Yeovil’s Gift Goal A Credit To Football
In a first round tie in 2004, shocked fans witnessed a bizarre opening goal followed by a “gift equaliser” that Gary Johnson, the Yeovil manager, later described as “a victory for sportsmanship”.
In attempting to return the ball to the Plymouth goalkeeper after a stop in play, Yeovil midfielder Lee Johnson somehow managed to accidentally find the net despite the scrambling efforts of the Pilgrims’ Luke McCormick.
Johnson Senior immediately allowed the opposition to score unopposed from the kick-off with Argyle’s Steve Crawford the bemused recipient.
Yeovil went on to win 3-2 and the next day Plymouth manager Bobby Williamson rang Johnson to thank him for the gesture. The Yeovil boss was also nominated for that season’s FIFA World Fair Play Award.