SUMMERS SCORING UP THE VALLEY

I have mentioned the odd 7-6 result in the past; matches that have given full entertainment, so here is another 13 goal thriller.

At the end of the 1956-7 season, Charlton were relegated from Division One, conceding 120 goals and scoring 62 in 42 games.

At the start of the new season,  in 1957, in the "old" Second Division, Charlton played Bill Shankly's Huddersfield Town, away, their first league game. The visitors were 3-0 up at half time, only to concede 3 in the second half, as the Terriers forced a draw.

Nearing Christmas, on December 21st, there was the return match at the Valley, which just over 12,500 people turned up for. The pitch was freezing and soon the Charlton captain, Derek Ufton had fallen and dislocated his shoulder. There were no substitutes, so after 17 minutes, Charlton were down to 10 men but battled on, only to be 0-2 down at half time.

Charlton scored next but were 1-5 down with 30 minutes to go. After 78 minutes, the home team's  left winger, Johnny Summers, had scored 4 goals to make it 5-5.

Summers scored a fifth putting Charlton ahead 6-5 and with four minutes left on the clock, Huddersfield drew level. With seconds left Summers crossed the ball and Ryan sealed a 7-6 victory, and The Observer included this in its top ten greatest come backs in sporting history.
http://observer.theguardian.com/osm/story/0,,562527,00.html

Johnny Ryan scored two, both assisted by Summers.
Summers revealed that he had put on new boots at half time and although very left footed, he scored all five with his right. So not a perfect "hat trick" then!

Ray Wilson, the legendry World Cup winning full back, was in the Huddersfield side.

At the end of the 1960-1 season, Charlton finished 10th in the Second Division but scored 97 times, the second highest total in the division, after the champions, Ipswich, who scored 100. Charlton, however, conceded 91 goals, whilst Ipswich let in only 55, so that was the difference.

In that season, Charlton hosted Middlesbrough and drew 6-6 with them and Summers also scored 5 in a Second Division match against Portsmouth in October 1960. He died from cancer in June 1962, at the young age of 34. He played at Charlton between 1956-61 scoring 100 goals in 171 games. Prior to that he was at Fulham 94 games), Norwich (71 games 33 goals) and Millwall (91 games and 41 goals). A remarkable strike rate which improved as he settled as a left winger.