Читать книгу Unforgettable Soccer - Luciano Wernicke - Страница 34

In March of 1998, the English city of Scarborough was the scene of one of the most exceptional penalties of all time. While Tap and Spile FC and Rangers Reserves FC faced each other in the local league in a very even match, referee Steve Ripley signaled a penalty shot for the visiting squad. Before one of the Rangers’ players fired, Tap and Spile’s captain, Paul Flack—enraged at the unfairness of the punishment—unleashed his anger in a very peculiar way: He got into his own penalty box and, after a short run, sent the ball to the net in the midst of a general stupor. Ripley should have invalidated the irregular goal because, according to the regulations, the kicker must be properly identified; the players of the defending team, except the goalkeeper, must remain outside the penalty box, behind the point of execution, and at least 10 yards from the ball; if any of these rules is violated, the shot must be repeated. However, the referee, angered by Flack’s improper conduct, decided to approve the goal. Hard punishment for the transgressing captain: That afternoon, his team fell by 5 goals to 4!