Jimmy Scarth
Encyclopedia
James William "Jimmy" Scarth (August 26, 1926 - December 12, 2000) was an English
association football player who for more than fifty years held the record for the fastest hat-trick
scored in the history of the Football League.
in 1926, he first made his name with local amateur sides, and as a result was invited to Tottenham Hotspur
for trials. Although he impressed the London club and was signed as a professional, he found first team opportunities limited at White Hart Lane
. He was one of 19 players used in the club's Championship winning side of 1950–51
when he featured in one match. He moved to Gillingham
in 1952 for £3,500. It was during his time at Priestfield Stadium
that he wrote his name into the record books with a lightning-fast hat-trick against Leyton Orient
on 1 November 1952. This was officially recognised as the fastest hat-trick in the history of the Football League until February 2004 when James Hayter
notched three goals in 2 minutes 20 seconds for AFC Bournemouth against Wrexham
, with contemporary reports stating that the previous record had been 2 minutes 30 seconds. Sources published in the intervening years, however, give the total time of Scarth's goals as exactly 2 minutes or even as little as 110 seconds, which is quicker than the time claimed by Irish
player Jimmy O'Connor
for the "world's fastest hat-trick".
Scarth left Gillingham in 1955 after scoring 24 goals in 138 League matches, and joined non-league Kent
team Gravesend & Northfleet
, where he was to remain until he retired from football in 1960. During his time there he scored 64 goals in 189 games and helped the club win the Southern League title in 1958.
His son Bobby Scarth later joined Tottenham as an apprentice but failed to make the breakthrough to the professional game. He died at Welwyn Garden City
in 2000.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
association football player who for more than fifty years held the record for the fastest hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
scored in the history of the Football League.
Biography
Born in North ShieldsNorth Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
in 1926, he first made his name with local amateur sides, and as a result was invited to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
for trials. Although he impressed the London club and was signed as a professional, he found first team opportunities limited at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
. He was one of 19 players used in the club's Championship winning side of 1950–51
1950-51 in English football
The 1950–51 season was the 71st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Tottenham Hotspur won their first League Championship, while Newcastle United defeated Blackpool 2–0 to win their fourth F.A. Cup. They would win it twice more over the next four seasons. The league was expanded...
when he featured in one match. He moved to Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in 1952 for £3,500. It was during his time at Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent...
that he wrote his name into the record books with a lightning-fast hat-trick against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
on 1 November 1952. This was officially recognised as the fastest hat-trick in the history of the Football League until February 2004 when James Hayter
James Hayter (footballer)
James Edward Hayter is an English footballer who plays as a forward for Doncaster Rovers.-Bournemouth:...
notched three goals in 2 minutes 20 seconds for AFC Bournemouth against Wrexham
Wrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
, with contemporary reports stating that the previous record had been 2 minutes 30 seconds. Sources published in the intervening years, however, give the total time of Scarth's goals as exactly 2 minutes or even as little as 110 seconds, which is quicker than the time claimed by Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
player Jimmy O'Connor
Jimmy O'Connor
Jimmy O'Connor is a former Irish footballer notable for being the fastest hat-trick scorer in top level domestic league history. He scored three goals for Shelbourne in 2 minutes and 13 seconds, versus Bohemians at Dalymount Park on November 19, 1967...
for the "world's fastest hat-trick".
Scarth left Gillingham in 1955 after scoring 24 goals in 138 League matches, and joined non-league Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
team Gravesend & Northfleet
Gravesend & Northfleet F.C.
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is an English professional football team currently playing in the Conference National. The team plays their home matches at Stonebridge Road in Northfleet, Kent. However, the club is now looking to build a new stadium in the Ebbsfleet Valley vicinity in...
, where he was to remain until he retired from football in 1960. During his time there he scored 64 goals in 189 games and helped the club win the Southern League title in 1958.
His son Bobby Scarth later joined Tottenham as an apprentice but failed to make the breakthrough to the professional game. He died at Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
in 2000.