December 16 – Fair Play Paulo
WE do not often turn to Wigan manager Steve Bruce for philosophical or wise words but the boxer-nosed novelist-cum-lower-table-Prem boss hit the nail on the head on Saturday after his team beat Blackburn 3-0 to leave Rovers fans calling for Paul Ince’s head. “The Premiership is an unforgiving place,” he said, and he is right. No one gives you an inch in the harsh mega-bucks, god-eat-dog, winning is absolutely everything world of England’s top divison. Or do they?
Today we are looking at one of the rare incidents in Premiership history of that most British of ideals: fair play. And it was an Italian at the centre of it. Paulo di Canio is like the Gilles Villeneuve of football; brilliantly talented, hotheaded, always a crowd favourite and more than capable of being a right pain in the arse. Whether he was being lauded for his brilliance or chided for assaulting officials, di Canio was rarely far from the limelight.
Today in 2000 he lined up for West Ham United to play Everton at Goodison Park. The Toffees were trying to recover from a 5-0 hiding they had suffered at the hands of Manchester City in their previous game and the Hammers were hoping to strike while the going was good and the Everton back line leaky.
With 15 minutes remaining the fans inside Goodison were soaking wet and probably wishing they had stayed at home with the game still goalless, but Danny Cadamarteri warmed their cockles when he nodded home to give them the lead.
Freddie Kanoute equalised just eight minutes later but the talking point of the game came very late on. Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard came racing out of his area to try to reach a ball but he went down on the edge of the area, seemingly with a bad leg injury. Trevor Sinclair arrived and crossed the ball but instead of heading it into an empty net to claim the winner, di Canio caught the ball and began pointing anxiously at Gerrard, concerned for his state.
Gerrard was stretchered off although he was later revealed to have only a twisted knee, while the Goodison Park faithful rose to give di Canio a standing ovation for his actions. His manager Harry Redknapp was not quite to happy but could not condemn his player. “It was sportsmanship of the highest merit. Paolo thought the goalkeeper might have a broken leg and refused to take advantage,” he said, no doubt ruing the two dropped points.
Everton manager Walter Smith was more grateful and said: “Paolo has taken a lot of abuse for different things in his career, but he deserves great credit.” And credit is what he got, being awarded the FIFA Fair Play award the following year for what FIFA termed a “special act of good sportsmanship”.
Have a look at the move which left Redknapp speechless below, and come back tomorrow for more tittle tattle from us. Us, last year, this day, here.
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