Putting One’s Foot Down
‘REMEMBER the famous clip of the Mexican goalkeeper throwing the ball into his own net. Well, Aston Villa keeper Peter Enckelman came close to rivalling it last night when he let in what the Mirror describes as ”the most bizarre and embarrassing own goal in the history of the Premiership”.
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| A two-footed stamp or an evasive jump? |
The Finn amazingly allowed a thrown-in from teammate Olof Mellberg to roll under his foot and into the goal during his side’s 3-0 defeat at bitter rivals Birmingham.
Hold on, say devotees of You’re The Ref – surely that is just a corner. And you’d be right, but unfortunately referee David Elleray decided that the ball had brushed Enckelman’s foot on the way through and awarded a goal.
It was not all good news for Birmingham, however, with Elleray telling the Mail that he would be reporting the club for the pitch invasions that followed each goal.
The Mirror says Brum now face ”the strong possibility of an FA charge” – as does Arsenal’s Thierry Henry after the FA said it would examine video of his clash with John Robinson on Saturday.
This despite the fact that David Beckham escaped scot-free from a similar incident just a few hours earlier. No wonder the Express describes the decision as ”crazy” and a ”farce”.
FA rules say that the Henry incident can be investigated because the referee didn’t see it; in Beckham’s case, the referee did see it but only awarded a free-kick against the England captain.
Arsene Wenger tells the Mail that he thinks the system is ”absurd”, but so does John Robinson, the recipient of Henry’s so-called elbow.
”I think the FA should get on with something else and not worry about an incident that wasn’t there,” he said.
And nor should we, especially when what the Mail describes as ”the greatest fortnight in golf history” is upon us.
”This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-repeated fortnight, so get the trumpets out and prepare to savour a unique double bill,” shouts the paper.
Surely not. Surely, fate hasn’t conspired to give us the first round of the Stockley Park Winter Mixed Foursomes and the West Hertfordshire Monthly Medal all in the space of the same 14 days?
No, even more incredible than that – we have the Solheim Cup (the women’s Ryder Cup) taking place this week, followed by the Ryder Cup (the men’s Solheim Cup) a week later.
”Throw in this week’s gathering of the world’s top 50 men for the biggest tournament Ireland has staged,” writes Derek Lawrenson, ”and you have an unprecedented golfing festival.”
Be still, thy beating heart…
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Posted: 17th, September 2002 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
