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Top 10 premature celebrations

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Rob Parker
 @ October 10th, 2011

With South Africa celebrating their qualification to the African Cup of Nations before it turned out they hadn’t made it, we look at some other premature celebrations.

1. Khalid Askri

The Moroccan goalkeeper became an internet sensation with his hilarious penalty save celebration. The hapless keeper saw his side lose the penalty shootout as the ball spun back into the net after his save.

2. Liverpool’s Champions of Europe 2007 bus


Well, Istanbul had been such a breeze two seasons earlier that Liverpool could only assume that Athens would be just as easy, and get their victory bus liveried to celebrate the success. Alas, they lost to AC Milan that time round.

3. Chelsea’s Robinho shirts


Chelsea had become accustomed to being able to sign any player they wanted, so when they made a serious move for Robinho in 2008 they thought the outcome was inevitable and started selling Robinho replica shirts on their websites. As we now know, the pint-sized Brazilian was ultimately swayed by the new-found riches of Manchester City.

4. Manchester City fan’s Champions League tattoo


This is City fan Kirk Bradley who, in August 2009, decided to get a tattoo commemorating Manchester City’s 2011 Champions League victory. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that this was actually won by Barcelona.

5. Child’s play

This amateur side will reflect that celebrating a new arrival among the team could probably have waited until after the match. Their full-team celebration saw them caught out by a quick kick-off.

6. They think it’s all over

The most famous premature celebration of all time didn’t result in any comeuppance. England fans invading the pitch to celebrate their 1966 World Cup victory were treated to a very good view of the fourth and final goal.

7. Dro D’oh

Another keeper who celebrated his penalty save too soon. The Dro goalkeeper runs off in celebration believing his stop has won his side a place in Italian football’s sixth-tier. The ball rolls back into the net and opponents Tremono end up getting promoted instead!

8. 50 not out
Urban legend dictates that when Arsenal’s Invincibles, unbeaten in 49 games, met Manchester United at Highbury in 2004 they were all wearing 50 not out t-shirts under their kit. Almost inevitably, United won the match. They reportedly also got wind of the t-shirts and the fall-out from that prompted Pizzagate.

9. Ian Wright gets it wrong

Arsenal aren’t very good at this celebratory t-shirt business. With Gunners legend Ian Wright closing in on Cliff Bastin’s club record of 178 goals, he took to wearing a special vest in anticipation of breaking the record. Needing two more goals to achieve the feat, he scored one against Bolton and launched into a ‘Ravanelli’ celebration revealing the ‘179’ vest. He did score a second goal later in the match and revealed the vest again. This time the message was accurate!

10. What have you Done
Manchester United supporting bookie Fred Done, of Betfred fame, was so confident that the Red Devils were on their way to the title in 1998 that he paid out in March. But the season was far from over and Arsenal ended up winning the league by a point. The move reportedly cost Done more than £500,000.

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