The goal that never was!

[kirkrich]

Once again I will bow to the greater knowledge that is HNA and ask if anyone can remember the goal that never was at Elm Park many years ago. It was caned by one of our boys from the edge of the box, missed the goal and hit the outside back stansion (sp), then rebounded back onto the pitch. Everyone rightly thought it was a goal kick except the ref who awarded the goal and pointed to the centre spot. Apart from that, I can remember nothing... Or did I just imagine it?

[Roger the Rabbit]

Definitey happened, can;t remember the details though !
Wasn;t it actually quite an important goal as well ?

[eddiegrundy]

I was there. All you say is true. Saturday 9th August 1975. First goal of a 2-0 win against Rochdale. Steve Hetzke scored the second. It was a dull game apart from that.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

I think i can remember it.
Was it vs Palace?


Edit : Just seen the post above.I was wrong.

[mx]

I was there too. Memory is a little vague as as was about 10 at the time, and sat on the wall at the front of the Southbank. Tommy Youlden "scored" it, from just outside the box in front of the Southbank. I do remember a couple of our players actually telling the ref he was wrong, while other players pulled them away.

Of course, the sporting thing to have done would have been to let them score one back. But we didn't.

[Ark Royal]

First home game of the 75/76 promotion campaign. Tommy 'scored' at the Town End. I was in the Norfolk Road stand and I could have sworn it was in at the time.

I still have the Evening Post promotion special from that season and there are some photos of the incident. I will post them up here tomorrow.

[LUX]

there is even a poster called Tommy Youlden in the side netting

[royalsteve]

Once again I will bow to the greater knowledge that is HNA and ask if anyone can remember the goal that never was at Elm Park many years ago. It was caned by one of our boys from the edge of the box, missed the goal and hit the outside back stansion (sp), then rebounded back onto the pitch. Everyone rightly thought it was a goal kick except the ref who awarded the goal and pointed to the centre spot. Apart from that, I can remember nothing... Or did I just imagine it?

not sure...the funniest moment i remember a few years ago was when we played bournemouth away and gilkes i think missed and a fan (one of the many hundreds on the touch line of the pitch out of the 5000+ rfc fans there) kicked it into the net...funny thing was the ref gave it, but the lino flagged and the ref then ruled it out....much to his embarrasement im sure

[RoyalBlue]

I was there. All you say is true. Saturday 9th August 1975. First goal of a 2-0 win against Rochdale. Steve Hetzke scored the second. It was a dull game apart from that.

Sorry to correct you slightly but have just dug out the programme for that game and it was actually a week later, Saturday 16 August 1975. In the programme for the following home game against Gillingham on Wednesday 20 August, Tommy Youlden is credited with scoring the goal that wasn't.

In the 'Manager's Viewpoint' Charlie Hurlie says: "I know that there was enough incidents in the first 45 minutes to cover a day in games and unfortunately though they were for Rochdale my main worry was that it would disturb the concentration of some of my players at a time when we were putting them under great attacking pressure."

This was, of course, at a time when 'God' strolled across the Elm Park turf leaving defenders in his wake.

Once again I will bow to the greater knowledge that is HNA and ask if anyone can remember the goal that never was at Elm Park many years ago. It was caned by one of our boys from the edge of the box, missed the goal and hit the outside back stansion (sp), then rebounded back onto the pitch. Everyone rightly thought it was a goal kick except the ref who awarded the goal and pointed to the centre spot. Apart from that, I can remember nothing... Or did I just imagine it?

not sure...the funniest moment i remember a few years ago was when we played bournemouth away and gilkes i think missed and a fan (one of the many hundreds on the touch line of the pitch out of the 5000+ rfc fans there) kicked it into the net...funny thing was the ref gave it, but the lino flagged and the ref then ruled it out....much to his embarrasement im sure

My view of this incident was partly obstructed so I only saw the ball hit the back of the net for what I thought was a perfectly good goal! I was by no means the only one in this position and, having had our celebrations cut short, we spent the rest of the game abusing the ref for disallowing the 'goal'!

I think it was the last game of the season and, not living in Reading, I didn't find out what had actually happened until the start of the next season!!

