Recently, Jeremy Ngakia found the net twice for Watford against Oxford to bring his total career goals to three from 116 senior club appearances,” wonders a curious fan. “Excluding footballers who only scored one goal, is there anyone with 100+ appearances achieved a higher percentage of their career goals in a single match?”
Denis Boone writes in with the story of French defender Chalmé. “French right-back Matthieu Chalmé played 362 professional matches during his playing days, primarily with Lille and Bordeaux,” he explains. “He scored four career goals, with three of them scored during a single game. Chalmé netted all three goals in Lille’s victory at AC Ajaccio in 2004, achieving the most unlikely of hat-tricks.”
That memorable hat-trick in Ajaccio were the only ones he scored in 179 games for Lille, while in 167 matches with Bordeaux, he scored once. Actually, twice including his self-scored goal in the 2010 League Cup final against Olympique Marseille. Scoring 75% of his career goals in a single match puts Chalmé ahead of Ngakia’s percentage (two-thirds), but there is a fly in the ointment.
Chalmé hung up his boots at his club in 2014 after a loan spell at the Corsican club, who presumably recalled his brief purple patch a decade earlier. He did return to the game with amateur team his local club, featuring seven times in six months – and scoring one goal. That would drop his ratio of goals in one match down to three-fifths, but it seems unfair to penalise him for a post-career stint at amateur football.
A quick mention, too, for a different French defender: Lilian Thuram. Although the query relates to professional club play, plenty of you emailed in to highlight that the defender made 142 international caps and scored two goals in the identical game – the 1998 World Cup semi-final against the Croatian team. Sometimes, form is everything.
Players Defying Managers: Part II
Previously in this series we looked at footballers who defied their managers’ instructions. We have additional fantastic examples, so let’s reopen the Disobedience Records for a another review.
Spurs vs City, FA Cup semi-final, the 1950s
Tottenham’s skipper, Blanchflower, altered tactics to the side during the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City while they were losing 1-0,” writes John Tumbridge. “Moving Norman from centre-half to up front, Spurs still lost and the coach, Jimmy Anderson [not that one], dropped Blanchflower for the following game and removed him of the armband. Soon after Anderson was out, Bill Nicholson took over, Blanchflower was reinstated and the rest is history.”
England v Albania, World Cup qualifying, 1989
Another fan notes: “Gazza netted his maiden international goal in this victory at the national stadium after playing ‘all over the pitch’, as per coach Robson. The post-game comments are priceless – a great blend of annoyance, sarcasm and fatherly pride.”
Everton v Tottenham, Cup semi, 1994-95
The Toffees’ most recent silverware was the 1995 FA Cup, and it wouldn’t have been possible without one man,” begins Jim Hearson. “Coach Royle? No. Final scorer, Rideout? Close, but no. Keeper Southall? Nope. The hero was unpredictable forward Daniel Amokachi, who came on uninvited during the semi-final against Spurs, netting two to earn the Toffees a place in the Wembley showpiece against United.”
Recounting the story to the BBC, Amokachi said: “Rideout was injured and went down ... I just approached Willie Donachie and said ‘The gaffer says you need me on’.” Royle was rightly angry at the time, but more forgiving at the final whistle: “He came into the locker room and embraced me, shook my hand and said: ‘Well done, son, but never try that again.’”
Sporting v Barcelona, European match, 2008-09
During his time with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona against Sporting, Henry decided to change flanks. He soon netted to give Barcelona the lead at the break. The coach’s response? He hooked Henry for disobeying orders.”
Set-Piece Specialists
“As a West Ham fan, I’m increasingly having to look at past seasons for some enjoyment,” laments a fan. “While recently doing so, I saw that Dimitri Payet netted six set-pieces in the 18 cherished months that we enjoyed him. Just wondering if there is a more prolific free-kick taker in a similar time period?”
An example exists: David Beckham netted 27 direct kicks in his time at Manchester United, including eight in as many months between March and November 2000. His best period at Old Trafford covers the identical timeframe: from 1999-2000, he netted ten set-pieces – including two raspers against the Hammers. Apologies.
If it helps, there’s a footballer now at West Ham who can better Payet’s statistics: James Ward-Prowse. The set-piece maestro had two great runs with his former club, netting seven set-pieces between 2019-2021 across two pandemic-interrupted campaigns. He then hit another six dead-ball beauties in a 10-month spell between April 2022 and February 2023.
Historical Trivia
“A Southend-supporting friend claims the team once featured in a league match at the national stadium? Is he joking?” queried Stuart Jacks in 2012.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t. The team were one of two teams – Brentford being the second – to play against Clapton Orient in the third tier at the stadium back in 1930, owing to ground improvement work at Orient’s Lea Bridge Stadium. Their official website takes up the story:
After a game against Torquay United (which the O’s won), Torquay representatives objected to the perimeter fence being too near to the field. The Football League was duly asked to check the stadium and concluded that alterations had to be made before further matches could be held; abruptly the Orient found themselves without a stadium. Hard to believe, the national stadium was proposed and the Orient actually hosted two matches in 1930 against Brentford and Southend, securing two victories. Even now the Orient is the only Football League side to have played home games at the iconic venue!
After that of course, Spurs joined Orient in playing temporarily at Wembley, albeit in the Premier League. In recent weeks, talk of Arsenal renovating their stadium – and moving to the Wembley while the construction occurs – has emerged.
Can you help?
“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted four times and was red-carded in Gabon’s 4-3 win over Gambia recently,” notes a reader. “Which other players have been dismissed after netting a hat-trick or more?”
“In Austria’s 10-0 demolition of the minnows, every outfield player who started scored or assisted,” asks another correspondent. “Is there another side managed this?”
“Of all of the players who have a statue at their club’s stadium of their ex-team, who played the fewest games for that club?” asks a fan.
“Interestingly, Tomasson is the first manager to be fired by {Sw
