Cantona at Selhurst 30 years on

dcrompton said:
I remember listening to it on radio 5 Live and I'm pretty sure it was the leading story on the news channels that night.

The Jonathan Pearce radio commentary for Capital is worth listening to. The baseline pitch of outrage in his voice at the red card means that when the kung-fu kick happens his voice goes to a whole new level
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How did he not rupture his larynx?
 
My favourite part of the saga was when Simmons was trying to throttle the judge after getting a stadium ban for the ordeal he was shouting "I'm innocent, I swear on the bible!" Which makes me certain that he's talking shite when he said he was only telling Cantona to go for an early bath.
 
Yes I’m fairly sure your typical English football fan was screaming things that wouldn’t sound out of place in an episode of Leave It To Beaver

And totally not anything derogatory, profane and/or inappropriate :lol:
 
NicolaSacco said:
What, 1995? Yes.
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Well maybe your memory differs to mine.
I remember thinking the reaction was well over the top.Cantona himself was sentenced to 14 days in Jail which was a bit steep for a first offence and given the provocation involved.
There was a lot of talk about it being unprecedented but there was a precedent going way back to the 30s.
Dixie Dean of Everton was racially abused going off the pitch and he clobbered the offender.A policeman on duty at the game stepped forward and shook Dixie's hand!
 
The Brown Bull said:
Well maybe your memory differs to mine.
I remember thinking the reaction was well over the top.Cantona himself was sentenced to 14 days in Jail which was a bit steep for a first offence and given the provocation involved.
There was a lot of talk about it being unprecedented but there was a precedent going way back to the 30s.
Dixie Dean of Everton was racially abused going off the pitch and he clobbered the offender.A policeman on duty at the game stepped forward and shook Dixie's hand!
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I remember Maurice Watkins going in to bat for Eric and getting him out of that jail sentence. If memory serves, some of the board at United wanted him gone and it was Fergie who fought Eric's corner and kept him, even when the player was thinking of quitting.
 
NicolaSacco said:
That’s a really weird take. Something happened that was incomparable to anything I, and I’d assume, most fans, had ever seen. And it was right at the explosion of the Premier League.

What are your comparators you are using to suggest that if this had happened to a high profile foreign player (yes that mattered to the tabloids) from another big team, that the response would have been different?
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Not quite the same, but a Liverpool player recently jumped into the crowd at an international game and started throwing punches and brawling with fans. No one batted an eyelid.
 
The Brown Bull said:
Well maybe your memory differs to mine.
I remember thinking the reaction was well over the top.Cantona himself was sentenced to 14 days in Jail which was a bit steep for a first offence and given the provocation involved.
There was a lot of talk about it being unprecedented but there was a precedent going way back to the 30s.
Dixie Dean of Everton was racially abused going off the pitch and he clobbered the offender.A policeman on duty at the game stepped forward and shook Dixie's hand!
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I thought he did community service for some reason, but I might be thinking of someone else.

I’ll level with you, I can’t remember the Dixie Dean incident!
 
Posh Red said:
Not quite the same, but a Liverpool player recently jumped into the crowd at an international game and started throwing punches and brawling with fans. No one batted an eyelid.
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I’m not sure no one batted an eyelid! I saw it about 3000 times!
 
Fergie berating everybody in the dressing room after the for the result with only Eric except from criticism is ace!
 
NicolaSacco said:
I thought he did community service for some reason, but I might be thinking of someone else.

I’ll level with you, I can’t remember the Dixie Dean incident!
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Ha ha.Neither can I.
Yeah Eric appealed his sentence and it was ( naturally and) reduced to community service.
 
Moriarty said:
I remember Maurice Watkins going in to bat for Eric and getting him out of that jail sentence. If memory serves, some of the board at United wanted him gone and it was Fergie who fought Eric's corner and kept him, even when the player was thinking of quitting.
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Correct.
 
The Brown Bull said:
Ha ha.Neither can I.
Yeah Eric appealed his sentence and it was ( naturally and) reduced to community service.
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A prison sentence would have been pretty damn harsh. Although I’m not sure anyone would have risked fcuking with him in a low category jail, you could never quite predict how he was going to react!
 
Red_toad said:
Never change Eric we feckin adore you!

'Cantona has never expressed regret over the incident. In a recent interview with a reputable source, he remarked that his only regret was that he didn’t kick harder. “I didn’t hit him hard enough. I should have kicked harder'
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This is my favourite part of this whole incident. Eric was such a legend.
 
The guy, Matthew Simmons, was an absolute weapon. Attacked the prosecutor in court and got himself jail time for doing so. Also has a history of violence as he attacked a petrol station attendant in 1992.

He then speaks to The Guardian in 2004 squealing about how the incident ruined his life, where he calls himself 'such a nice person' and says what happened to him was 'inexcusable' and 'ruined his life'. He also claims to not even remember what he said on the night and calls Eric 'unprofessional'.

Then, in 2011 he attacked his son's football coach for leaving him out of the team, after holding a 5 year grudge against him.

Eric's right - should have hit him harder.
 
Anyone remember the T-shirts that were made with Simmons face on them and the words "Wanted for treason against King Eric" above?

He was scared to leave his house for weeks afterwards......! :lol:
 
DarkLord1984 said:
The guy, Matthew Simmons, was an absolute weapon. Attacked the prosecutor in court and got himself jail time for doing so. Also has a history of violence as he attacked a petrol station attendant in 1992.

He then speaks to The Guardian in 2004 squealing about how the incident ruined his life, where he calls himself 'such a nice person' and says what happened to him was 'inexcusable' and 'ruined his life'. He also claims to not even remember what he said on the night and calls Eric 'unprofessional'.

Then, in 2011 he attacked his son's football coach for leaving him out of the team, after holding a 5 year grudge against him.

Eric's right - should have hit him harder.
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Good fecking grief. What a complete and utter wanker. Reminds me of Joey Barton or DT from Arsenal Fans TV.
 
The best United player by a long mile, at least in my lifetime. The King!!!!
 
Yes, the guy really deserved what he got from King Eric!!! :lol:
 
The most shocking thing with that incident was that he didn't for a second consider that launching studs first with that barrier in the way might be exceptionally painful for himself, let alone that shortarse.

And that hooligan aimed a few punches himself!
 
DarkLord1984 said:
The guy, Matthew Simmons, was an absolute weapon. Attacked the prosecutor in court and got himself jail time for doing so. Also has a history of violence as he attacked a petrol station attendant in 1992.

He then speaks to The Guardian in 2004 squealing about how the incident ruined his life, where he calls himself 'such a nice person' and says what happened to him was 'inexcusable' and 'ruined his life'. He also claims to not even remember what he said on the night and calls Eric 'unprofessional'.

Then, in 2011 he attacked his son's football coach for leaving him out of the team, after holding a 5 year grudge against him.

Eric's right - should have hit him harder.
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Definitely a Reform voter if not a member. What a compete weapon
 
Moriarty said:
I seem to remember hearing that he was killed in a traffic accident but I may be wrong.
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You’re thinking of someone else who is famous for similar reasons. Can’t for the life of me remember who, but it’s not this guy:
 
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