1979: Derek Bell, £36,000
With inflation: £159,176
Appearances: 101
Wyberton-born Derek Bell might have been a flop, were it not for the 1982/83 season. Signed in 1979 from Barnsley, he had a torrid time with injuries. After five goals in 25 in 1979/80, he managed just 12 starts in two seasons.
Then in 1982/83, he exploded, scoring 23 times from 32 starts, finishing as the club’s leading scorer. He was sold at the end of the season for a quarter of what he cost, never again hitting the heights of 82/83.
1980 – George Shipley £45,000
George Shipley is another big name from Colin Murphy’s era. He’d only played 15 league games across loan spells with Reading and Blackpool before Southampton sold him to us for £45,000. It was a bit of a gamble, but he went on to make 274 appearances, scoring 52 goals. Money well spent.
He eventually left, labelled a ‘contract rebel’ in July 1985, moving to Second Division Charlton for £20,000 after interest from Millwall. He played top-flight football, returning briefly for a trial in 1989 before retiring.
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