Comments on: A Great Display of Sportsmanship

A Great Display of Sportsmanship

Deep Dish — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:27:30 -0800

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, a series of events was set in motion that resulted in a truly great display of sportsmanship

By: jamesonandwater

jamesonandwater — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:04:22 -0800

That fifa.com story is one of the most confusing, badly written articles I've ever read. However, now that I've reviewed it three times, I agree, remarkable sportsmanship. Glad he's on the mend.

By: ottereroticist

ottereroticist — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:05:54 -0800

Oh good, it's not just me. Could somebody give me the Cliff Notes? Who exactly did what that was so great?

By: Deep Dish

Deep Dish — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:07:31 -0800

Same story on the BBC, with better writing

By: dash_slot-

dash_slot- — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:11:25 -0800

1. First game: abandoned due to unforeseen circumstances {a heart attack}. 2. Re-arranged game: {beginning 0-0} The team 1-0 down in the abandonded match allowed the opposing team to score - 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. 3: Profit!!! It's the beautiful game!

By: dash_slot-

dash_slot- — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:14:01 -0800

City chairman Milan Mandaric said: "This will not hurt football, I'm proud of the players and happy we did it....The idea came from the whole club - we all like to win games but morality and fairness is also important...It was a difficult situation, but it was the right thing to do." And they claim to be professional sportsmen? Bah!

By: ob

ob — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:19:07 -0800

I was actually sent a link to the BBC story last night by one of my best friends who's a massive Foxes fan. It really is a great sporting gesture which is so rare in the sport these days.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:29:07 -0800

man, was that confusing. thanks, dash_slot for clarifying that they allowed the score in the interrupted game to be restored when the rematch was held. i thought it was like this: * Leicester player has heart attack * Game is restarted after half time * Forest goalie is allowed to score against Leicester

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:30:29 -0800

i can't say i like the precedent, though. how long do you think it will be before the first Italian national team member 'has a heart attack' at a crucial stage of a game...?

By: Sailormom

Sailormom — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:31:22 -0800

Reminds me of USC's first game this year. The team intentionally lined up for the PAT without a kicker following their first touchdown of the game, in tribute to their late teammate Mario Danelo.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:38:09 -0800

Nice story (especially in the BBC version—thanks for that). how long do you think it will be before the first Italian national team member 'has a heart attack' at a crucial stage of a game...? I'm having a hard time seeing how that would help them. Forest weren't given an extra "heart-attack" goal, they were just allowed to start with the same situation they'd had in the first game.

By: jalexei

jalexei — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:39:59 -0800

in tribute to their late teammate Mario Danelo. Similar I agree, though I have to say a tribute to a heart attack victim has, shall we say, a bit more resonance that one for someone who got completely sh*tfaced and fell off a cliff.

By: msali

msali — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:42:36 -0800

AWWW! What a great story!

By: perilous

perilous — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:46:35 -0800

Okay, this is a great story. Thanks.

By: Benny Andajetz

Benny Andajetz — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:46:42 -0800

Kicking the ball out of bounds on an opponent's injury, and then having the ball kicked back to you when the game resumes is typical - and one of the truly great parts of soccer. This is an extension of that. Great sport doesn't preclude great manners and civility.

By: Reggie Knoble

Reggie Knoble — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:50:15 -0800

I'm having a hard time seeing how that would help them. Forest weren't given an extra "heart-attack" goal, they were just allowed to start with the same situation they'd had in the first game. It Italy were a goal down with 5 minutes left to go, one of their players could have the "heart attck", the game could then be aboandoned. When the game is replayed the goal from the first game is allowed to be scored again but Italy get the whole game to turn it around. Unlikely to ever happen but there you have it.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:51:41 -0800

languagehat: the Italians might find that their players start having heart attacks when the game is slipping away from them, and the opposition is gaining the upper hand, eg through general exhaustion, or perhaps if one of their star players has a minor injury & needs a week or two off to recover.

By: patricio

patricio — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:00:29 -0800

I'd missed that follow up, thanks. Other football sportsmanship stories - I remember reading about the Corinthians who "...disagreed with the whole notion of penalties when they were originally introduced to the game. Corinthians were adamant no side would intentionally cheat, and consequently missed any penalty they were given, while their keepers refused to save any given against them - trusting the opposition to decide whether they felt they had been wronged and score or miss accordingly."

By: Reggie Knoble

Reggie Knoble — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:18:46 -0800

Alas, many England players still carry out that practice, at least two or three per tournament.