[mx]

My view of this incident was partly obstructed so I only saw the ball hit the back of the net for what I thought was a perfectly good goal! I was by no means the only one in this position and, having had our celebrations cut short, we spent the rest of the game abusing the ref for disallowing the 'goal'!

I think it was the last game of the season and, not living in Reading, I didn't find out what had actually happened until the start of the next season!!

Re-reading earlier posts, I was 12 rather than 10, but anyway, I definately saw the ball hit the side netting and bounce away in front of the town end.

ps This is one of my favourite recurring threads! I look forward to the topic coming up again in a couple of years time.

[RoyalBlue]

My view of this incident was partly obstructed so I only saw the ball hit the back of the net for what I thought was a perfectly good goal! I was by no means the only one in this position and, having had our celebrations cut short, we spent the rest of the game abusing the ref for disallowing the 'goal'!

I think it was the last game of the season and, not living in Reading, I didn't find out what had actually happened until the start of the next season!!

Re-reading earlier posts, I was 12 rather than 10, but anyway, I definately saw the ball hit the side netting and bounce away in front of the town end.

But I was responding to royalsteve who had diverted the thread to talk about the fan's goal at Bournemouth!

[mx]

My view of this incident was partly obstructed so I only saw the ball hit the back of the net for what I thought was a perfectly good goal! I was by no means the only one in this position and, having had our celebrations cut short, we spent the rest of the game abusing the ref for disallowing the 'goal'!

I think it was the last game of the season and, not living in Reading, I didn't find out what had actually happened until the start of the next season!!

Re-reading earlier posts, I was 12 rather than 10, but anyway, I definately saw the ball hit the side netting and bounce away in front of the town end.

But I was responding to royalsteve who had diverted the thread to talk about the fan's goal at Bournemouth!

LOL. Memo to self. Read posts properly before replying!

[Jerry St Clair]

I think I read somewhere that the linesman on the Southbank side had had a fall a few minutes before the goal, and subsequently went off injured with a broken ankle. Is that correct? If so, I suspect it may have clouded his judgement somewhat!

[eddiegrundy]

Royalblue - Thanks for the correction on the date - it was 16/8/75. I used to keep a pocket notebook with a brief report of all the games I attended. I wrote the date down incorrectly in the notebook as 9/8/75. For what it's worth here are my verbatim notes of the game which were written down in the days following the game. You may question their accuracy, if I can't even get the date right however!

"First league game of the season and a pretty boring one at that. The only incident of real note was when the referee awarded a goal to Reading when the ball had merely hit the side netting and bounced back into play - there were no goal appeals by the home players or crowd, but the referee insisted on the goal, much to the annoyance of Rochdale, and amusement of the crowd. Hetzke scored a simple second half goal. Attendance approx 4,200."

[kirkrich]

Thanks to everyone for clearing that one up. Ark royal, it would be brilliant if you could post something up on that. Actually, it would be good to see anything from the old days posted by anyone who has stuff they would like to share. Someone put some old photos up a few months back and it brought back fond memories.

[The 17 Bus]

I was there right behind the goal about half way up the Reading End, I seem to recall the keeper lining the ball up for a goal kick, and the ref pointing to the centre as he had given a goal.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Didn't Clive Allen score a goal that never was but unlike our Rochdale effort this was one not given despite the fact it was obviously in - as i recall the ball flew into the net hit the back stansion and flew back out again and the ref bizarrely waved play on! Palace v Coventry in the early 80s wasn't it?

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

I think SWLR and I must have been on the barrier in front of you, 17 bus. Our usual position half way up in line with the left hand post in the Town End.
The goal that never was made it the sports letters pages of The Observer about ten years ago and I wrote in saying it was a hopeful toe punt from Tommy Y who wasn't the most cultured of players.
The following week Tommy's reply was published saying it was a dipping swerving shot - a free kick I believe - which came off the laces.
Tommy was on the staff at UCL about ten years ago. Wonder what he's doing now? Retired and riding his bike around Burghfield probably.

[eddiegrundy]

Sod it - I can't work out how to scan horizontally and get a horizontal scroll bar. It keeps truncating the RHS of the picture. I can get it all on vertically but all you squinty eyed people will have to ltilt your heads or turn your screen through 90 degrees.



p.s. From one of David Downs's books. Sorry about any copyright infringement.

[The 17 Bus]