Ghost goal
Encyclopedia
Ghost goal is a term used in association football to describe a questionable decision, usually involving incertitude or controversy as to whether a ball crossed the goal line or not.
manager José Mourinho
following the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League semi-final against Liverpool
, ultimately decided by a single goal by Luis García
, awarded by referee Ľuboš Micheľ
, but dubbed a "ghost goal" and described as "a goal that came from the moon" by Mourinho.
Television replays were inconclusive as to whether the ball crossed the line or not. Micheľ said that his decision was based on the reaction of the assistant referee, and had he not awarded Liverpool the goal, he would have had no other alternative but to award them a penalty kick
and send off Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech
for a foul on Milan Baroš
.
After studying a series of still images of the incident, motion expert Dr Mike Spann concluded that Micheľ had made the correct decision by signaling a goal.
After the 2005 incident, both "ghost goal" and "phantom goal" have been used to describe similar incidents.
against Watford
in a 2-2 Championship
draw in September 2008 by referee Stuart Attwell
, despite the ball having passed wide of the mark. Conversely, during a Championship game in August 2009 at Ashton Gate, Crystal Palace
's Freddie Sears
put the ball in the net, hitting the stanchion
at the back of the goal, but rapidly bounced out. A goal was not awarded. This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred in a match involving the South London club, however; during a match away to Coventry City on 6 September 1980, Clive Allen
took a free-kick which thumped against the right-hand stanchion inside the goal (from Allen's view) before coming back out again. After much arguing and consulting with his linesman, the referee decided that the ball had not crossed the line.
, who swivelled and shot from close range. The ball hit the underside of the cross bar, bounced down - apparently on or just over the line - before being cleared away by the German defenders.
The England players celebrated a goal, but the referee Gottfried Dienst
was uncertain if it had been a goal. He consulted his linesman
, Tofik Bakhramov
from the Soviet Union
, after non-verbal communication, as they had no common language, the Swiss referee awarded the goal to the home team. The crowd and the audience of 400 million television
viewers were left arguing whether the goal should have been given or not.
Bakhramov, from Azerbaijan
, became famous and celebrated in English popular culture
as "the Russia
n linesman", as Azerbaijan was part of the USSR at the time, and the nickname stuck to the point where his real name was all but forgotten. When England played the Azerbaijan national team
in a World Cup qualifier in October 2004 — in a stadium named after Bakhramov
— many England fans travelling to the game asked to be shown the grave of the official, who had died in 1996, so that they could place flowers on it, and before the game a ceremony honouring him was attended by Hurst and other footballing celebrities.
In England, supporters cite the good position of the linesman and the statement of Roger Hunt
, the nearest England player to the ball, who claimed it was a goal and that was why he wheeled away in celebration rather than attempting to tap the rebounding ball in.
According to the Laws of the Game the definition of a goal is when "the whole of the ball passes over the goal line". The Germans argue that if that were the case, it would likely have bounced from there into the net, not out on the field as it did. In addition, German players claimed to have seen chalk dust, which would indicate it was not a goal. The English counter by saying that the backspin
put on the ball after hitting the crossbar could just as likely have caused the ball to bounce behind the line and then back out of the goal. Roger Hunt claimed to have seen the ball bounce behind the line.
When Bakhramov wrote his memoirs, he stated that he believed the ball had bounced back not from the crossbar, but from the net, so the further movement of the ball was already insignificant, and not visible for him either so it did not matter where the ball hit the ground anyway. Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst
did not see the scene. Commentators such as Robert Becker of Kicker
magazine accuse the linesman of bias because the German team eliminated the Soviet team in the semi-final. To add more controversy to the tale, Bakhramov, according to lore, was asked on his death bed how he knew the ball crossed the line. He replied, "Stalingrad
."
However, a study conducted by the Engineering Department at Oxford University concluded that the ball did not cross the line entirely and that it was 6 cms away from being a goal. In Germany it led to the creation of the expression Wembley-Tor, or "Wembley-Goal", a phrase used to describe any goal scored in a similar fashion to Hurst's.
