November 21 – Pilgrims Show Gunners How It’s Done

WHEN Robert Pires and Thierry Henry attempted a two-man penalty in a Premiership clash at Highbury against Manchester City in 2005 they got it all wrong.

Pires scuffed his attempted pass so Henry never got to it and they ended up conceeding a free kick and became the laughing stock of the game.

The two French Gunners were trying to emulate Dutch legend Johan Cruyff and his Ajax teammate Jesper Olsen when they pulled off the feat in a match in 1982.

But Cruyff was not the first to score a penalty in such a cheeky manner. It was on this day in 1964, nearly 20 years before Cruyff, that Mike Trebilcock scored from a pass from his Plymouth Argyle teammate Johnny Newman direct from a penalty kick.

Oddly enough, just as they would 41 years later against Arsenal’s Pires and Henry, Man City provided the opposition for Argyle that day and their players remonstrated wildly with the referee after the bizarre goal was scored.

However the goal was perfectly legal and was allowed to stand, giving Plymouth a 3-2 win to send their 20,000 fans away happy, if a little bemused.

There is a match report, including details and footage of the penalty at this link:

http://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/mancity64H.asp and see below for Pires’ cack-footed attempt.

Tomorrow the future’s bright, the chaiman’s orange.