With Matt Healey recently rekindling memories of Hereford
United’s quickest ever Football League goal at Edgar Street, it started Club
Historian Ron Parrott wondering just how rare it has been over the years for
goals to be scored within the first 60 seconds of a game and the results were
quite surprising. Ron takes up the story:-
"As we all know, back in 1991/92 Peter Heritage scored
United's quickest ever League goal, against Lincoln City after just 14 seconds
and this set me off on the trail of other 'first-minute' goals.
"As it turned
out, Peter's fantastic record has only been beaten on one occasion, back in
1935/36 when a Welsh centre-forward from Penrhiwceiber made his debut against
Cannock Town and scored within just 12 seconds of the kick-off and remarkably,
went on to notch a hat-trick.
"In all, a total of 28 Hereford players have
achieved the feat at Edgar Street, with former favourite Ollie Kearns having
done it three times, with goals after 31, 40 and 54 seconds (not all in the
same game, I rapidly hasten to add!). Third on the all-time list is Adam Page,
who cemented his feat as recently as last season."
The top 11 are as follows:-
"I then began to wonder whether any opposition players may
have bettered 12 seconds and it turned out that a further 14 opposition players
had also scored within a minute at Edgar Street. Top of this list was
centre-forward Bill Hullett of the great Merthyr Tydfil side of the late 1940s
and he equalled the 12 seconds record in a 2-0 Merthyr victory at Edgar Street
in 1949/50.
"With the bit now firmly between my teeth, I couldn’t resist
the temptation to have a look at similar records away from home and lo and
behold, there were a further three goal times that beat Peter Heritage’s
record.
"Top of the list and therefore, Hereford’s quickest ever goal was Gary
Beacock’s nine-second strike at Cwmbran Town in the Welsh Cup in 1983/84,
followed by Cyril Beech’s 10-second strike at Chelmsford City in 1956/57 then
Will Evans’ more recent 13-second goal at Macclesfield in 2011/12. Also worthy
of note is Brian Owen’s 17-second wonder strike at Newcastle United in 1971/72."
The top ten away from home (out of a total of 22) are:-
"Finally, there have been no less than 35 occasions when when
an opposing player has scored within 60 seconds of an away match, including a
12-second strike by Dominic Blizzard in a 4-1 defeat at Stockport County in
January 2009 but sitting proudly at the top of the list and therefore claiming
the record for the quickest ever goal scored during a Hereford match is
centre-forward Terry Austin, who scored for Walsall against Hereford United in
1977/78 after an incredible seven seconds!"