Worst Refereeing Decisions

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ARGENTINA v ENGLAND 1986
Diego Maradona sealed his notoriety with this infamous incident in the World Cup quarter-final.



Maradona uses his hand to score against England in the 1986 World Cup
The brilliant Argentine jumped with Peter Shilton to meet a cross in the penalty area, and used his hand to beat the England goalkeeper to the ball and fist it into the net.

Maradona has shown no regret or shame about the incident, which helped Argentina beat England 2-1 on their way to winning the World Cup.

After the game, he referred to the "Hand of God" being responsible for the goal.

And years later, in his autobiography, he compared it with his exquisite second goal, for which he dribbled past half the England team, and said he "almost enjoyed the first one more".

It was, he said, a form of revenge for the country's defeat in the 1982 Falklands War.


FRANCE v GERMANY 1982

A goal-kick was awarded after Schumacher knocked Battiston out
The artistic French team led by the brilliant playmaker Michel Platini lost this World Cup semi-final after one of history's most shocking fouls went unpunished.



In the second half, France's Patrick Battiston was played clean through, with only German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher to beat.

Schumacher launched himself at Battiston and his hips smashed into the Frenchman's face, leaving him unconscious with a broken jaw.

While Battiston was stretchered off, to spend months in recovery, the referee awarded a goal-kick.


MIDDLESBROUGH v CHESTERFIELD 1997
With Chesterfield leading 2-1 in an FA Cup semi-final, Jonathan Howard fired a shot against the crossbar that rebounded down into the goalmouth.

A goal was not given even though replays clearly showed the ball had crossed the line. The game ended 3-3 and Middlesbrough won the replay to seal a meeting with Chelsea in the final.


SPAIN v S KOREA 2002
Spain had two goals disallowed on dubious grounds before going on to lose this World Cup match on penalties.



Spain's players make their feelings known against South Korea
The first, supposedly for pushing in the area, looked bad enough, but the second - ruled out because a linesman said the ball had gone out of play before being crossed to Fernando Morientes - was a clear error.

It was not the last controversial decision to favour co-hosts South Korea.

In their next match, opponents Italy had a legitimate goal disallowed for offside, appeals for a penalty rejected, and striker Francesco Totti sent off for diving.

The referee of the Italy match, Ecuadorian Byron Moreno, was subsequently struck off Fifa's list.


EVERTON v BOLTON 1997

Terry Phelan (right) clears the ball after Bolton's 'goal' in 1997
Bolton's Gerry Taggart smashed a header off the bar that bounced back down into the goalmouth.

Everton's Terry Phelan cleared the ball after it had clearly crossed the line in this Premiership 0-0 draw.

At the end of the season, Everton avoided relegation, at Bolton's expense, by one point.



BRAZIL v SWEDEN 1978
Welsh referee Clive Thomas caused uproar when he blew the whistle for full-time between a corner being taken and Brazil's Zico scoring directly from it with a header.

The game ended 1-1.


CRYSTAL PALACE v COVENTRY 1980
Palace striker Clive Allen scored with a powerful shot that bounced back out of the goal after striking the stanchion. The goal was not given.


FINLAND v ENGLAND 2001
In caretaker manager Howard Wilkinson's only game in charge of England, Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour struck a powerful drive that ricocheted off the crossbar and down over the line in this World Cup qualifying match.

But the referee waved play on, the game ended 0-0 after an otherwise disappointing England performance, and Sven-Goran Eriksson was appointed national coach soon afterwards.


CRYSTAL PALACE V LEEDS 2003

Duberry (right) and Mills scramble to clear the ball against Palace
Leeds defender Michael Duberry cleared a close-range shot from Palace's Tommy Black from well behind the line in this FA Cup sixth-round match.



Had the goal been allowed, Palace would have taken the lead in a match they went on to lose 2-1.


BULGARIA v SPAIN 1996
Bulgaria's volatile star stiker Hristo Stoichkov scored with a brilliant scissor kick, but the goal was disallowed following a dubious offside decision.

The Euro 96 first-round match finished in a 1-1 draw.


THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL OF ALL?
Geoff Hurst's first goal in extra-time in the 1966 World Cup final for England against Germany hardly ranks as a poor refereeing decision because it has still not yet been proved whether the ball crossed the line.

But to this day Germans argue that the linesman incorrectly gave the goal that put England into a 3-2 lead, and will point to some inconclusive enhanced footage recently produced to "prove" it.

Hurst went on to score another goal to clinch a hat-trick and a 4-2 win.