Speed stars racing to make history

15 Mar 2018 By David Watters

The goal-scoring exploits of Scott Bakkor and Chris Almond are set to be included in the new book charting the Northern Premier League's fifty years of proud history unless their records are broken over the run-in.

Unless they are outdone, the pair will feature in the final chapters of the book marking the competition's milestone anniversary season with the records for the fastest hat-trick and four goal burst respectively of the milestone 2017-18 campaign.

Entitled ‘50 Glorious Seasons - A History of the Northern Premier League 1968-2018’, the book is currently being written by the EVO-STIK League's official statistician and historian Dominic McKenzie to produce a definitive history with chapters on everything from the story behind the NPL’s foundation to its greatest cup kings and star graduates.

According to McKenzie's latest stats up to and including Tuesday night's action (14 March), 62 hat-tricks have been scored so far in all competitions by the NPL's 68 clubs with nine four-goal strikes in all competitions but no five goal hauls yet.

Treble star: Scott Bakkor

Almond didn't hang around in 2018 to make his bid for a record against his former club Skelmersdale United, the midfielder's four goal burst for Prescot Cables in EVO-STIK League North on New Year's Day coming in just 26 minutes in a 6-1 'away' win over their tenants at Valerie Park.

Skelmersdale's Bakkor left it late to make his mark on the season so far, scoring the fastest league treble of the campaign on Tuesday night in a 3-2 win at Kendal Town in EVO-STIK League North. Spectators at Parkside saw Bakkor overturn a 2-0 half-time deficit in the space of just nine second half minutes with two penalties on 79 and 86 minutes and the winner from open play on 88 minutes.

To lead the race to be included in the league's first official history, former Warrington Town, Clitheroe, Colwyn Bay, Curzon Ashton, Marine, Warrington Town and Witton Albion stiker Bakkor beat the previous best attempts of 12 minutes by two players - Aidan Savory for Tadcaster Albion against Ossett Albion in EVO-STIK League North way back on Tuesday 15 August and Stamford's Liam Adams against Belper Town on Saturday 2 December in EVO-STIK South.

Image courtesy of nonleague.pitchero.com & @evostikleague/Twitter

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Where next?

Cameras capture plea for new home EVO-STIK League Colne are hoping to start getting the green light from their local politicians to spend more than £1 million on building a new community stadium tonight (Thursday).

Wednesday's South Division action review Lincoln United made it five games unbeaten in EVO-STIK League South on Wednesday night with a 4-1 win over bottom-markers Sheffield FC at Ashby Avenue, writes Pitchero's Steve Whitney.