Following on from Chris Dagnall's hat trick on Monday, we've scoured the archives to bring you the definitive list of Dale Hat Tricks throughout our history.

In scoring the hat trick, Dagnall became the first player since Reg Jenkins to have scored two hat tricks for the club, as well as a whole host of other "firsts". 

But you can tell from the table below, that way out in front in terms of scoring hat tricks is Albert Whitehurst. He scored an astonishing ten hat tricks in his time at Dale between 1923 and 1928. This is made to look even better when you consider that Reg Jenkins only scored four in his time at Dale.

Colours separate different decades, and it doesn't take much to realise that we had a bit of a barren spell in the 1980's. Mickey French was our sole hat trick scorer in the 1980's, when he bagged all three against Hereford in 82-83 season. In fact, those statistics get worse, for we had just two hat tricks to celebrate in just under twenty one years. Certainly makes it look like we have had a glut of them in recent years in comparison.

Four Dale players have been unlucky enough to have scored hat tricks and finished on the losing side. Whilst on three occasions have more than one Dale player achieved a hat trick in the same game.

* = scored five goals in that game
**= scored four goals in that game
***= scored six goals in that game

Photo: Action Images

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