Darren Bent's balloon goal v Liverpool

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

Even Carragher said it was a goal. At the end of the day it's the fan that threw it that fucked it all up for them. You'd think he'd have at least waited until the second half when Liverpool were actually shooting towards that end.

[RobertT]

It would only not count if the referee saw it before the event and stopped play. The drop ball is merely the way of restarting play, if he hasn't stopped it then tough shit.  He can't retrospectively stop play so the refs can all stop bleating and trying to get on tv with their in depth knowledge.  I think we should actively encourage more beach balls in games, adds a little spark of randomness to a game, be a bit like It's a Knockout - I'm sure the Premier League could come up with some sort of money making idea off of that.

[jonny72]

Its funny how its only the media that are saying it wasn't a goal, and the retired refs they've called in as experts. Benitez would be first in line moaning about it if he thought there was anything dodgy about it but he accepted it.

I've been through the rules a few times now and I can't see anything that would rule it out. As regards the rules that are being referred to that should have ruled it out, if a drop ball was the correct decision, surely this should happen every time a balloon is on the pitch?

[pauld]

Assuming what Samdy quoted on the second page is correct, the rules actually seem to refer to people anyway, not inanimate objects:

Outside agents
Anyone not indicated on the team list as a player, substitute or team
official is deemed to be an outside agent as is a player who has been
sent off.

That's anyone, not anything. A beach ball is a thing not a person. And as Rob T says, the drop ball only comes into it as a way of restarting play.

But going back to Rob T's post, I seem to remember one of the L&P things that got knocked down by the Health and Safety mafia was bouncing beach balls around (seem to remember something about "small children having hot drinks knocked over them" as the jobsworth excuse cited at the time). I think this puts a whole new light on the whole L&P thing - not so much happy clappy effort to make 3rd division football marginally less painful than it manifestly is, as sinister consipracy to subvert the laws of the game that was several years ahead of it's time.

I bet Rob's got a white cat and a retractable bridge over a poolful of pirahnas at home.

[Talk Talk]

Hmmm. I think we should combine the Daren Bent approach with Yeovil's suggestion for Millwall away (a long balloon with one round balloon) for a concerted L&P campaign. Perhaps we can get one of Paynter's headers or penalties deflected by an inflated half-scrotum.

[The Artist Billy Paynter]

Rafa has handled it well, no moaning/complaining, accepted it.

Imagine if it was Fergie, he'd have torn the Ref a new arsehole.

[Rich Pullen]

That's because Liverpool were dire and even the most bias manager couldn't defend that sort of performance.

[Samdy Gray]

Haha...

[url width=407 height=234]http://i37.tinypic.com/2njg5tl.gif[/url]

[Summerof69]

Apparently Man Yoo fans are taking inflatable beachballs to their game against Liverpool this weekend.

[Batch]

Apparently Man Yoo fans are taking inflatable beachballs to their game against Liverpool this weekend.

ANd planning a sing song to Nina's 99 Red Balloons

[herthab]

Those crazy man yoo fans.................

[Nemo]

I don't know if I'm the only one who downloads the Times The Game Podcast with Jupitus and Marcotti, but if anyone does, am I the only one who thought Patrick Barclay's diatribe was not just misjudged but offensive? For those who don't listen to it (Probably all of you) he genuinely managed to to say throwing a beachball onto the pitch could directly lead to a repeat of Hillsborough at that the (12 year old) kid who threw it should have had the shit kicked out of him. I'm not easily offended at all and stopped listening to the podcast halfway through. Seriously, what the fuck is he thinking? Link if anyone wants to listen to it

[Batch]

he genuinely managed to to say throwing a beachball onto the pitch could directly lead to a repeat of Hillsborough at that the (12 year old) kid who threw it should have had the shit kicked out of him.

What a twat.

[pauld]

You should set Stephen Fry on his ass

[Div]

Assuming what Samdy quoted on the second page is correct, the rules actually seem to refer to people anyway, not inanimate objects:

Quote is right, but that bit of the interpretation does only clarify which people are outside agents - implying that other outside agents are possible. I'll try and find it, but i'm pretty sure somewhere else in the Laws of the Game will clarify what an 'outside agent' is...i'd be pretty surprised if it didnt say something along the lines of

'an outside agent is deemed to be any item, not part of the field of play, that enters the field of play. Play continues until the item interferes with play and not before hand. If the item does interfere, play is restarted with a drop ball from where the ball was last in play and the item is removed. At any other time, the item is removed at the next natural stoppage.'

Can't find anything that clarify's an outside agent, but what i've said is what it should say...

But, the quote from the beeb is misleading. The second part that starts 'if an outside agent...' is a separate section to the 'which people are outside agents' and isn't a direct follow-on, which is what people are interpreting it as.