13th February 1909
On this day in 1909, an extraordinary Second Division fixture took place at Turf Moor between Burnley and Grimsby Town. The match was notable for the awarding of four penalties to the home side, Burnley. Remarkably, Grimsby Town’s goalkeeper, Walter Scott, managed to save three of these penalties, a feat that is rarely seen in football. The penalties were not missed by the takers but were indeed saved by Scott. Burnley did manage to convert one of the penalties, contributing to their 2-0 victory. The match was further complicated for Grimsby, who played with only 10 men for 70 minutes due to an injury, as substitutions were not permitted in those days.
13th February 1999
The FA Cup Fifth Round match between Arsenal and Sheffield United at Highbury on 13th February 1999 became a unique chapter in the competition’s history. Arsenal emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, but the circumstances surrounding the winning goal led to an unusual decision. Just before Arsenal’s decisive goal, Sheffield United’s goalkeeper, Alan Kelly, had kicked the ball out of play to allow treatment for an injured player. Ray Parlour, intending to return the ball to a Sheffield United player, took the throw-in, but Arsenal’s Kanu intercepted it and passed to Marc Overmars, who scored the winner. Kanu, making his debut for Arsenal and playing his first match in English football, later stated he was unaware of the situation and thought it was a legitimate attacking move. Although no official rules were broken, an unwritten rule of sportsmanship was, leading Arsenal to request a replay of the match. The replay was conducted fairly, with Arsenal winning 2-1 once again.