Ascoli 'Fair Play' goal investigated

[Per Sempre]

An investigation is underway after Ascoli stood by and allowed Reggina to score in a gesture of ‘Fair Play.’

There were chaotic scenes and a moral conundrum during Saturday’s game at Ascoli’s Stadio Del Duca.


Reggina player Carlos Valdez pulled a muscle and tried to put the ball out of play so he could be stretchered off.


However, probably not realising the intention, Vincenzo Sommese intercepted it and rushed forward to set up the opening goal.


Reggina were furious and in the ensuing melee had Costa sent off for striking Sommese.


Ascoli decided to ‘rectify’ the error of judgment by effectively giving their opponents a goal, so when play resumed, the entire team stood still and allowed Pagano to walk into an empty net.


Despite playing with 10 men for over an hour, Reggina went on to win the match 3-1.


“We made the decision all together, there is no single person responsible for it,” explained Ascoli Coach Bepi Pillon.


Some fans were angry that relegation-threatened Ascoli had chosen to level the scores in this manner.


“We were locked in the changing rooms for two hours after the game to avoid the protests. There is too much exasperation in Italy, too many interests that force you to look only at the results. It’s not fun like this.”


Naturally, there is also an investigation into what exactly happened and whether it constitutes fair play or an illegal move.


It also raises the question of whether it was the referee’s job to halt play in that instance for the injured player to receive treatment and, as he did not blow the whistle, should it be considered a perfectly valid goal?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5jdxx2Q ... r_embedded#

[Costanza Philosophy]

It also raises the question of whether it was the referee’s job to halt play in that instance for the injured player to receive treatment and, as he did not blow the whistle, should it be considered a perfectly valid goal?

It should always have been left up to the referee. All this kick the ball out of play stuff is bullshiít. Play the whistle.

[ruud]

same thing happened in an ajax game couple years back, gave a free goal away cause we accidentally scored when giving the ball back to the keeper from an injury

nothing resulted from it all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FsE0-Gpvjg

[Costanza Philosophy]

Happened in South Korea too. There was once a game (in England I think) where they let someone score right from the beginning because of something that happened in a match that got abandoned or something. I think it was last season's FA Cup, but I've forgotten the details.

[Costanza Philosophy]

Actually it was a League Cup match

On the same day that Sevilla's Antonio Puerta passed away in Spain, Clive Clarke, a defender on loan to Leicester City from Premiership side Sunderland, suffered a heart attack after collapsing in the dressing room during half-time of a League Cup match with Nottingham Forest.

Clarke, 27, was treated by paramedics and rushed to a cardiac unit at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre. Fifteen minutes after the game was due to restart, Leicester manager Martin Allen and Forest boss Colin Calderwood met on the pitch in order to announce to the crowd that the game had been abandoned.

At the time, Forest were leading 1-0, thanks to a goal from Junior Agogo.

Thankfully, Clarke is recovering well.

"I know I am extremely fortunate to be here," he said recently.

"In the light of recent events involving footballers who have suffered heart attacks, I am the real lucky one, because I have survived. When I was told what had happened, the blood drained from my body. I just thought I could have been dead, and that I might never have seen my family again.

"When you think about Sevilla player Antonio Puerta, it goes without saying that a day won't pass when I don't cherish every moment in my life."

A goal to show gratitude
Nottingham and Leicester met in the re-arranged fixture at the City Ground on Tuesday evening, when something remarkable happened. Straight from the kick-off, Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith dribbled the ball towards goal unopposed to put the two-time European champions 1-0 up.

"We just felt it was the right thing to do," said new Leicester manager Gary Megson. "The first game ended in tragic circumstances with Clive's heart attack, but the rules say that Forest would have been perfectly entitled to play out the game."

His Forest counterpart Calderwood added: "Leicester felt it was the correct thing to do and I must admit it took us back a little bit to start with. But it was an honourable gesture and I would like to think that football in general has come out of the game as the winner. I think the crowd took it in the spirit it was intended."

Megson, who joined Leicester last week, said Smith was only told he was going to be the player to score when the coin was tossed to start the game, ruling out any chances of match betting.

However, it was Leicester, Clarke's team, that eventually booked their place in the next round to set up a tie with Aston Villa. Alan Sheehan equalised for the Foxes with a well-taken free-kick before Nathan Tyson restored Forest's lead.

With two minutes remaining substitute Richard Stearman levelled and then, with extra time looming, Foxes midfielder Stephen Clemence hit the stoppage-time winner in a match where football and Fair Play was the true victor.

[DOC]

there is also the di canio moment where he caught the ball instead of firing home as there was a player injured in the build up

[Costanza Philosophy]

Forgot about that one.

[Red-4-Life]

funny stuff! good on them i say but it could have been costly. wouldnt recommend it in a cup final the guy who intercepted probably didnt know anyway...

[Hawkesy]

FIFA gave Millwall (reserves) a fair play award about 10 years ago for doing the same thing. Can't see how they coulg go from it being a fair play award to a disrepute charge.

[Green Cockney Club]

It should always have been left up to the referee. All this kick the ball out of play stuff is bullshiít. Play the whistle.