Bunny Bell's Record-Breaking Nine-Goal Haul

Ninety years ago, Tranmere Rovers secured a stunning 13–4 victory over Oldham Athletic. Robert "Bunny" Bell scored nine goals, a record in the highest-scoring English Football League match ever. Two North West clubs, Tranmere and Oldham, first met on Christmas Day. Oldham won 4–1 at Boundary Park. Just 24 hours later, the return fixture at Prenton Park saw Tranmere top the Third Division North table. Oldham sat in ninth place, setting the stage for a remarkable contest. Birkenhead-born forward Robert "Bunny" Bell led the home side's attack. He later joined First Division Everton, though WWII curtailed his time at Goodison Park. On a quagmire pitch, Bell quickly completed an early hat-trick. Tranmere scored an astonishing six goals within the opening 20 minutes. Bell netted twice more before half-time, sending Oldham into the break 8–1 down. After the interval, Tranmere reached double figures. Bell then equalled the individual record of seven goals in a Football League match. This feat was previously achieved by Albert Whitehurst and Arsenal legend Ted Drake. Oldham scored two more, making it 11–4 with 20 minutes left to play. Despite a missed penalty, Bell found the net twice again before the final whistle. His personal tally reached nine, culminating in Tranmere's 13–4 win. Bell became the League's first player to score a "triple hat-trick" before almost 12,000 spectators. Tranmere's other goals came from Urmson, MacDonald, and Woodward (2). Oldham's scorers were Brunskill, Davies, and Walsh (2). Amazingly, Joe Payne eclipsed this record less than four months later. He scored 10 goals for Luton Town in a 12–0 demolition of Bristol Rovers. Payne, playing as an unfamiliar centre-forward, remains the only player to achieve double figures in a League match. Bunny Bell scored over 100 goals for Tranmere. He achieved a record 13 hat-tricks, placing him third in their all-time top goalscorers list. Tranmere could have scored 14, but Bell missed a penalty. Only two other teams have reached 13 goals in an English Football League match. Stockport County beat Halifax Town 13–0 in 1934, and Newcastle United beat Newport County 13–0 in 1946. Tranmere narrowly missed promotion in the 1935–36 season, finishing third. Chesterfield won the division, with Chester City taking second on goal average. Oldham ended the campaign in seventh place. Scoring four times away yet losing by nine seems unimaginable. However, Oldham played their part in a remarkable piece of football history. The 17 goals at Prenton Park on Boxing Day 1935 remain an English Football League record. FootballLeague TranmereRovers OldhamAthletic BunnyBell EnglishFootball HistoricFootball ThirdDivisionNorth Everton