Tony Kellow's Golden Boot.
The adidas Golden Boot, one of the prides of the trophy cabinets, though not one you would typically expect to find outside of the top divisions, was awarded to club legend Anthony ‘Tony’ Kellow following the 1980/81 season in which he scored a total of 25 goals in 46 appearances. Kellow outscored players both in his division and the country to be bestowed with this prestigious award. The boot itself sits in a navy-blue leather box with a yellowed lining. Sitting beside the Golden Boot, is the trophy awarded to Tony Kellow as Exeter City’s Player of the Year for the 1980/81 season.
Kellow has had no less than three separate spells with Exeter City. He first signed in Exeter in the summer of 1976, following a stint with Falmouth City, and in his first season he scored 19 goals in 46 appearances, with two of these goals being scored in his debut for City in a 2-2 tie with Hartlepool. The following seasons Kellow proved just as lethal scoring 14 goals in 77/78 with 46 appearances, and another 14 in just 17 matches in the 78/79 season. By the time Kellow had been sold to Blackpool in November 1978, for a record fee of £105,000, he had scored 40 league goals in 107 matches.
In his first and only season with Blackpool, Kellow scored 23 goals in 57 games. Kellow rejoined Exeter in March 1980, setting another club record fee of £65,000. The 1980/81 season was highly successful for Kellow, despite a mild performance from the team, netting a goal in first game back at the Park, as well as a hat trick in the FA Cup fourth round replay against Leicester City, where City won 3-1 in January 1981. Kellow played a vital role in City’s cup run, stopped only by the Tottenham Hotspurs in the quarter-finals. Scoring a division high of 25 goals, Kellow was awarded the adidas Golden Boot and City’s Player of the Year trophy. During his second stint at City, Kellow scored a total of 61 goals in 143 club appearances.
Kellow was sold to Plymouth Argyle in 1983 for a fee of just £5,000. His time in in Plymouth was not very successful as he scored just 2 goals in 10 games, after which he signed with Swansea City in October 1984, playing in just one game as a substitute. The following month Kellow signed with Newport City and had more success than his time with both Plymouth and Swansea, scoring 8 goals in 20 appearances.
Resigning with Exeter City in July 1985, he topped City’s goal chart though the club was struggling, and he only managed to score 9 goals. The following season, 1986/87, proved more successful for Kellow, managing to score 15 goals in 33 matches. In his final season, Kellow scored 4 goals in 16 matches, not bad for a 35-year-old. Kellow’s last game for City was the 30th January 1988 where he was introduced as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to the Tranmere Rovers.
Following his retirement, Kellow became the Promotions Manager, the Commercial Manager and ran the Centre Spot social club, not to mention becoming landlord of the Eagle Tavern and the Clifton Arms. Following a spell at Crediton as a commercial manager, he returned to his home town in Cornwall for a full retirement but Kellow stayed close to City, returning many times including in 2006 when he opened the new club shop to the rear of main grandstand.
Tony Kellow has gone down in history as one of Exeter City’s greatest players, and for good reason. Kellow is one of only three players to have scored over 100 career goals, the other two being Alan Banks and Darren Rowbotham. In total, Kellow had 332 appearances for City, totalling 129 goals, and breaking the records for both transfer fees received (£105,000) and fees paid (£65,000). Though Anthony Kellow died in February 2011, he will always be remembered in our hearts.
Kellow has had no less than three separate spells with Exeter City. He first signed in Exeter in the summer of 1976, following a stint with Falmouth City, and in his first season he scored 19 goals in 46 appearances, with two of these goals being scored in his debut for City in a 2-2 tie with Hartlepool. The following seasons Kellow proved just as lethal scoring 14 goals in 77/78 with 46 appearances, and another 14 in just 17 matches in the 78/79 season. By the time Kellow had been sold to Blackpool in November 1978, for a record fee of £105,000, he had scored 40 league goals in 107 matches.
In his first and only season with Blackpool, Kellow scored 23 goals in 57 games. Kellow rejoined Exeter in March 1980, setting another club record fee of £65,000. The 1980/81 season was highly successful for Kellow, despite a mild performance from the team, netting a goal in first game back at the Park, as well as a hat trick in the FA Cup fourth round replay against Leicester City, where City won 3-1 in January 1981. Kellow played a vital role in City’s cup run, stopped only by the Tottenham Hotspurs in the quarter-finals. Scoring a division high of 25 goals, Kellow was awarded the adidas Golden Boot and City’s Player of the Year trophy. During his second stint at City, Kellow scored a total of 61 goals in 143 club appearances.
Kellow was sold to Plymouth Argyle in 1983 for a fee of just £5,000. His time in in Plymouth was not very successful as he scored just 2 goals in 10 games, after which he signed with Swansea City in October 1984, playing in just one game as a substitute. The following month Kellow signed with Newport City and had more success than his time with both Plymouth and Swansea, scoring 8 goals in 20 appearances.
Resigning with Exeter City in July 1985, he topped City’s goal chart though the club was struggling, and he only managed to score 9 goals. The following season, 1986/87, proved more successful for Kellow, managing to score 15 goals in 33 matches. In his final season, Kellow scored 4 goals in 16 matches, not bad for a 35-year-old. Kellow’s last game for City was the 30th January 1988 where he was introduced as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to the Tranmere Rovers.
Following his retirement, Kellow became the Promotions Manager, the Commercial Manager and ran the Centre Spot social club, not to mention becoming landlord of the Eagle Tavern and the Clifton Arms. Following a spell at Crediton as a commercial manager, he returned to his home town in Cornwall for a full retirement but Kellow stayed close to City, returning many times including in 2006 when he opened the new club shop to the rear of main grandstand.
Tony Kellow has gone down in history as one of Exeter City’s greatest players, and for good reason. Kellow is one of only three players to have scored over 100 career goals, the other two being Alan Banks and Darren Rowbotham. In total, Kellow had 332 appearances for City, totalling 129 goals, and breaking the records for both transfer fees received (£105,000) and fees paid (£65,000). Though Anthony Kellow died in February 2011, he will always be remembered in our hearts.
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