Eric Cantona - Kung Fu Legend

One of the greatest things ive seen in a footie match.

We all know how bad some of the stuff that is aimed at players these days, so im surprised more incidents like this never happen.

Highlight reel
 
I well remember this, although I haven't seen the recording for a long time. Seeing it again, it looks fortunate for Eric that he rolls off the edge of the barrier and back onto the pitch after launching himself, rather than landing the other side, where he would've been trapped against the barrier and likely having to fend off a few shoves and kicks at the very least. He was lucky as well that this happened in a side stand, mostly likely populated by a bigger proportion of relatively less excitable supporters. Try this sort of caper in a ruck of fanatical Rangers or Lazio fans, and the outcome would likely have been nastier. Wonder what Cantona's thoughts are on the incident, these days? I'm assuming he takes a pretty dim view of his younger self losing it to that extent.
 
One of the biggest regret I've ever had - I should have bought the no.7 Kung Fu black Jersey and keep it.
 
momo83 said:
“When the seagulls follow the trawler.... it’s because... they..... think ..... sardines will be thrown into....... the sea”

At a young age I never understood why the media ridiculed that or why they didn’t understand it. But now I’m older I know... they understood exactly what he meant and who it was meant to... but ridiculing it and making him seem crazy to their audience is how they’d try to win. Media / Politics 101
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This.
Mental foreigner innit?
 
Without that kick the Class of 92 may not have been allowed to come through like it did.
 
harrington said:
I well remember this, although I haven't seen the recording for a long time. Seeing it again, it looks fortunate for Eric that he rolls off the edge of the barrier and back onto the pitch after launching himself, rather than landing the other side, where he would've been trapped against the barrier and likely having to fend off a few shoves and kicks at the very least. He was lucky as well that this happened in a side stand, mostly likely populated by a bigger proportion of relatively less excitable supporters. Try this sort of caper in a ruck of fanatical Rangers or Lazio fans, and the outcome would likely have been nastier. Wonder what Cantona's thoughts are on the incident, these days? I'm assuming he takes a pretty dim view of his younger self losing it to that extent.
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He said he was proud that he did it. He said that there are a lot of terrible fans out there and ordinary people can not just go up to them and give them a good hiding. So he was glad that he had the arena to take one of them on and give them a kicking. He said that he did it for all us regular fans. Obviously I'm paraphrasing but that was the gist of it. :)
 
Judge Red said:
Without that kick the Class of 92 may not have been allowed to come through like it did.
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Selling Hughes, Ince and kanchelskis that summer played its part also.

Hard to believe that incident was 25 years ago. Like others I had to tuned into radio coverage and watch it on TV 2 or 3 hours later. The twitter outrage would be something else if it happened today.

Eric was one of a kind sadly we have no characters like him today.
 
RedRonaldo said:
One of the biggest regret I've ever had - I should have bought the no.7 Kung Fu black Jersey and keep it.
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My brother bought me a replica with Cantona 7 on the back, it’s so authentic looking it’s unreal.

I can send a link if you were interested in getting one
 
pastyfool said:
A friend who was a season ticket holder at Palace (think for around 10 years he went home and away) told me a story about Simmons.

He was well known within the fanbase as being a kn*b. Would always be the one looking to start trouble at away games etc...

One time, on the way back from an away game, the supporters bus stopped at a motorway service station. My friend was on the same bus as Simmons. It just so happened that there were a bunch of other fans at the station. Simmons decided to mouth off given it large to the other fans.

As things were starting to get a bit heated the Palace fans jumped back on the bus, told the driver that everyone was onboard and drove off, leaving Simmons all by himself with the other fans...

He wasn’t liked even amongst Palace fans.
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I bet he's had a tonne of sh!t for years over this incident.
And it's well deserved.

The shocking part of the incident, is the two footed, zero care for his own safety kick over that barrier! Amazing even to this day. Glad he gave him a punch or two as well.

