Top Ten: Own Goals

Last updated: 25th April 2008

John Arne Riise Liverpool Champions League Football Chelsea

Riise can only watch in horror as his header beats Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal

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John Arne Riise's potentially disastrous own goal for Liverpool against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League saw the Norwegian join a line of hapless players to have put through their own net. Skysports.com looks at ten classic own goals from down the years:

DES WALKER

Nottingham Forest defender Des Walker scored the winning goal in the 1991 FA Cup final at Wembley - for Tottenham. Locked at 1-1 after normal time, the England centre-back won Terry Venables' side the trophy with a diving header straight into his own goal.

TOMMY HUTCHISON

The Scottish international had given his Manchester City side the lead in the 1981 FA Cup final with Tottenham with a spectacular diving header but then levelled matters when he deflected Glenn Hoddle's free-kick into his own net. The game ended 1-1 and Spurs went on to lift the trophy following their replay win.

PETER ENCKELMAN

In the first Birmingham derby since the Blues won promotion to the Premier League in 2002, Aston Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman carved his name into Brummie folklore with a howler of epic proportions. With City winning 1-0, captain Olof Mellberg harmlessly chucked Enckelman the ball from a throw-in. The young stopper mis-judged the slowly-rolling ball, which ran past his foot and into the net. Had the referee David Elleray known he had not touched the ball, the goal would not have stood. But Enckelman's head-in-hands reaction convinced the man in black he must have made contact, and the goal stood. Birmingham won 3-0.

LEE DIXON

Full-back Lee Dixon made a mockery of Arsenal's famously tight defence in the early 1990s when he lobbed team-mate David Seaman from distance to send opponents Coventry on their way to victory against George Graham's side.

SANDY BROWN

Another culprit of over-enthusiastic defensive heading was Sandy Brown, whose full-length diving header endeared him to Liverpool supporters in the Merseyside derby in December 1969, even though he was representing the blue half.

IAIN DOWIE

Iain Dowie ended a worrying goal drought during his time at West Ham with a perfectly-executed header past Ludek Miklosko which even his own fans must have been tempted to applaud. Dowie's equaliser for Stockport helped them on their way to a 2-1 win in 1996.

ANDRES ESCOBAR

Own goals became decidedly less comical in the 1994 World Cup when one resulted in murder. Columbia defender Andres Escobar deflected a cross into his own net to help the USA to a 2-1 victory, ensuring an early exit for the South Americans. Ten days later, outside a nightclub in Medellin, Escobar was gunned down and killed.

DJIMI TRAORE

Rafael Benitez's first FA Cup tie as Liverpool boss ended in humiliating defeat at Burnley in 2005 after French defender Traore performed a perfect pirouette in the six-yard box, comically dragging the ball into his own net with his heel as he twirled to hand victory to the Coca-Cola Championship club.

JAMIE POLLOCK

An own goal that would have been one of the goals of the season had it been scored at the other end. Playing against QPR in 1998, Manchester City defender Pollock flicked the ball over an opponent's head before trying to head the ball back to his goalkeeper, who was in no man's land and could only watch as the ball sailed into the net.

CHRIS BRASS

Probably the funniest own goal ever scored came from Bury's Chris Brass, whose attempted clearance against Darlington in 2006 hit his own face and careered into the net. To add injury to insult, Brass suffered a broken nose in the process. However, Bury did come back to win late on.

Do you remember any famous own goals? Let us know using the form below.

Comments

Phil Cooper says...

Riise's own goal is possibly the funniest of all time.....mainly cause he's ginger!!!

Posted 15:45 10th June 2008

Alan Roper says...

Surely it must be Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink playing for Chelski where he ran back from the half-way line when they conceded a corner, and then made a bullett header into his own net... HILARIOUS

Posted 23:07 7th June 2008

Akash Soni says...

What about the popovic own goal while he was playing for crystal palace it would have been the goal of the season if he had scored at the right end of the pitch

Posted 10:23 7th June 2008

Dylan Ip ting wah says...

What about Lauren vs Man City 2003. He ran the whole pitch and buried it past Lehmann. NOW that was comical!!!!

Posted 17:31 6th June 2008

Jack Spear says...

hyypia against everton at goodison park in the season 2007/08

Posted 17:27 1st June 2008

Patrick Shields says...

Roy Keane v Real Madrid beating the keeper to the ball and sliding it in at the near past, hence Arsenal fans came up with the chant "He's paid a 100 thousand quid and he scores for Real Madrid"

Posted 12:17 1st June 2008

Daniel Hindley says...

Sami Hyypia's own goal this season against everton, nice curl and in off the post. Funny to think about now though, at least we won though. Cheers

Posted 00:03 31st May 2008

James Derbyshire says...

Nicky Hunt (Bolton vs Man utd) Hunt broke Bolton hearts after Les Ferdinand scored his only ever bolton goal in the 90th minute to give bolton a famous 2-1 victory over man utd at the reebok. Then in typical united fashion they ran down the other end put on abit of pressure and poor nicky hunt bundled the ball over the line to make a good point vs man utd seem like a disastrous 2 points lost.

Posted 12:49 30th May 2008

Onesmus Kamau says...

what about paul scholes spectacular own goal at totenham when he scored with a thuder bolt header - im a united fan but that was one of the best

Posted 20:07 29th May 2008

Mike Tomkins says...

As these are own goal's it makes them even more impressive than they actually are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqO-siw5Pl4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHhO8bp0Qno Enjoy.

Posted 13:50 29th May 2008

Max Lodge says...

(Chelsea Fan) Gary Mabbutt's 'Kneebut' 1987 FA Cup Final. Classic!

Posted 09:52 29th May 2008

Kevin Smith says...

Dont remember his name but a bloke for Forest Green a few years back lashed one into the top corner from 12 yards out whilst tryin to clear the ball. Oh or Franck queudrue in france hoofing the ball in the air from the half way line.

Posted 23:01 24th May 2008

Cain Wilkes says...

30 yard diving header...JONATHAN WOODGATE on his debut for Real Madrid i dont think ive ever seen one better then he got sent off....

Posted 15:50 24th May 2008

Mike Speakman says...

Tony Popovics great workof an own goal - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3jbpcCo2E

Posted 14:41 24th May 2008

Mike Speakman says...

What about Tony Popovic's i think for Crystal Palace against Pompey. Great goal, shame it was in his own net.

Posted 14:38 24th May 2008

Christopher Evans says...

Man City fan i'm old enough to remember Sandy Brown's perfect diving header top corner against Liverpool in the seventies absolute classic !!

Posted 19:37 23rd May 2008

Matt Mcbride says...

Leeds' Alan Smith with a sliced clearance against wolves off the bar and in, wonder strike

Posted 20:10 14th May 2008

Frank Inman says...

Frank Sinclair at the Riverside, scoring from about the half way line against Ian Walker.

Posted 20:06 10th May 2008

Jack Mallion says...

I think Tony Popovics spectacular own goal when it flicked off his heel for Crystal Palace has to be among the best! And Crystal Palace lost and got relegated that season!

Posted 11:28 29th April 2008

Chris Baker says...

Gotta be Frank Sinclair when he curled it round whoever was in goal for Leicester at the time, all of about 40 yards.....Sublime.

Posted 01:13 29th April 2008

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