Which Footballers Have Netted Most of Their Professional Goals in a Single Match?
“Last month, Watford defender Ngakia found the net twice for his club against Oxford United to bring his total career goals to three from 116 senior club appearances,” asks a curious fan. “Excluding footballers who only scored one goal, is there anyone with 100+ appearances achieved a greater proportion of their career goals in a one game?”
Denis Boone submits with the story of French defender Chalmé. “Defender Matthieu Chalmé appeared in 362 games during his playing days, mostly for Bordeaux and Lille,” he explains. “He scored four career goals, with three of them coming in a solitary match. Chalmé netted all three goals in Lille’s victory at Ajaccio in 2004, recording the surprising of three-goal hauls.”
That memorable hat-trick in Ajaccio were the only ones Chalmé managed in 179 Lille appearances, while in 167 for Bordeaux, he scored once. Well, twice if you count his self-scored goal in the 2010 League Cup final against Marseille. Netting three-quarters of his total goals in one game puts Chalmé ahead of Ngakia’s mark (66.7%), but there is a fly in the ointment.
Chalmé retired at his club in July 2014 after a loan spell at the Corsican club, who likely remembered his brief purple patch a decade earlier. He did return to football with amateur team Lège Cap-Ferret, featuring seven times in half a year – and netting once. That would drop Chalmé’s percentage of goals in one match down to 60%, but it seems unfair to penalise him for a post-career stint at semi-professional level.
A quick mention, too, for a different French defender: Lilian Thuram. Although the query relates to club careers, plenty of you wrote in to highlight that Thuram made 142 France appearances and netted twice in the same match – the 1998 World Cup semi-final against the Croatian team. Look, when you’re hot, you’re hot.
The Insubordination Files: Part II
In last week’s Knowledge we looked at players who disobeyed their coaches. There are some more fantastic examples, so we’re revisiting the Insubordination Files for a another review.
Tottenham v Manchester City, Cup semi-final, the 1950s
“The Spurs captain, Danny Blanchflower, made changes to the team during the FA Cup semi-final against City while they were a goal down,” writes John Tumbridge. “Moving Maurice Norman from centre-half to attack, they ultimately lost and the manager, Jimmy Anderson [no relation], benched the captain for the next match and stripped him of the captaincy. Within a year Anderson left, Nicholson became manager, Blanchflower was reinstated and the outcome is legendary.”
England vs Albania, World Cup qualifying, April 1989
Another fan points out: “Gazza netted his maiden international goal in this 5-0 win at the national stadium after playing ‘all over the pitch’, according to coach Robson. The post-match interview are priceless – a wonderful mixture of annoyance, irony and fatherly pride.”
Everton vs Spurs, FA Cup semi-final, the 1990s
The Toffees’ most recent silverware was the 1995 Cup, and it wouldn’t have been possible without a key figure,” begins Jim Hearson. “Manager Joe Royle? No. Final scorer, Rideout? Close, but no. Keeper Neville Southall? Not him. The hero was unpredictable forward Amokachi, who substituted himself on during the semi-final against Spurs, scoring twice to earn the Toffees a spot in the final against United.”
Recounting the story to the media, the striker said: “Rideout got a knock and fell ... I just went to the assistant and said ‘The gaffer says you need me on’.” The manager was understandably furious at the moment, but more forgiving at the end: “He came into the locker room and hugged me, gave me his hand and said: ‘Well done, son, but never try that again.’”
Sporting vs Barça, Champions League group stage, 2008
During his time with Guardiola’s Barça against Sporting Lisbon, Henry decided to change flanks. He soon netted to ensure Barça went in 1-0 up at the break. Guardiola’s reaction? He substituted Henry for disobeying orders.”
Free-kick flurries
“As a West Ham fan, I’m often looking back at previous years for positive memories,” weeps a fan. “While recently doing so, I saw that Dimitri Payet netted six set-pieces in the 18 cherished months that we had him. Just wondering if there is a more prolific free-kick taker in a comparable span?”
One comes to mind: Beckham netted 27 direct kicks in his spell with United, including eight over several months between March and November 2000. His best period at the club includes the same period: from 1999-2000, Beckham scored 10 direct-free-kicks – including two raspers against the Hammers. Apologies.
If it helps, there’s a footballer now at West Ham who can outdo Payet’s record: Ward-Prowse. The dead-ball specialist enjoyed two purple patches with Southampton, scoring seven free kicks between November 2019 and February 2021 across two Covid-affected seasons. Ward-Prowse then hit another six dead-ball beauties in a ten-month period between April 2022 and February 2023.
Historical Trivia
“A Southend-supporting friend claims the team once featured in a league match at Wembley? Is he joking?” queried a reader in 2012.
Ludicrously, he wasn’t. The team were among two clubs – Brentford being the other – to play against Orient in the third tier at Wembley back in the 1930s, owing to ground improvement work at Orient’s Lea Bridge Stadium. Club records explain further:
After a game against Torquay United (a victory for Orient), Torquay representatives complained about the boundary fence being too near to the pitch. League officials was requested to inspect the ground and concluded that changes were needed before any more games could be held; abruptly the Orient found themselves homeless. Hard to believe, Wembley was proposed and the Orient actually played two league games in 1930 against Brentford and Southend United, winning 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. To this day the Orient is the only Football League side to have played home games at the iconic venue!
After that of course, Tottenham followed Orient in becoming residents at Wembley, albeit in the top flight. Lately, discussions about the Gunners renovating their stadium – and moving to the national stadium while the construction occurs – has surfaced.
Can you help?
“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted four times and was sent off in Gabon’s victory over Gambia last week,” writes a reader. “Which other players have seen red after netting a hat-trick or more?”
“In Austria’s 10-0 demolition of San Marino, all starting attackers and midfielders who started got a goal, an assist or both,” asks Paul Savage. “Is there another side achieved this feat?”
“Among all footballers who have a statue outside the ground of their ex-team, who made the least amount of appearances for that club?” wonders a fan.
“Interestingly, Tomasson is the initial coach to be fired by {Sw
