The unmistakable Enoch Showunmi
There once was a club devoted solely to the playing prowess and all-round good nature of Town striker Enoch Showunmi.
His elevation to cult hero rose as the 2003/04 season progressed. It heightened further in the following campaign, with his cameos from the substitutes’ bench helping the Town towards the League 1 title. His stock rose further still in 2005/06 as the Hatters mixed with the best in the Championship, and he was even called up and capped by Nigeria.
But it was during his first season at Kenilworth Road that Enoch captured the imagination of Hatters fans. Originally the Londoner began training with Mike Newell’s side and, following a successful trial, he joined on non-contract terms, only being paid expenses.
In his first game, at Plymouth, he was substituted five minutes before half-time under instruction from the referee who told him he’d send him off, for our Enoch was a little too keen on his debut.
Soon the words “Enoch” and “raw” would go hand in hand in the same sentence, but slowly the striker got to grips with the rigours of professional football, and his first goal for the Town came during a 2-1 win in an LDV Vans Trophy tie against Rushden & Diamonds in early December 2003.
But then, the moment that every footballer dreams of: their first league goal. And Enoch’s came on this very day 10 years ago, 52 minutes into a run-of-the-mill League One fixture at home to Colchester United. It turned out to be the only goal of the game, and after that Enoch never looked back. He scored a further six goals that season including a superb hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Brentford, and would go on and score another eight goals in Town colours before he left for Bristol City in 2006.
Spells at Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds, Falkirk and Tranmere followed and now, at the age of 31, Enoch’s still going strong at Notts County – in fact he’s scored four goals in 16 games this season.