The story behind the picture – Hat tricks, hat tricks and more hat tricks

Did you hear the one about four Geordies and a lad from Millom who scored their first hat-tricks for Reds within a few weeks of each other?

Having gone four years without a Workington hat-trick, there was a flurry of activity in December/January mid-way through the 1993-94 season, with five scored in the space of six matches.

Remarkably, a Reds player claimed the match ball in three consecutive matches, there were then two games without a goal-scoring hero emerging before two were bagged in the same ninety minutes!

Lee Chambers netted the first in a Cumberland Cup tie v. Albert (Cleator Moor) which Reds won 7-0 on 11 December, 1993 with all Lee’s goals bagged in the second half.

Our next game wasn’t until1 January, 1994 with Martin Henderson notching a first half hat-trick in a 5-3 defeat at Spennymoor United.  I cannot be sure if Martin went home with the match ball because Spennymoor’s Keith Gorman also netted three goals!

We then played on 3 January, 1994 and Paul Campbell chipped in with the perfect hat-trick, one with the left foot, one with the right and a header in a 3-1 home win over Harrogate Town.

Reds next two matches were low scoring draws but on 18 January, 1994 both Paddy Atkinson and Danny Wheatley netted seven between them in a high scoring Cumberland Cup match v. Aspatria Spartans.  Paddy scored four and Danny three in a 12-0 home win over the County League side.

Lining up for the camera are: Danny Wheatley, Paul Campbell, Paddy Atkinson, Martin Henderson and the only Cumbrian, Lee Chambers.