Top 10 acts of sportsmanship in football

Full article on the v2Journal here - http://v2journal.com/22/post/2013/06/footballs-top-10-sportsmanship-moments.html

There were so many wonderful moments of sportsmanship in football to choose from, it was very difficult, however here’s the Top 10 moments PR Smith broadcasted with BBC Radio London yesterday (on the Phil Parry Sports Show).

10th:  Manchester, England

Manchester United v Swansea City. 75,000 Man Utd fans celebrate winning the Premiere League and wave goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson with each fan waving a memorial gift red flag with the words ‘Manchester United Premiere League Champions 2012/13’. Man Utd also gave each Swansea City fans white flags with the words ‘Swansea City Capital Cup Winners 2012/13’.

9th:  Dubai, UAE

Gulf Cup Semi Final between UAE & Kuwait. UAE striker Esmail Mattar scored a last gasp winner with just ten minutes left on the clock. The usual celebration with his team mates follow as precious seconds tick away. In the post match interview Matter was big enough to apologise for both his & his team’s over-exuberant celebrations. Few players ever apologise these days. Fair play to Mattar. 17/01/13

8th:  Sicily, Italy

An Italian youth league match between Palermo Prima and Vicenza FC stops after 20 minutes as Vicenza kick the ball out of play to allow an injured player get help. Palermo throw the ball their own Davide Petermann who kicks the ball back to the Vicenza goalkeeper but inadvertently scores a goal. Palermo allow the Vincenza team to kick off and then walk the ball into the Palermo goal unobstructed to redress the balance. Class act from youths. 14/01/13  Note: Similar to Millwall v Bournemouth Reserves Avon Insurance Combination match 2002*

7th:  Dublin, Ireland

World Cup Qualifier Ireland v Austria. With both teams vying for the coveted 2nd place, the Austrian keeper, Heinz Linder, makes a brilliant point blank save & Ireland’s Shane Long gives him an instinctive high-five handshake & clamp hands momentarily. 27/03/13 Note: Childhood memories of Eusebio applauding Man Utd’s Alex Stepney’s point blank save in the 1968 European Cup Final*

6th:  Westchester, USA

A beautiful photograph of a young player bending down on one knee and tie-ing the opposition goalkeeper’s laces. The opposition keeper’s big gloves stopped her from tie-ing her own laces. So this sporting young lady, probably remembered parental warnings about ‘always tie your laces’, just did the decent thing and helped the opposition so that the Girls-Under-10 game in the Westchester Youth Soccer League could continue. This reminds me that without an opposition there is no sport! 19/04/13

5th:  Shirvenham, England

Non League Football UK. Aylesbury United were beating Shirvenham FC 4-0 in the ¼ finals of the Berks and Bucks Senior Trophy when the match was abandoned after Aylesbury’s Lee Bircham suffered a double leg break. Normally this means a relay but Shirvenham FC honourably asked the FA to allow the result to stand. 15/01/13

4th:  LA, Madrid, Manchester

The most extraordinary story. Abel Rodrigues 41 year old Mexican American floor cleaner living in LA, gives up two weeks of his vacation every time Real Madrid visit, so that he can help. He works voluntarily at their temporary training camp collecting balls, bibs and cones. For years his wife and daughter urged him to visit Madrid and see the ultimate game – Real Madrid v Barcelona. He arrived without a ticket in the near freezing temperature and was told tickets sold out. He sat on the kerb in the icy cold for 4 hours, when Mourinho’s limo passed by and thankfully, ‘The Special One’ was alert and recognised Abel (from LA), stopped the car, greeted him ‘Amigo what are you doing here…?’ You have to read this story – we haven’t room for it all here….but basically Mourinho puts him up in a 5 star hotel, registers him as part of the Real team, travels with them to the game and reception afterwards. The Mourinho says next we travel to Manchester to play them in the European Cup you travel with us………11/04/13

The Top 3 are on the journal - http://v2journal.com/22/post/2013/06/footballs-top-10-sportsmanship-moments.html

Article by - PR Smith, from  The Great Sportsmanship Programme www.GreatSportsmanship.org  
-          mobilising communities into sportsmanship values

Lets hear yours!

Everton's keeper is down in the box, the ball is crossed in and the striker has an open goal to place the ball into. He catches it and stops play so physios can come onto the pitch. Paolo Di Canio is a legend

Another fantastic article. 

I always thought Di Canio's gesture was very sporting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS1LuSiRrLI