Furthermore, there exists colour footage of Hurst's goal, taken from another angle by an amateur filmer situated on the stands and having a view almost parallel to the English goal line. This film material appears to show quite clearly that the ball did not cross the goal line in full.
, South Africa
. In the 38th minute, just 53 seconds after Matthew Upson
had scored, Frank Lampard
shot the ball and it hit the underside of the crossbar, resulting in it crossing the line into the goal and bouncing back into the field of play due to spin (without hitting the net). The goal was denied by the linesman. Had the goal been given, England would have drawn level at 2-2. Germany, where this goal was given names like "Wembley goal reloaded", "inverted Wembley goal" or "revenge for Wembley", went on to win the match with 4 goals to England's 1.
Background
The term arose from a quote by ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
manager José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
following the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League semi-final against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, ultimately decided by a single goal by Luis García
Luis Javier García Sanz
Luis Javier García Sanz , known as Luis García, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Puebla F.C. in Mexico, mainly as a left winger....
, awarded by referee Ľuboš Micheľ
Luboš Michel
Ľuboš Micheľ is a former top-level Slovak football referee.Micheľ became a FIFA referee at the age of 25. One big milestone in his career was refereeing the 2003 UEFA Cup Final between Porto and Celtic...
, but dubbed a "ghost goal" and described as "a goal that came from the moon" by Mourinho.
Television replays were inconclusive as to whether the ball crossed the line or not. Micheľ said that his decision was based on the reaction of the assistant referee, and had he not awarded Liverpool the goal, he would have had no other alternative but to award them a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
and send off Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech
Petr Cech
Petr Čech is a Czech footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Czech Republic as a goalkeeper. Čech previously played for Viktoria Plzeň, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals...
for a foul on Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš is a Czech footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Czech national football team.In the 2008–09 season, Baroš scored 20 goals in Turkish Süper Lig, the highest total in the league...
.
After studying a series of still images of the incident, motion expert Dr Mike Spann concluded that Micheľ had made the correct decision by signaling a goal.
The positioning and body movements of Chelsea's William GallasWilliam GallasWilliam Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
, who tried to clear Luis García's shot with his right foot, as well as the movement of the ball relative to Gallas, led Dr Spann to conclude: "It was a goal."
After the 2005 incident, both "ghost goal" and "phantom goal" have been used to describe similar incidents.
Notable incidents
The term has been recently applied to a number of questionable decisions. A goal was awarded to ReadingReading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
in a 2-2 Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
draw in September 2008 by referee Stuart Attwell
Stuart Attwell
Stuart Steven Attwell is an English professional football referee from Nuneaton, Warwickshire. He made a prominent debut in 2008 as the youngest person ever to referee in the Premier League.-Career:...
, despite the ball having passed wide of the mark. Conversely, during a Championship game in August 2009 at Ashton Gate, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
's Freddie Sears
Freddie Sears
Frederick David "Freddie" Sears is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for West Ham United.-Background:...
put the ball in the net, hitting the stanchion
Stanchion
A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often providing support for some other object.* An architectural term applied to the upright iron bars in windows that pass through the eyes of the saddle bars or horizontal irons to steady the leadlight. A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often...
at the back of the goal, but rapidly bounced out. A goal was not awarded. This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred in a match involving the South London club, however; during a match away to Coventry City on 6 September 1980, Clive Allen
Clive Allen
Clive Darren Allen is a retired English footballer, a prolific scorer for a number of clubs.Allen is the son of ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward Les Allen, who was a member of the legendary team which won the First Division title and FA Cup "double" in 1961...
took a free-kick which thumped against the right-hand stanchion inside the goal (from Allen's view) before coming back out again. After much arguing and consulting with his linesman, the referee decided that the ball had not crossed the line.
1966 World Cup Final
England led 2-1 until the very end of the game, when a German goal levelled the scores and took the match into extra time. With eleven minutes of extra time gone, Alan Ball put in a cross to England striker Geoff HurstGeoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
, who swivelled and shot from close range. The ball hit the underside of the cross bar, bounced down - apparently on or just over the line - before being cleared away by the German defenders.
