Iconic Moments in Football No.24
Robbie Fowler made the news for all the wrong reasons after scoring in the Merseyside Derby at Anfield on 3rd April 1999.
Everton fans had previously accused Fowler of taking illegal drugs and started several chants about this in the game between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park earlier on in the season.
Everton were leading the game 1-0 after Olivier Dacourt had scored after only 39 seconds. When Liverpool were awarded a penalty after 15 minutes following a foul on Paul Ince by Everton’s Marco Matterazzi, it was Fowler who stepped up to take it.
After calmly dispatching the penalty past Thomas Myhre in the Everton goal at the Anfield Road End, Fowler ran over to the bye-line to celebrate. He quickly crouched down on the pitch and began crawling along the line, with his head to the ground and imitating someone snorting a line of cocaine. His team-mate Steve McManaman was quick to drag him up onto his feet, obviously embarrassed at what Fowler had done.
When out of McManaman’s clutches, Fowler again dropped to his knees and did the same action. This time it was on the edge of the penalty area, his gaze fixed on the Everton fans behind the goal.
Parents up and down the country were left having to explain what Fowler’s celebration meant and why it was such a bad thing for him to do.
As a result of the act, Liverpool fined Fowler £60,000 and the Football Association gave him a four match suspension.
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