Robin van Persie Tries a George Best

By: Daryl | November 24th, 2008

Older viewers (or those with access to YouTube) might have seen Robin van Persie’s disallowed goal for Arsenal this weekend – where he nicked it out of Joe Hart’s hands as the Man City keeper was trying to kick it upfield – and thought it looked a bit familiar.

101 Great Goals felt it was similar to Gary Crosby’s goal in 1990 (also vs Man City) when the Nottingham Forest man headed it out of City keeper Andy Dibble’s hand (he was holding it one handed.) But a much more similar effort actually came in 1971, when George Best blocked a Gordon Banks kick in a Northern Ireland vs England game:

Like RVP’s effort, Best’s goal was disallowed for unsporting behaviour. Basically, you can’t interfere with a goalkeeper when he’s trying to kick. But there’s a definite argument that RVP’s was at leat a little more subtle. He didn’t intimidate the keeper like Best did, just snuck up behind and nicked the ball while it was in the air. Does anyone else think maybe RVP should have gotten away with it?

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Category: World Football

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Phil McThomas

The most embarassing part was that the ref had to explain the laws of the game to him. I think a good majority of football fans would know that this is not allowed - probably a smaller proportion of players though.

Memo to RvP: You can't knick the ball off their toes anymore than you can elbow them into the net.
old apple

great piece of skill
RVP is worldclass the two months out of the year hes not injured
dp

Honestly, that's a great piece of skill...he picked clean out of the air, let it bounce and volleyed it in one motion...what's the over/under on his transfer fee when he ends up at Real/Inter/giant European team over the summer when Wenger realizes one of his strikers needs to go and his entire squad hates RvP? Interesting stuff.
Dickon

Never allow that. Ole Gunner Solkskskskjaaaaar DID get booked....
jonny

Ole had one for united. . either last season or the season before.

I think he was booked though
Weston (@wpazzurri)

its just one of those things that if you did it you would want it to count but if it happened to you you wouldnt
Marco P.

Does anyone else think maybe RVP should have gotten away with it?

No.

There's a neat little paragraph about this in "FIFA's Questions & Answers to the Laws of the Game" PDF file (which since then has been removed and integrated into the "Laws of the Game" PDF).

Here it is:

As a goalkeeper releases the ball to kick it into play, an opponent intercepts it before it touches the ground. Is this permitted?
No. It is an offence to prevent a goalkeeper releasing the ball from his hands. The releasing of the ball from his hands and the kicking of the ball is considered to be a single action.
Rob

Van Persie's finish was better.
keeming

Henry did it against Blackburn Brad Friedal before. and also disallowed. Why dont the thickeheads get it? Its an "illegal move". So just concentrate on placing your shots instead of blasting it skyhigh, VP!
mele419

And if Best's goal wasn't disallowed for a foul, it should have been for the pure ugliness of his hairstyling and beard.
mele419

I think he should have. Wasn't really unfair. If the keeper didn't want him to nick the ball out of the air he should have thrown or punted further away from RVP.