Ken Wagstaff

Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Ken Wagstaff' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Ken Wagstaff' page
Favourite Stags player
By Roger Grayson

Everyone who supports a football team has a favourite player.
But who is the greatest player for the Stags, well I suppose it all depends on who you have seen play.
In the last ten years lots of people would vote for Liam Lawrence, in the mid 30th Teddy Harston's scoring record of 81 goals, seven in one game, in just two seasons would get him plenty of votes
Before that Harry Johnson and Chris Staniforth would all be in contention.
In the promotion seasons in the mid 70 long serving Sandy Pate and Rod Arnold along with the goal scoring partnership of Terry Eccles and Ray Clarke would have admirers.
But surely the greatest player to don a Stags shirt is Ken Wagstaff the scorer of 93 goals for the Stags in the early to mid 1960's and umpteen for Hull City , where he ended his career.
Starting his career as a 17 year old "Waggy" was the forward that the word quick was invented for, quick of foot, quick of thought, add to that perfect balance, strength and a touch of arrogance and you had the ingredients for the perfect striker.
Having seen many of the Stags greats at Field Mill Ken Wagstaff is, in my mind, the greatest player to don that shirt.
What about you?

This page was added on 11/05/2009.

Comments about this page

I used to live on Church Street at Langwith where Waggy was brought up with his granny. We had the old outside toilets which we used as goals when we played football. Waggy was recruited from our local side Woodland Imps by Raich Carter

By david hall
On 01/06/2010

A name missed here Peter Morris

By p tucker
On 30/11/2010

I too remember "waggy" from my early visits in the '60s as a young lad along with such players as Colin Treaharne, Colin Toon, Wilf Humble, David Coates, John Gill, Brian Phillips, Peter Morris, Colin Askey, Ray Straw, Roy Chapman, Sammy Chapman etc; your first photo I also remember as I was in the crowd but standing on what was called the poplar side where the players used to come out of the tunnel. In the early years the dressing rooms were on Quarry Lane and the players used to come out from corner of Quarry Lane, with the "Hurst Park " stand being put up, as the years went on the poplar side became the "Hurst Park stand" but still with the terrace standing in front of then the new stand, many happy years and memories ,formations were simple 2-3-5 (not like today)and players wages then and now no comment!! Happy days at Field Mill together with relegation and promation and in later years a trip to the the old Wembly ground,lets hope the stags can their get their football status back asap

By g.burton(former wudus lad)
On 18/03/2011

In 1958 I played for a team called Kirkby St. Thomas Youth Club in the Mansfield under 16 league. We went away to Langwith Woodland Imps and got thrashed 15-1. A certain young man by the name of Ken Wagstaff scored eight. I was supposed to mark him and all I saw was his backside. What a player! He became certainly the best player ever seen in a Mansfield Town shirt. He should have played for England, but the reason he never did is another story.

By Dave Lee
On 05/05/2011

Add a comment about this page