Iconic Moments in Football No.57
This week’s ‘Iconic Moment’ comes from the inaugural season of the Premier League on Saturday 19th September 1992.
Liverpool travelled to Aston Villa for their ninth league match of the season. The visitors had won the FA Cup the previous season but were struggling in the league, finishing sixth in their first season without Kenny Dalglish who left the club in February 1991.
Aston Villa had signed Liverpool’s Welsh striker Dean Saunders on 1st September for £2.5 million. In doing so he became Villa’s record signing. Saunders had performed very well after joining the club, netting four goals in his first three games.
Although Dean Saunders scored twice in a 4-2 win over Liverpool that day, the main talking point would be a miss in the first half from Liverpool striker Ronnie Rosenthal. If you type ‘Ronnie Rosenthal’ into Google and YouTube, the first suggestion that comes up is ‘Ronnie Rosenthal miss’ and it is that howler that will feature in this week’s article.
The fact that this miss is the first thing that people search for is grossly unfair on the Israeli striker. He scored a sensational hat-trick in the FA Cup for Tottenham away to Southampton a few years later and also scored a fantastic solo effort for the Israeli national team, running from deep in his own half before calmly slotting home past the opposing goalkeeper.
I think that the main reason why the miss is so well known is because it featured on most, if not all football DVDs and videos over the years that followed. IT featured in Danny Baker’s ‘Own Goals and Gaffes’ as well as a Soccer AM DVD that I bought a few years ago.
Television shows are quick to bring out the miss on compilation videos of the worst mistakes in football and sadly for Rosenthal, it really is quite a fantastic miss!
Liverpool goalkeeper David James hit a long clearance from outside his own penalty area that bypassed every player on the pitch. It flew over the head of Shaun Teale, the final defender and Rosenthal ran through to latch on to the loose ball.
Nigel Spink, Villa’s goalkeeper came steaming out of his goal and slid in to block try and get the ball but the Liverpool striker took it past him with ease. The goal at the Holte End stood unguarded and Rosenthal took a touch to control the ball and compose himself.
In front of a massive crowd in the huge Holte End terrace, Rosenthal was stood near the penalty spot and sliced a shot at goal. The Villa fans had already assumed that the ball would hit the back of the net and so there was a stunned silence when the ball cannoned off the crossbar before bouncing away from danger. The silence was then followed by sarcastic cheers and a huge collective sigh of relief from the home fans!
Although he is now best known for his error, Ronnie Rosenthal has written his name in the history books. His miss in September 1992 against Aston Villa will go down as one of the greatest Premier League misses of all time!
About Author
