Iconic Moments in Football No.29
Today’s iconic moment involves an inanimate object!
Cast your minds back to Saturday 17th October 2009 and Sunderland vs Liverpool at the Stadium of Light.
The Liverpool fans had been hitting a beach ball around the away end and one of their fans hit the ball onto the pitch. The ball landed in the Liverpool penalty area and as the game kicked off, the beach ball sat on the six yard line.
The fan who threw the ball onto the pitch was a 16 year old called Callum Campbell. He and the other Liverpool fans watched on in horror as Sunderland attacked after five minutes, heading towards the end where the Liverpool fans were sat.
What happened next has gone down in football folklore.
Sunderland’s Andy Reid took the ball to the right of the penalty area, evading a sliding tackle from a Liverpool defender.
Reid hit a low cross in and the ball made it’s way through a crowded penalty area. It reached Darren Bent out on his own, about 15 yards out at the left of the penalty area.
Bent hit a hard first time shot and it flew towards the near post. Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal had the shot covered.
The ball then cannoned off the beach ball and flew off into the far corner of the net. It was the only goal of the game.
Campbell was sent several death threats by other Liverpool fans and had to go into hiding.
Mike Jones, the referee who incorrectly awarded the goal was demoted from the Premiership to the Championship. He took of Peterborough United vs Scunthorpe United the following Saturday.
Liverpool ended the league season in a disappointing 7th position and Sunderland finished in 13th place.
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