The shortness of Eric Cantona's fuse had been well established by the time Manchester United met Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on a clear January evening in 1995 needing a win to overtake Blackburn at the top of the Premier League. So it was no great surprise when, early in the second half, the Frenchman reacted to a challenge from Richard Shaw by aiming a kick at the Palace defender. He was promptly sent off. Plus ça change. But then, as Cantona was being escorted past the Main Stand by United's kit man, he suddenly leapt into the crowd with a kung-fu kick worthy of Bruce Lee. The object of his rage was a 20-year-old self-employed glazier, Matthew Simmons, who had rushed from his seat to hurl abuse at the United player. Simmons was later fined £500 for threatening language and behavior. For the moment, however, Cantona held center stage.
Enter Jean Pearch, a former music teacher, a mother of three, and the chairperson of Croydon Magistrates who now earned her 15 minutes of fame by jailing Cantona for a fortnight after he had pleaded guilty to common assault. Eight days later the sentence was reduced to 120 hours' community service. Cantona mystified the ensuing press conference when giving his reaction to the sentence by saying only that: "when the seagulls follow the trawler it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea." Presumably he felt the assembled hacks were akin to gannets. At least it made a change from vultures.
Hoping to pre-empt any punishment handed out by the Football Association, Manchester United banned Cantona for the rest of that season and were furious when the FA extended it to the end of September. Graham Kelly, the FA's chief executive, described the Frenchman's behavior as "a stain on our game" but there were many among the general public who supported Cantona's response to the verbal assault he had received from Simmons.
Without Cantona's inspiring presence Manchester United, having drawn 1-1 with Palace, lost the Premier League title to Blackburn but regained it on his return. He then captained United against Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final and scored the goal that completed the double.
Of the kung-fu incident Sir Alex Ferguson said that "over the years since then I have never been able to elicit an explanation of the episode from Eric, but my own feeling is that anger at himself over the ordering-off and resentment of the referee's earlier inaction combined to take him over the brink." At least Cristiano Ronaldo confines himself to the occasional pout.
Enter Jean Pearch, a former music teacher, a mother of three, and the chairperson of Croydon Magistrates who now earned her 15 minutes of fame by jailing Cantona for a fortnight after he had pleaded guilty to common assault. Eight days later the sentence was reduced to 120 hours' community service. Cantona mystified the ensuing press conference when giving his reaction to the sentence by saying only that: "when the seagulls follow the trawler it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea." Presumably he felt the assembled hacks were akin to gannets. At least it made a change from vultures.
Hoping to pre-empt any punishment handed out by the Football Association, Manchester United banned Cantona for the rest of that season and were furious when the FA extended it to the end of September. Graham Kelly, the FA's chief executive, described the Frenchman's behavior as "a stain on our game" but there were many among the general public who supported Cantona's response to the verbal assault he had received from Simmons.
Without Cantona's inspiring presence Manchester United, having drawn 1-1 with Palace, lost the Premier League title to Blackburn but regained it on his return. He then captained United against Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final and scored the goal that completed the double.
Of the kung-fu incident Sir Alex Ferguson said that "over the years since then I have never been able to elicit an explanation of the episode from Eric, but my own feeling is that anger at himself over the ordering-off and resentment of the referee's earlier inaction combined to take him over the brink." At least Cristiano Ronaldo confines himself to the occasional pout.
rf.buzzle.com
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