|
|
The Unforgettables: Kung Fu Fighting!
Here's kicking off a series of "Unforgettables", the funny, painful, euphoric, and downright ridiculous moments that have gone by over the years in top-flight football in England. The first one we bring to you, belongs entirely to the former Man Utd striker, Eric Cantona.
08-Jul-2008 5:48:21 PM
Eric
Cantona still remains today as arguably the best player the English Premier
League has ever seen. The enigmatic former Auxerre and Man Utd
striker however, had a very dodgy temperamental side to him.
He was known to have very little control over his temper on the pitch right from his early days with Auxerre. In 1987, he punched his own team’s goalkeeper in the face, causing a black eye in the process. When with Marseille, he was suspended for kicking a ball into the crowd and throwing his shirt at the referee after being substituted! In reply to the reprimands and suspensions, Cantona retired from the top division in France and moved to England.
However, the pick of all his infamous exploits on the pitch has to be the “Kung Fu Kick” he executed on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons in January 1995. Manchester United were playing Crystal Palace away, and Cantona had just been shown a red card for a vengeful kick on Palace defender Richard Shaw, after the latter had merely pulled his shirt! The best, though, was yet to come.
While walking off the pitch, in a sudden burst of rage, Cantona walked up to Simmons, who was sitting in the front row of the stands, and launched himself into the air to deliver a Kung-Fu style dropkick on Simmon’s chest with both feet! What followed was a melee with Cantona throwing several punches, until the stewards the other members of the crowd pulled him away.
According to Cantona, Simmons shouted racial insults and even threw missiles at him while he was walking off the pitch, which resulted in the whole fracas. Simmons was later tried in court for threatening language and behaviour. On being found guilty, he attacked the prosecution counsel by leaping over the bench and delivering a kung fu kick of his own!
Cantona was fined £20,000 by the FA for his troubles, and was banned from football for nine months. Manchester United too, fined Cantona two weeks’ wages, and the French Football Federation stripped him of the national captaincy, and dropped him from the side. Matthew Simmons on the other hand, had his season ticket taken away and was banned from future games at Selhurst Park. At a press confererence called later, Cantona delivered what is perhaps his most famous quotation. When asked about how journalists would monitor every action of his closely from now on, he slowly replied,
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."
He then got up from his seat and left the room, leaving everybody else bemused!
Even though it was one of the most shameful moments in the league’s history, and one that nobody wished had taken place, it has cemented its place in EPL folklore, and will remain to be an unforgettable moment for years to come!
Who can forget “Kung Fu Fighting” anyway ??
Atishay Agarwal
He was known to have very little control over his temper on the pitch right from his early days with Auxerre. In 1987, he punched his own team’s goalkeeper in the face, causing a black eye in the process. When with Marseille, he was suspended for kicking a ball into the crowd and throwing his shirt at the referee after being substituted! In reply to the reprimands and suspensions, Cantona retired from the top division in France and moved to England.
However, the pick of all his infamous exploits on the pitch has to be the “Kung Fu Kick” he executed on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons in January 1995. Manchester United were playing Crystal Palace away, and Cantona had just been shown a red card for a vengeful kick on Palace defender Richard Shaw, after the latter had merely pulled his shirt! The best, though, was yet to come.
While walking off the pitch, in a sudden burst of rage, Cantona walked up to Simmons, who was sitting in the front row of the stands, and launched himself into the air to deliver a Kung-Fu style dropkick on Simmon’s chest with both feet! What followed was a melee with Cantona throwing several punches, until the stewards the other members of the crowd pulled him away.
According to Cantona, Simmons shouted racial insults and even threw missiles at him while he was walking off the pitch, which resulted in the whole fracas. Simmons was later tried in court for threatening language and behaviour. On being found guilty, he attacked the prosecution counsel by leaping over the bench and delivering a kung fu kick of his own!
Cantona was fined £20,000 by the FA for his troubles, and was banned from football for nine months. Manchester United too, fined Cantona two weeks’ wages, and the French Football Federation stripped him of the national captaincy, and dropped him from the side. Matthew Simmons on the other hand, had his season ticket taken away and was banned from future games at Selhurst Park. At a press confererence called later, Cantona delivered what is perhaps his most famous quotation. When asked about how journalists would monitor every action of his closely from now on, he slowly replied,
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."
He then got up from his seat and left the room, leaving everybody else bemused!
Even though it was one of the most shameful moments in the league’s history, and one that nobody wished had taken place, it has cemented its place in EPL folklore, and will remain to be an unforgettable moment for years to come!
Who can forget “Kung Fu Fighting” anyway ??
Atishay Agarwal
Inside Goal.Com
-
Vote for your Goal.com World Player of the Week
Have your say on who you think should win Goal.com's weekly honour
-
Euro 2012 a timely respite for depressed Spain
With 24 per cent unemployment, wage cuts and little hope for improvement in the short term, the continental competition will at least take people's minds off their sad situation
-
Welbeck impresses but it's a bad day for Johnson
Ashley Young has also all but secured his place in the starting line up against France while Steven Gerrard put a good shift in. Here's how the Belgium friendly affected the England player's chances of featuring in Euro 2012
-
Five players Rodgers could sign for Liverpool
The new Reds boss was unveiled to the press on Friday and must immediately begin work on revitalising a thin squad with some additions in the transfer market
-
Lambert the latest in EPL manager merry-go-round
The Scot officially left Norwich City on Saturday to become the second new boss in June, following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool on Friday