After Benjani’s hat trick against Reading Owenspompey asked me to produce a list of hat tricks going back over the years.
What my staff have done in go back 50 years to the start of 1957/58 season and we have found that in that time 39 Pompey players have scored three or more goals in a league game. To view the full list click here.
In those 39 games only three have been drawn (all away from home) and two of those were at Bristol City. The other 36 games were won.
Guy Whittingham was perhaps not surprisingly top of the list with 6 trebles in 7 year period, the last when he returned on loan. Ron Saunders managed the feat four time and Peter Harris three including all five against Aston Villa in 1958 an achievement only done twice in Pompey’s history.
Let us look at the more famous of the hat tricks.
Teddy Sheringham Bolton (H) 26 August 2003
Pompey needed to beat Bolton 4-0 to go top of the table and famously managed it with Teddy’s treble to send Fratton Park and the whole of the City wild. In the pub I was in the whole place including staff crowded round the TV tuned to Sky Sports News waiting for the table to be displayed. When it was a huge roar went up!!
Svetoslav Todorov Bradford (A) 4 May 2003
With the title already won Toddy needed three goals to finish top of the Division One scoring charts. He did it with a quick fire hat trick to fuel more wild celebrations.
Steve Claridge Barnsley (H) 29 January 2000
This is remembered because Steve had bet money on it and coming in the middle of the Hanse Cronje cricket betting scandal he was in trouble. Fined by the FA and warned as to his future behaviour was the punishment.
Alan Biley Lincoln (H) 2 November 1982
This was the hat trick nobody saw as the game against promotion rivals Lincoln was played in thick fog. The referee allowed the game to finish but who saw it? Not me.
Mick ‘Yosser’ Tait Exeter (H) 10 February 1981
Mick always struggled for goals with Pompey but on this Tuesday night it all came right. In just five minutes Mick scored three as Exeter were buried.
Nicky Jennings Norwich (A) 16 September 1967
This is famous because it was the first time I saw a Pompey player score three goals. It was also unusual as Nicky was a winger – great day out that was.
Ron Saunders Leyton Orient (A) 26 October 1963
Pompey were 3-0 down after half an hour at Brisbane Road. Saunders struck a hat trick either side of half time and the blues romped to a 6-3 victory. One of the great fight backs. Orient must have been sick of the name Saunders by the end of that season for when they visited the Fortress in March Ron scored another three in a 4-3 win. Orient had scored six goals in two games and lost them both!!
Dave Dodson Walsall (A) 18 August 1962
This was Pompey’s first game back in the old Division Two after winning the third Division title and it got off to quite a start with a 4-1 away win. The reason for selecting it from the others is because Dodson is probably not a name many of you will know. Dave was a left winger who played on the opposite flank to Tony Barton. Signed from Swansea Town, Dave scored 15 goals in 53 outings before moving on to Aldershot.
Other interesting facts about the list are that popular strikers Mark Hateley and Mike Trebilcock each scored two hat tricks and they were in the same month. Hateley in November 1984 and Trebs in October 1970. Goal scoring hero Dave Kemp managed only one threesome against table toppers Rotherham in April 1977. Pompey struggling to score goals with no big man up front moved the burly Peter Denyer from midfield to lead the attack. On a bright and sunny afternoon the gamble paid off and the leaders were put to the sword Kemp (3) and Denyer (2) securing a 5-1 win.
Enjoy the memories. I expect you will all have different favourites.
Written by eastneydave.
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