Just Bizarre
Mad moments on the pitch
Stuart Nelson may have been the hero after two penalty saves and scoring the winning spot kick in Gillingham’s penalty shoot-out win over Colchester United in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in October. But despite his heroic display on his first appearance since the opening day of the season – when he suffered a wrist injury – the Gills number one was left behind by the team coach at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.
While the shot stopper was answering media questions, the League One side’s bus departed for Kent, leaving Nelson stranded in Essex. Luckily for him, the Medway Messenger newspaper reporters offered him a lift back to his car, which he had left in Brentwood before the cup tie.
Team-mate Jermaine McGlashan revealed the mix-up on Twitter, posting: ‘Stuart Nelson may have missed the team bus and joined the media car to get home but what a return!’
Here are some more bizarre incidents that football has attracted:
MIROSLAV STUPAR KUWAIT v FRANCE 1982 FIFA WORLD CUP
With the Kuwaiti national team already 3-1 down against Michel Platini’s France, they were disappointed to concede yet again. Alain Giresse scored France’s fourth of the match, but the Kuwait players were convinced that they had heard the referee’s whistle in the build up, which caused several of the players to stop.
The referee had not, in fact, blown his whistle and so Kuwait were outraged. With the goal looking as though it would stand, Sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who was president of the Kuwait FA at the time, emerged from the stands and began to remonstrate with the referee, Miroslav Stupar, on the pitch. The Kuwait FA president then insisted that his country’s players leave the field unless the goal was chalked off.
After Prince Fahid made that threat, the referee incredibly agreed to disallow the goal and so play resumed with France still only 3-1 up. Platini’s side did go on to score a fourth goal anyway and Stupar lost his international status in the aftermath. Prince Fahid was also fined £8,000.
STUART ATTWELL WATFORD v READING SEPTEMBER 20, 2008
Stuart Attwell went into this Championship fixture at Vicarage Road with little experience – and it showed. The referee, who has since gone on to officiate in Premier League games, awarded Reading an early goal when the ball went nowhere near the Watford goal.
Attwell’s assistant, Nigel Bannister, flagged for a goal instead of a corner kick after Watford midfielder John Eustace had played the ball over the byline – four yards wide of the goal post – before Reading striker Noel Hunt attempted to hook the ball back into play.
Attwell, somehow, went along with his assistant and awarded Reading the goal. The incident, dubbed in the media as a ‘ghost goal’, led to Attwell and Bannister being dropped from their duties the following weekend.
MWEPU ILUNGA ZAIRE v BRAZIL 1974 FIFA WORLD CUP
Before kick off in their final group stage fixture, Zaire national leader Mobutu Sese Seko informed his country’s stars – via his armed guards – that there would be dire consequences if they lost to holders Brazil by four or more goals.
Defender Mwepu Ilunga took that threat to heart and did all he could to stop the Samba stars finding the back of the net four times. Even so, it came as a huge surprise to see him burst from the defensive wall and boot the ball down the other end of the pitch as Brazil were lining up a free kick on goal.
Unsurprisingly, the referee issued a yellow card but Zaire managed to hold out and concede only three goals, meaning they were allowed to return home unsanctioned.
SILVIA REGINA DE OLIVEIRA ATLETICO SOROCABA v SANTACRUZENSE SEPTEMBER 2006
A last minute goal scored by a ball boy was awarded in this match in Brazil. With Atletico Sorocaba leading by a single goal in the dying moments, they were relieved to see Santacruzense striker Samuel’s shot drift wide of the post.
But the ball boy behind the goal decided to bring the ball back onto the pitch and rather than give the ball to the Sorocaba goalkeeper, the ball boy side footed the ball into the net. Silvia Regina de Oliveira, who was the first female to referee in the Brazilian National Championship, had her back turned when the incident took place and when she saw that the ball was nestling in the corner of the goal, she assumed that Samuel’s shot – that everyone including herself had seen go wide – had somehow crept in. As a result, the game finished 1-1, and the Brazilian FA were forced to uphold the result, but the referee and her fellow officials were suspended.
SERGEI SHMOLIK VITEBSK v NAFTAN JULY 2008
Sergei Shmolik was voted as Belarus’ best referee in 2007 and he was also in charge of England’s 6-0 win over Luxembourg in 1999, but he decided to officiate this Belarusian Premier Division fixture under the influence of drink. According to various reports, Shmolik spent the majority of the game staggering around the centre circle, failing to keep up with play and refusing to issue any cards despite some poor tackles. At the end, Shmolik was helped off the pitch by another official, with the referee waving to the crowd as he was led down the tunnel.
He was taken to hospital for tests, which revealed he had huge levels of alcohol in his system. Shmolik insisted his poor performance was due to ‘a bad back’ but the Belarusian FA saw it differently. Shmolik was suspended.