • Chris Brunt

2

  • Chris Brunt
  • Gareth McAuley

3

  • Jonny Evans
  • Gareth McAuley

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

3

  • Chris Brunt

2

  • Chris Brunt

5

  • Steven Davis

6

  • Gareth McAuley

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

3

  • Steven Davis

3

  • Craig Cathcart

1

  • Jamal Lewis
  • Ollie Norwood
  • Jonny Evans

8

  • Stuart Dallas


Two Northern Ireland internationals have finished as the overall top goalscorer in the English First Division, Willie Irvine (in 1965/66) and George Best (1967/68).

4+ Times as Top Scorer (including ties)

Player

Occasions

Best Total

Goodall, Archie

11

9

Gillespie, Billy

10

14

McIlroy, Sammy

6

10

Dowie, Iain

6

11

Best, George

5

28

Brunt, Chris

5

8

Dunne, Jimmy

4

41

Doherty, Peter

4

30


Comments