Most goals scored by a single player in a game

Olympos Xylofagou striker Panagiotis Pontikos banged in 16 goals against SEK Ayios Athanasios FC to help his side win 24-3 in Cypriot third division game on May 7, 2007.

His feat is worthy of a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the number of goals scored by a single player in a game.

Pontikos was not even in the top five of top scorers in the division but he doubled his tally in the single game against SEK to take himself to the top of the scoring charts.

His goals were timed at 3, 20, 33, 35, 47, 50, 55, 56, 58, 61, 68, 75, 76, 83, 86 and 87 minutes.

Unfortunately he has not broken the record but merely equaled it.

He has to share the glory because Stephan Staniso also scored 16 times for his side Racing Club in a French Cup match against Aubry Asturies in December 1942.

In international football, the record for the most goals scored by a single player in a game is held by Australian Archie Thompson, who scored a whopping 13 goals in a 2002 World Cup qualifier against American Samoa on April 11, 2001. The Socceroos won 31-0 (the score was originally reported as 32-0 as the scorekeepers lost count).

Thompson's feat was helped by playing in a team of well-drilled professionals, even though they were not Australia's first choice team, and playing against one of the world's weakest national football teams.

In England, Joe Payne scored 10 goals in a single game for Luton Town in the 12-0 victory over Bristol Rovers on Easter Monday in 1936, the highest individual tally in a league game.

Payne’s record has never been equalled, no other player having ever scored ten in a league game. Not surprisingly the former Derbyshire miner was quickly dubbed Ten Goal Payne.

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• Quickest goal ever
• Headed goal from 57 yards out
• Dangerous goal celebrations

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10 fastest shot ever in football

Three Davids hold the record for the fastest recorded shot with former Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst claiming top spot, hitting the crossbar at a whopping 114mph against Arsenal at Highbury in September 1996.

David Beckham's 97.9mph effort against Chelsea on February 1997, is second while David Trezeguet's thunderbolt at Old Trafford on March 1998, was recorded at 96mph, putting him third on the list.

However, the Football Association's historian David Barber insists there is no official record.

He said: "Some players in history have been renowned for the power of their shooting – Charlie 'Cannonball' Fleming for Sunderland in the Fifties, Cliff Holton for Crystal Palace in the 60s and Peter 'Hotshot' Lorimer for Leeds in the 70s.

"BBC's Record Breakers programme featured an 87 mph shot by Nicky Summerbee in 1994 that was claimed as the hardest ever.

"Manchester United tested the power of Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo with a special measuring gun and they were all around 70 mph."

But, Guardian has compiled a top 10 list for the fastest recorded shot in football, and here is the list:


1) David Hirst - 114mph (for Sheffield Wednesday @ Arsenal on September 16 1996)
2) David Beckham - 97.9mph (for Manchester Utd v Chelsea on February 22 1997)
3) David Trezeguet - 96mph (for Monaco @ Man Utd on March 19 1998)
4) Richie Humphreys - 95.9mph (for Sheffield Wednesday v Aston Villa on August 17 1996)
5) Matt Le Tissier - 86.8mph (for Southampton v Newcastle on January 18 1997)
6) Alan Shearer - 85.8mph (for Newcastle v Leicester on February 2 1997)
7) Roberto Carlos - 85.2mph (for Brazil v France on June 3 1997)
8) Tugay - 84.2mph (for Blackburn @ Southampton on November 3 2001)
9) Obafemi Martins - 84mph (for Newcastle @ Tottenham on January 14 2007)
10) David Beckham - 80.5mph (for Man Utd @ Derby on September 4 1996)

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Quickest goal ever

An amateur English footballer who scored after two-and-a-half seconds had his strike recognised as the world's fastest goal by the England Football Association.

Marc Burrows scored the goal for Cowes Sports reserves against Eastleigh reserves on the Isle of Wight on April 3, 2004.

The English Football Association has recognised his achievement after receiving a match report from referee John Sorrell.

A statement from the FA said: "We can now say that Marc's goal is the fastest we are aware of.

"Two-and-a-half seconds may not seem long enough to complete the manoeuvre described by the referee, but we appreciate there was an exceptionally strong wind."

Burrows, who went on to score a hat-trick in a 5-3 win, said: "My fellow striker Michael Ponter rolled the ball forward a couple of inches and I took a mighty swing at it. The wind was so strong I thought it was worth a go.

"The ball just sailed over their poor keeper. I was so stunned I didn't really celebrate. I just put my hands in the air and burst out laughing.

"I have tried something similar once or twice but it normally goes out for a throw in and I feel like a right prat.

"The goal took everyone by surprise - not just the goalkeeper. People in the crowd wondered what was going on and the managers had not even made it to the bench."

Marc said he did not think it was possible to score a quicker goal.

Referee Sorrell admitted he was astounded by the freak goal and had never seen anything like it before.

He said: "Just before kick off I heard the Cowes centre forward tell his team mate he would have a go which I thought was a bit cheeky.

"He had spotted the goalkeeper was standing on his penalty spot and obviously fancied trying his luck.

"His mate touched the ball to him and he just hit it."

Burrows, a sales consultant, hopes his achievement will appear in the Guinness Book of Records' next edition.

The world's fastest goal listed by the book is 2.8 seconds which was scored by the Argentinian Ricardo Olivera for Rio Negro against Soriano on December 26 1998.

The previous fastest goal in Britain was scored by Colin Cowperthwaite, who scored in 3.5 seconds for Barrow against Kettering in the Conference in 1979.