The ref should look at his own role in it too. A sh!te ref, weak little twerp of a guy, allowing centre back goonery to get it to that point.
 
harrington said:
I well remember this, although I haven't seen the recording for a long time. Seeing it again, it looks fortunate for Eric that he rolls off the edge of the barrier and back onto the pitch after launching himself, rather than landing the other side, where he would've been trapped against the barrier and likely having to fend off a few shoves and kicks at the very least. He was lucky as well that this happened in a side stand, mostly likely populated by a bigger proportion of relatively less excitable supporters. Try this sort of caper in a ruck of fanatical Rangers or Lazio fans, and the outcome would likely have been nastier. Wonder what Cantona's thoughts are on the incident, these days? I'm assuming he takes a pretty dim view of his younger self losing it to that extent.
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I don't think many would have taken him on in that mood.
 
harrington said:
Wonder what Cantona's thoughts are on the incident, these days? I'm assuming he takes a pretty dim view of his younger self losing it to that extent.
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The last I heard it is his favourite moment from his footballing career.
 
pastyfool said:
A friend who was a season ticket holder at Palace (think for around 10 years he went home and away) told me a story about Simmons.

He was well known within the fanbase as being a kn*b. Would always be the one looking to start trouble at away games etc...

One time, on the way back from an away game, the supporters bus stopped at a motorway service station. My friend was on the same bus as Simmons. It just so happened that there were a bunch of other fans at the station. Simmons decided to mouth off given it large to the other fans.

As things were starting to get a bit heated the Palace fans jumped back on the bus, told the driver that everyone was onboard and drove off, leaving Simmons all by himself with the other fans...

He wasn’t liked even amongst Palace fans.
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Brilliant
 
RedIan said:
WTF how can any one not know about this. maybe its an age thing.
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Come on man, the amount of WUM's on here yet people always bite :lol:.

Back to the OP though, I remember seeing this on the news like it was fecking yesterday! Time gets pissed away faster than our transfer budget!
 
Oldyella said:
Still love that the rest of the team piled over. We had more success with later teams but that era will always be my favourite, bunch of hard bastards.
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Yes in Europe, we were terribly unlucky not to reach the 97 CL final though if you remember the semi against Dortmund. Those teams with King Eric were sensational regardless.
 
Shipperley said:
Understand the nostalgia around the incident from a Utd perspective but however big or small a role, it unquestionably created tensions which resulted in the death of a Palace fan a few months later. A murder for which no justice has ever been served. That is why Cantona songs are never welcome at Selhurst Park, not for the incident itself.

RIP Paul Nixon.
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Why would any opposition songs be welcome at Selhurst Park ?

Do you know for a fact that the murder is a direct result of Cantona's kick ? You're reaching there imo..
 
There was so much character in that team not even Christian Bale could fully portray Eric's genius in a movie.
 
I was there. Was on the other side of the ground and did not know exactly what had happened until we got to the car after the game. Radio was white-hot with ‘lifetime ban’ and all other crap.
 
God I remember that year so well. Spent 6 months at least defending Cantona after that incident and I still maintain he was punished harshly. It all added to his legend in the end I suppose.
By the way it emerged during all the debate that what Eric did was not without precedent.
By in the 30s a fan racially abused the Everton striker, Dixie Dean, Dean clobbered him right in front of a Bobby.
The Bobby shook Dean's hand!
Natural Justice at its best.
 
Happy Birthday king Eric.

The best United Player I ever saw, and the catalyst for all the success we had.
I was 17 when we won our first title back in 93 and what a time to be a United fan.

Still remember the evening I found out he joined us from Leeds, in a poxy changing room in Rawtenstall, getting ready for a running training session.

Good times.
 
27 years

dcfswedypud81.jpg
 
Me watching this as an 11 year old: Wow what a hero.

Me watching this as a 38 year old: Wow what a hero.
 
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