THE most difficult moment I have ever had during my 35 year broadcasting career came amidst a state of utter football confusion!
It was when I had to commentate on a totally unique ‘Ghost Goal’ back on Saturday 20th September 2008. I had been sent to Watford versus Reading in the Championship at Vicarage Road reporting for talkSPORT Radio.
After 13 minutes, Reading won a corner on the right hand side. Stephen Hunt clipped over the flag kick only for Watford’s John Eustace to bundle the ball away.
As it bobbled over the by-line wide of the goal for what should have been another corner, Reading’s Noel Hunt unsuccessfully tried to hook the ball back into play.
At this point, linesman Nigel Bannister raised his flag and the referee Stuart Attwell awarded a goal…even though the ball had gone nowhere near the goal!
The match officials believed the ball had gone inside the right hand post rather than two yards outside it.
Throwback to the infamous ghost goal between Watford and Reading 👻
— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) November 16, 2021
Easily the most bizarre refereeing decision in the history of Championship 😅
pic.twitter.com/DURn4FQiWv
Almost immediately, talkSPORT crossed to me for a live report. It was a surreal experience as I described in detail what I had seen. A goal that wasn’t a goal that had been given as a goal!
My commentary of that moment was repeated on talkSPORT hundreds of times in the days afterwards. It was one of the most controversial football incidents of all-time.
By the way, the match ended in a 2-2 draw before a crowd of 14,761 and the record books show that Reading’s opener was a John Eustace own goal.
Eustace said afterwards: “Everyone could see what happened. It is a bit embarrassing. We thought the ref had given a goal kick and then it was a goal. It is ridiculous. We were all amazed by the decision.”
Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd added: “I’ve never seen anything like it. A monumental howler. A mistake like that is like a UFO landing on earth. I was totally bemused.
“I went in to see to see the referee after the game. In fairness, refs have a difficult job and he was only going on what the linesman saw.
“They were working as a team. So if someone comes in the ref’s ear telling him it is a goal, then I suppose he has got to give it.
“I don’t blame the Reading team for celebrating the goal. I don’t want players to take things into their own hands. It is not up to them.
“I don’t expect anyone to give us any charity. If someone stops you in a car park and gives you a present you don’t say no do you?”
Meanwhile, the Reading manager Steve Coppell said: “When the whistle went I wondered what it was for as I could not see a foul.
“Everyone trooped back to the centre of the pitch and then it became obvious that the referee had given the goal. But having spoken Noel Hunt after the game it was clear that the ball went out of play and wide of the goal.
“If it is not a goal then we don’t want a goal. But all we can do is play to the whistle. Let’s get this clear. The responsibility is not with the players to right a wrong. It is up to the officials to get it as right as they can.
“If the referee had come in and told me at half-time that they had messed it up, I don’t know whether or not I would have let Watford score an uncontested goal to level matters.
“The game of football is really crying out for video evidence and it has been for a long time. It is obvious. Rugby League puts us to shame with how referees can call for replays.”
Goal-line technology was eventually introduced into English football. So this infamous Ghost Goal will never be repeated.
Bringing the story up to date, John Eustace is now head coach of EFL Championship club Birmingham City.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 14th February 2023
