Who scored a hat trick in Pompey’s record league victory? Nice question from Owenspompey.
Pompey’s record victory came in the 1926/27 promotion season when they beat Notts County 9-1 at Fratton Park in front of just 14,000. That I knew but I guessed the hat trick was scored ‘Farmer Boy’ Billy Haines and having checked the record books I was right (my wife is my witness to that). Haines scored 40 goals that season including five hat tricks. Those goals were crucial as Pompey were promoted on Goal Average just piping Manchester City for the second promotion place.
Goal average preceded the current goal difference and was calculated by dividing goals scored by goals conceded – in effect giving the number scored for every one let in. The famous story is that on the last day of the season Pompey kicked off 15 minutes after City who were playing relegated Bradford City while Pompey faced sixth placed Preston. When the news came through that City had won Pompey were leading 4-1 but with pencil and paper it was worked out (no calculators of course) that City would be promoted by 0.15 of a goal. The word was put out to Haines that a goal was needed, he duly obliged with his fourth of the match and Pompey were up by just 0.005 of a goal – the narrowest ever margin.
With that Pompey became the quickest club to be promoted from non-league to the First Division. They struggled for a couple of seasons finishing 20th in each before pushing on to greater things – now does that ring a bell.
Back to the Notts County game the other goals were scored by Jim Mackie (2), Fred Cook (2), Fred Forward and Reg Davies. That was a good season as we beat Southampton three times, twice in the league and in the Hants Cup Final.
People ask where Billy Haines got his nickname the Farmer Boy from? I always assume that as he came from Frome in Somerset he was the son of a farmer.
Written by eastneydave.
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