Campaign to award David Bentley his goal

[St.Helens Spurs]

If Bullard's free-kick the other day against West-Ham can be awarded to Bullard, then surely Bentley's must go to Bentley!

Funny how some people think it went straight onto the bar whereas others believe Kirkland pushed it onto the bar first. Even the commentators can't agree, with the BBC saying the former & Sky the latter. The thing is, it is actually impossible to tell as it is too quick. I still think Kirkland got his fingertips to the initial shot but really, & I've watched it several times now, either could be true.

In such a case surely you have to give the benefit of the doubt to the striker? Still Bentley's goal

What has the question of whether Kirkland got his hands to the original shot got to do with it? I know you quoted the bit in the rule book about the shot being on target but personally I think your interpreting it wrongly. If Kirkland pushed it on to the bar/ post then it bounces downwards, hits his head and goes in the net then it is still an own goal as the original shot wasn't on target. It had been deliberately diverted off target by Kirkland.

I'm not deliberately trying to start an argumnet with you or anything I've just got a different take on it to you. We will agree to disagree!

[basskadet]

Stop trying to spoil the party St. Helen's

It was Bentley's goal, whether you like it or not

Anyway, I'm generally of the opinion that deflections should never be own-goals, no matter how off target the original shot. I think that the goal should go to the striker so long as he can show that he was trying to score a goal with the initial shot. Own-goals should only be awarded to players who turn the ball into their own net, such as from a cross or a poor pass-back. If the shot is so bad that the player taking it can't even really claim 100% that he was trying to score, then people should have to make the decision but otherwise I believe the goal should always be given to the player trying to score.

Just to say a completely ridiculous, hypothetical situation: If a shot was taken, hit the bar as a pigeon flies past, hits the bird & goes in, who gets the goal? I say the striker. If Bent's shot against Liverpool had been going wide, hit that beach ball & still gone in, who get's the goal? I say Bent still should. Kirkland was as aware of that ball hitting him as an inanimate object would be. He wasn't sticking a leg out to try and block it or anything, he knew nothing about it.

It might not be the way the committee decides on who gets the goal but, in my opinion, it should be that way. I don't think it is right that the goal should be given to the person who knew nothing about it instead of the person who was actually trying to score

[SirBillyNick]

ten years ago, maybe even less, we wouldn't be having this conversation, it would be DBs goal!