By: afx237vi

afx237vi — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:19:51 -0800

Another example of fair play from a few years ago. Arsenal were playing Sheffield United in the league cup when a Sheffield player went down injured. An Arsenal player tried to kick the ball out of play, but his new team-mate Kanu intercepted the ball and went on to score. Arsenal won the match, but in the spirit of fair play, offered a rematch to Sheffield (I think they still won that too).

By: wfc123

wfc123 — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:06:51 -0800

how long do you think it will be before the first Italian national team member 'has a heart attack' at a crucial stage of a game...? Still sniveling over our World Cup victory and Milan's European Cup in May, I see. Loser.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:16:25 -0800

Well, you have to admire the tactical brilliance. For example, when the Azzuro goes for the dramatic swan-dive, he'll have to decide in a split second whether to simultaneously grasp at his head, groin, shin or heart. It takes a lifetime of training & relentless professionalism to perform so well on the world stage.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:35:56 -0800

Loser. LOL

By: zarq

zarq — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:57:38 -0800

Thank you, Deep Dish. That was a great story!

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:26:32 -0800

That is cool.

By: Deep Dish

Deep Dish — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:01:03 -0800

Alas, many England players still carry out that practice, at least two or three per tournament. How Dare anyone make fun of Beckham? Sir Alex got upset with him, he was stripped of his captaincy, benched by Real Madrid, dropped from the English squad. All people care about is making money off of him and he gets injured and all people want is MORE MORE MORE. LEAVE HIM ALONE. YOU'RE LUCKY HE EVEN PLAYS. LEAVE BECKHAM ALONE. PLEASE. LEAVE BECKHAM ALONE. PLEASE. LEAVE BECKHAM ALONE. PLEASE. HE IS NOT WELL RIGHT NOW. (okay I couldn't resist)

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:35:34 -0800

Deep Dish: somehow I feel it would be so much better if Becks himself delivered that rant. I mean, he's got the right look, for a start.

By: vbfg

vbfg — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:12:02 -0800

Great sport doesn't preclude great manners and civility. It doesn't preclude persistent diving and unfairly trying to win free kicks and penalties either. At least, not in football.

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:38:15 -0800

It Italy were a goal down with 5 minutes left to go, one of their players could have the "heart attck", the game could then be aboandoned. Yes, but part of the story (if I read the confusing article correctly) is that they didn't have to abandon the original match; if there were 5 minutes to go, I don't imagine it would be abandoned.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:15:17 -0800

but if *all* the italians had heart attacks...?

By: jalexei

jalexei — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:14:45 -0800

Still sniveling over our World Cup victory and Milan's European Cup in May, I see. I love football, and I love Italian food, Italian culture, Italian cars, Italian geography, and Italian(-American) women (my wife, specifically) and it continually astounds me that a nation of such passion can play such stultifyingly dull footie. Italian football should be Brazil with even handsomer men, instead of some bizzaro alternate universe olive-skinned late '70s Boring Boring Arsenal side.

By: Benny Andajetz

Benny Andajetz — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:35:17 -0800

It doesn't preclude persistent diving and unfairly trying to win free kicks and penalties either. If they pulled red cards like they're supposed to, it would happen a lot less.

By: romakimmy

romakimmy — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:28:05 -0800

Italian football should be Brazil with even handsomer men, instead of some bizzaro alternate universe olive-skinned late '70s Boring Boring Arsenal side. I think that's slowly changing, jalexei. For the National team, Lippi didn't employ cattenaccio anywhere hear as much as his predecessors. And club wise, I'm starting to see stuff like this more frequently instead of the 'make a goal & sit on it for the rest of the game' tactic. I can understand the ship on Ubu's shoulder, and realise that arguments vis-a-vis the penalty kick would be fruitless, but in a post about fair sportsmanship, he's being a bit a of derailing dick what with the wop bashing.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:05:02 -0800

in a post about fair sportsmanship, taking an obvious dive in the final moments of an even score game is completely pertinent. no matter. the rugby world cup is on, where people don't take poncy swandives, and running all over the opposition is completely mandated under the rules. may the least theatrical team win.

By: vbfg

vbfg — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 04:27:07 -0800

If they pulled red cards like they're supposed to, it would happen a lot less. Possibly. They don't though, so it persists.

By: jalexei

jalexei — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:02:30 -0800

And club wise, I'm starting to see stuff like this more frequently instead of the 'make a goal & sit on it for the rest of the game' tactic. That was very nice indeed - Looks like I need to add a bit more Serie A to an already overloaded TiVo - Curse you Setanta, and your control of my life....Wait! come back, I was only kidding, my sweet, sweet Setanta.