The England players celebrated a goal, but the referee Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst was a Swiss football referee who was born in Basle. He is possibly best known for being the referee in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, in which he awarded a controversial goal to England after consulting his Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov.At the time he was considered the best...
was uncertain if it had been a goal. He consulted his linesman
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
, Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bahram oglu Bahramov , commonly known as the Russian linesman in England, was an Azerbaijani football referee notable for being the linesman who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final against West Germany...
from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, after non-verbal communication, as they had no common language, the Swiss referee awarded the goal to the home team. The crowd and the audience of 400 million television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
viewers were left arguing whether the goal should have been given or not.
Bakhramov, from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, became famous and celebrated in English popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
as "the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n linesman", as Azerbaijan was part of the USSR at the time, and the nickname stuck to the point where his real name was all but forgotten. When England played the Azerbaijan national team
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
in a World Cup qualifier in October 2004 — in a stadium named after Bakhramov
Tofik Bakhramov Stadium
Tofiq Bahramov Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It serves as the home ground of FK Baku and the Azerbaijan national football team and holds 30,000, making it the largest stadium in the country.- History :The Tofiq Bahramov...
— many England fans travelling to the game asked to be shown the grave of the official, who had died in 1996, so that they could place flowers on it, and before the game a ceremony honouring him was attended by Hurst and other footballing celebrities.
In England, supporters cite the good position of the linesman and the statement of Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...
, the nearest England player to the ball, who claimed it was a goal and that was why he wheeled away in celebration rather than attempting to tap the rebounding ball in.
According to the Laws of the Game the definition of a goal is when "the whole of the ball passes over the goal line". The Germans argue that if that were the case, it would likely have bounced from there into the net, not out on the field as it did. In addition, German players claimed to have seen chalk dust, which would indicate it was not a goal. The English counter by saying that the backspin
Backspin
In racquet sports, backspin , is a shot such that the ball rotates backwards after it is hit. The trajectory of the shot involves an upward force that lifts the ball...
put on the ball after hitting the crossbar could just as likely have caused the ball to bounce behind the line and then back out of the goal. Roger Hunt claimed to have seen the ball bounce behind the line.
When Bakhramov wrote his memoirs, he stated that he believed the ball had bounced back not from the crossbar, but from the net, so the further movement of the ball was already insignificant, and not visible for him either so it did not matter where the ball hit the ground anyway. Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst was a Swiss football referee who was born in Basle. He is possibly best known for being the referee in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, in which he awarded a controversial goal to England after consulting his Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov.At the time he was considered the best...
did not see the scene. Commentators such as Robert Becker of Kicker
Kicker (sports magazine)
kicker Sportmagazin is Germany's leading sports magazine and is focused primarily on football. The magazine was founded in 1920 by German football pioneer Walther Bensemann and is published twice a week, usually Monday and Thursday, in Nuremberg...
magazine accuse the linesman of bias because the German team eliminated the Soviet team in the semi-final. To add more controversy to the tale, Bakhramov, according to lore, was asked on his death bed how he knew the ball crossed the line. He replied, "Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
."
However, a study conducted by the Engineering Department at Oxford University concluded that the ball did not cross the line entirely and that it was 6 cms away from being a goal. In Germany it led to the creation of the expression Wembley-Tor, or "Wembley-Goal", a phrase used to describe any goal scored in a similar fashion to Hurst's.
Furthermore, there exists colour footage of Hurst's goal, taken from another angle by an amateur filmer situated on the stands and having a view almost parallel to the English goal line. This film material appears to show quite clearly that the ball did not cross the goal line in full.
England vs Germany at the 2010 World Cup
On Sunday 27 June 2010, England were playing Germany in FIFA World Cup 2010 at BloemfonteinBloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In the 38th minute, just 53 seconds after Matthew Upson
Matthew Upson
Matthew James Upson is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League. He is a central defender and he has played for England at full international level including at the 2010 World Cup....
had scored, Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
shot the ball and it hit the underside of the crossbar, resulting in it crossing the line into the goal and bouncing back into the field of play due to spin (without hitting the net). The goal was denied by the linesman. Had the goal been given, England would have drawn level at 2-2. Germany, where this goal was given names like "Wembley goal reloaded", "inverted Wembley goal" or "revenge for Wembley", went on to win the match with 4 goals to England's 1.