Cantona’s kung fu kick was the real making of United
FRIDAY WEEK last marked the 24th anniversary of an incident that had sports followers staring at their television sets in openmouthed amazement. On January 25, 1995, Manchester United’s temperamental but supremely talented Frenchman Eric Cantona was leaving the field after being red-carded when he aimed a kung fu kick at the chest of an abusive fan.
Matthew Simmons had made his way towards the hoarding to vent his spleen after the dismissal against Crystal Palace in Selhurst Park, and the man on the receiving end of the foul language decided that there was only one way to deal with it.
Despite all that had happened in football down through the years, this was a first, and it provoked a stunned reaction.
Initially there was widespread condemnation of Cantona’s complete loss of composure, but as the days progressed and the vitriol that emanated from Simmons’ mouth was contemplated, that quickly altered to a quiet admiration in many quarters.
A lippy fan had been taught the ultimate lesson, and the game would never be the same again.
The incident itself, and the various repercussions, are recalled in ‘250 Days
- Cantona’s Kung Fu and the making of
Manchester United’ by Daniel Storey.
It runs to a succinct 140 pages and therefore can be easily read in just a single sitting, and that’s only one of the appealing characteristics of this new book on that dramatic incident, captured in the image on a striking front cover.
Manchester United reacted swiftly by banning Cantona until the end of the season and landing him with a hefty fine.
However, they felt badly let down by the authorities afterwards when the FA conducted their own investigation and imposed a heftier suspension that left him out of action until October 1 of the following campaign.
Cantona was also sentenced to 14 days in prison when the matter was dealt with in court amid a blaze of publicity, but that was later reduced to community service.
And the first silver lining from this sorry incident emerged when the fiery French playmaker derived immense enjoyment from spending that time coaching wide-eyed young football lovers who were thrilled to share a field with their hero, regardless of his major error of judgement on that cold winter’s night in London.
Storey is one of the most authoritative writers on the Premier League, and his chronological telling of this tale rattles along at abriskpace.
United’s famous ‘Class of ’92’ players were emerging at this time, and Cantona was the ideal man to show guidance to the Neville brothers, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt.
Indeed, it was no coincidence that his comeback game in the league was also the first occasion for all six to feature together in a starting eleven.
For all the quirks in his character, one thing that set Cantona apart was his utter dedication to training which ensured that he was always the first to arrive and the last to leave.
This trait, above all others, was what endeared him to manager Alex Ferguson more than anything else.
And although there was interest from Italy during Cantona’s long sabbatical on the sidelines, the loyalty shown by his boss during this turbulent time ensured he stayed at Old Trafford and made such a successful fresh start.
ALAN AHERNE
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