Erling Haaland, the Manchester City superstar, and Tom “Pongo” Waring, the Aston Villa legend, may seem like polar opposites. However, they share a magical figure that bonds them together despite being achieved 92 years apart. Waring, who was nicknamed after a dopey dog, was the last player before Haaland to score 50 club goals in a top-flight season.
Waring was born in Birkenhead and played for Tranmere, Wolves, Barnsley, Accrington Stanley, Bath City, Graysons, Birkenhead Docks, Harrowby, New Brighton, and Ellesmere Port Town. He even combined football with work for The Hercules Motor and Cycle Company in Aston. Despite his impressive goal-scoring record, Waring was known for his down-to-earth lifestyle. He would hunt for any beer left on the terraces when he turned up for training on Mondays. He was also more interested in enjoying life than hitting the gym.
Waring’s rapport with fans was exceptional. 23,000 fans watched his debut for Villa RESERVES after he signed for £4,700 from Tranmere in 1928. He was famously scared of no one and never doubted his ability. He once told Arsenal boss Herbert Chapman in 1931: “You’d like to buy me, Herbert, wouldn’t you? I am better than any of your lot.”
Waring’s half-century of goals came in 1930-31, with 49 in the old First Division when Villa were runners-up to Arsenal and one in the FA Cup. He finished with 167 goals in all for Villa from 1928-35, also netting four in five matches for England. When he died aged 74 in December 1980, his ashes were scattered in Villa’s Holte End goalmouth before a game with Stoke City.
Haaland, on the other hand, is a modern-day monster who dedicates himself to fitness and a special diet. He has notched 34 Premier League goals, plus three in the FA Cup, one in the EFL, and 12 in the Champions League, with potentially nine more games to come. While Haaland’s goal-scoring record is impressive, it is unlikely that he will achieve it with such an array of clubs as Pongo.
In conclusion, while Haaland and Waring may seem like polar opposites, they share a magical figure that bonds them together. Despite their differences, they are both exceptional goal-scorers who have left their mark on football history.