Hat-tricks History

 
In senior football Wolves had gone on to a total of 238 hat-tricks scored (Friendlies not included) with Steve Bull and Dennis Westcott both netting 18. 106 players have all complete trebles. 166 have come in Football League & Premier League matches and 19 have come in the FA Cup. 195 have come at Molineux, 39 have coming away matches and four have come on neutral territory.

Wolves first known senior hat-trick was recorded by Jack Brodie at home to St Johns United in the Birmingham Senior Cup on 20 October 1883 and was in fact a four-timer. In 1883/84 Brodie went on to add three more trebles, a double hat-trick and a ten timer at home to Villa Cross. Brodie is the only Wolves player to hit double figures and in fact did so for a second time against Brownhills just nine months later. Kenny Miller in March 2003 became the 100th different player to net a senior hat-trick in Wolves colours.

Billy Hartill has netted the quickest when netting a treble inside just five minutes against Bradford (PA) on 26 April 1930. Jack Hetherington took six minutes in September 1933 against Huddersfield Town, Billy Blunt in 1910 and Steve Bull on New Years Day 1990 netted trebles in just nine minutes (both went on to net four) and 10 minutes for Fred Bevin in 1904.

As well as Brodie with his double figures strikes other heavy scoring saw Jack Rowley scored eight against Derby County during the Second World War (his last three came in just four minutes), Brodie twice his double hat-tricks and Westcott also hit double hat-trick.

A Five timer has been taken on eight occasions with four of these coming in Football League matches. Joe Butcher put five past Accrington in November 1892, Tom Phillipson did so against Bradford City in December 1926 and Billy Hartill did it twice against Notts County in October 1929 and Aston Villa in September 1934. Jack Brodie hit five against Stoke in the FA Cup in February 1890 and Jack Rowey hit five against Everton in March 1942, a wartime fixture that saw Wolves score eleven times.

Jack Rowley’s first three against Derby County in November 1942 came in the first 17 minutes and therefor the earliest complete hat-trick. Roy Swinbourne completed the earliest Football League treble when netting a hat-trick in the first 20 minutes in November 1952. Steve Bull knocked in three past Oxford United in 24 minutes in March 1991 and Dennis Westcott netted three inside 32 minutes against Leicester City in December 1939 in a Midland League match.

Dennis Wescott is the only player to net a hat-trick in a losing side when Wolves lost at Manchester United in April 1942. Frank Burrill, Billy Hartill (twice), Billy Wight, Dennis Westcott Colin Booth, Steve Bull and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake all netted trebles in drawn matches.

Wolves scored three hat-tricks in a game once, in the FA Cup against Crosswells Brewery in November 1886. On seven occasions Wolves have hit two trebles in a match.

Wolves netted a four timer and three hat-tricks in a friendly against Manchester Athletic in March 1888 and did the same a century later against a RAF Catering XI in December 1988.

Jesse Pye scored a hat-trick in the opening home matches of both the 1946/47 and 1947/48 seasons.

Brodie scored hat-tricks in three consecutive matches in November/December 1883 and Steve Bull matched the same feet 105 years later (but includes two four-times). Wolves had a hat-tricks scored different players in three consecutive home matches in February-March 1946, Ray Chatham, Billy Wright and Dennis Westcott netting.

Wolves netted three hat-tricks in two games in September 1955, Johnny Hancocks and Roy Swinbourne netted at Cardiff City and Swinbourne a week later against netted a hat-trick at home to Huddersfield Town. In consecutive matches at Christmas 1958 Peter Broadbent netted a hat-trick at Portsmouth and twenty-four hours last at Molineux Norman Deeley and Colin Booth both did the same against Portsmouth.

Arthur Griffin scored two hat-tricks in three says in 1894, doing so in two home friendlies. Robbie Dennison netted consecutive days in December 1989, both in against Kidderminster Harriers away and Phil Neals Cricket XI at Molineux.

Billy Hartill in November 1931 and December 1932 netted trebles in consecutive home matches. Dennis Westcott achieved the feet in December 1939 and Billy Wright did the same in January/February 1943, Jimmy Murray did so in February 1958. Derek Dougan struck trebles at home to Nottingham Forest and four days later at Academica Coimbra. Dennis Westcott netted two four-timers on consecutive games in December 1946 at Liverpool and home to Bolton Wanderers. In November 1956 Booth netted a four-timer and the next home match saw Harry Hooper hit three. Johnny Hancocks & Dennis Wilshaw netted trebles in consecutive home matches in February 1955.

Ted Farmer in 1962 netted in consecutive matches. The opening game of the 1962/63 season saw him net a four-time at home to Manchester City. The last game of the previous season, a friendly, a home to an International XI he has netted three.

Three times in the clubs history have both team netted hat-tricks in the same match. Accrington in November 1892 (Butcher & Kirkham), Huddersfield Town in February 1933 (Hartill & Luke) and Rotherham United in 2014 (Dicko & Agard).

Wolves have netted ten hat-tricks against Leicester City and eight against Nottingham Forest. Seven have come against Bristol City, Derby County, Grimsby Town, Huddersfield Town, Manchester City and Wrexham.

Wolves have conceded 169 hat-tricks in senior football. 46 have come at Molineux 123 have come away. 139 have come in league football of which eleven have come in the Premier League. Four have come in the FA Cup and two in European competition.

The first conceded was scored by McNee at Bolton Wanderers Pikes Lane on 29 December 1890 in the Football League. The 100th conceded was the double hat-trick by Freddie Steele on New Year’s Day in 1944.

The six conceded at the Victoria Ground to Steele is also the most Wolves have ever scored against by one player in single match. Johnny McMillan January 1891 and Jimmy Greaves on 30 August 1958 have both netted five. The Jimmy Greaves effort is the only time a player has ever scored a five-timer against a team who went on to win the English League Championship. Four-timers have been netted against Wolves 23 times with only three coming at home. Those at Molineux are Jack Ball for Sheffield Wednesday in October 1932, Sandor Kocsis for Barcelona in the European Cup in March 1960 and Kevin de Bruyne for Manchester City in May 2022.

Of the Premier League trebles, ex Wolves Robbie Keane was the first to score a hat-trick against Wolves, doing so for Tottenham Hotspur in December 2003. Erling Haaland is the only player to net two (including a four-timer) for Manchester City.

The quickest hat-trick conceded is by Billy Haines of Portsmouth scored three in five minutes at Molineux on 14 February 1925.

Wolves have had two in one match against them on eight occasions with the last one was being at Molineux against West Bromwich Albion on 8 November 1941. Albion have in fact done it twice and both at Molineux, the first being in December 1893. The Last time it happened was on an away ground was at Middlesbrough on 9 February 1929.

Billy Garraty is the only player to complete three trebles against Wolves, doing so in the County Cups early in the 1900s. Charlie Athersmith, Steve Bloomer, Billy Elliott, Erling Haaland, Billy McLeod, Jimmy Millar, Freddie Steele and Ernie Thompson have all recorded two.

Aston Villa have recorded 13 hat-tricks, with West Bromwich Albion netted nine (seven at Molineux), Manchester City eight and Tottenham Hotspur have seven. Derby County and Sunderland have six apiece and Arsenal. Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Stoke City all have five.

Villa Park has witnessed ten hat-tricks against Wolves and Tottenham’s White Lane had seen seven against Wolves. Five against Wolves came at the old Victoria Ground in Stoke and four have come at Deepdale, Ewood Park, Filbert Street and Highbury Stadium.