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• Dangerous goal celebrations

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Footballers who don't really like football

Espen Baardsen past and present Image credit: Richard Saker/Action Images

Do you expect every footballers love their job? Think again.

Former Norway and Tottenham goalkeeper Espen Baardsen, who retired from professional football at 25, told Guardian:

"I got bored of football. Once you've played in the Premier League and been to the World Cup, you've seen it and done it.

"It was dictating what I could do and when. I felt unsatisfied intellectually, I wanted to travel the world."

"Football is stressful, try playing in front of 40,000 crazy football supporters who are happy or sad for their whole weekend depending on how you perform.

"And I'm now more relaxed, five kilos lighter, fitter and healthier than I was at the end of my football career."

Baardsen now works for asset management fund, Eclectica.

Ex Sheffield United and Birmingham City Curtis Woodhouse is another who disliked the game to such an extent.

He plays football for Rushden & Diamonds in the Conference National, and competes as a welterweight boxer.

Woodhouse stated that he had "fallen out of love" with football and decided to turn to professional boxing, despite no previous experience.

"Everyone loves football, but I didn't. It felt like a job," he said. "I felt empty playing, it got me angry. I could have carried on playing football until I was 35, making a nice wage and having a nice life, but that's not what I wanted to do."

Woodhouse recently stated his intention to retire from football at the end of the 2008/09 season, in order to concentrate on his boxing career.

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Headed goal from 57 yards out

Graham Chapstick scorer of miraculous 57 yards headed goal Photo credit: The Sun

A headed goal scored by an amateur player in England, Graham Capstick, in April 2007 against Chadderton, is claimed to be the longest distance ever recorded in football for a headed goal.

Capstick, a 19-year-old defender playing for Holker Old Boys from Barrow-in-Furness, scored with his head from his own half of the field, a goal measured at 57 yards (52.1 metres).

The 6ft 3ins defender was inside his own half when he headed a clearance from Chadderton goalkeeper, and was then surprised to see the ball fly straight back in the opposite direction, bounced over the keeper and into the net.

The goal secured a 2-2 draw against Chadderton.

Sports student Capstick, a Manchester United fan, told The Sun: "Everyone remembers David Beckham’s goal from over the halfway line but mine was probably even more amazing because it was headed.

"I hit it perfectly. It just flew over all the other players and then bounced about 16 yards out from the goal-line as their keeper came out.

"Then it just bounced over his head. I don’t think he could believe it - and neither could anyone else.

"Even I was shocked. I certainly wasn’t aiming for goal - I hadn’t scored all season."

A crowd of just 37 saw the miracle goal at the Barrow ground, but too bad no one recorded it on film.

Beckham scored his legendary goal from 57 yards playing for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996.

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Dangerous goal celebrations

Obafemi Martins with his sommersault celebration trademark Photo credit: BBC

Sometimes over celebrating a goal can lead to injury.

A study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2005 looked at the causes of injuries in the Turkish league and found that nearly 6% were caused by goal celebrations.

"Over the duration of two playing seasons, 9 of the 152 players had injured themselves while performing a post-goal celebration. The injuries ranged from ligament and muscle strains as a result of 'Sliding' across the field to rib and clavicle fractures as a result of the players 'Piling Up' on each other. The most severe injury was an ankle fracture that required surgery. These injuries took place in 9 separate games where the field was natural turf and was dry in all but the incident requiring surgery. Although each patient was enrolled in an early rehabilitation program, the average playing time lost was 5 weeks."

And here are some famous cases in world football caused by over exuberant celebrations:

Lomana Lua Lua

In 2006, the DR Congo international was playing for Portsmouth against Arsenal. Having scored, he launched into his usual celebration, which consisted of multiple back-flips. This time, though, he sustained an ankle injury that put him out for three weeks.

Steve Morrow

In 2003, Tony Adams lifted Morrow, who had scored Arsenal's winner in the League Cup final against Sheffield Wednesday, with slightly too much enthusiasm and broke his arm. Morrow missed the rest of the season, including the FA Cup final victory over Wednesday.

Celestine Babayaro

In 1997, the Nigerian international joined Chelsea, but during a pre-season game against Stevenage he broke his leg while doing his trademark somersault goal celebration. Thus he couldn't make his league debut until months later.

Patrick Viera

In 1997, the Arsenal midfielder scored the second goal in a 3-2 win over Manchester United, slid extravagantly across the turf on his knees and suffered a bad injury that put him out of the team for the next five weeks.

Martin Palermo

In 2001, the Argentinian in extra-time for Villareal against Levante in the Copa del Rey and ran to the crowd to celebrate. His celebration was curtailed when a wall collapsed on him, breaking his tibia and fibula. Six months later he was back in action, but he missed the World Cup as a result.

Shaun Goater

In 2002, Goater celebrated a goal by Nicolas Anelka for Manchester City by kicking an ad board, but he injured his knee in the process and had to be subbed with Darren Huckerby. Some years previously in 1998, he broke his arm while celebrating a goal.

Paolo Diogo

In 2004, the Portuguese player leaped into the crowd to celebrate a goal for the Swiss club Servette. He caught his wedding ring on perimeter fencing and ripped off the top of his finger. The missing finger was found but surgeons were unable to reattach it.

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Has a streaker ever scored?

Mark Roberts the streaker caught by security

Mark Roberts has scored at least two goals while streaking for over 380 times since his first streak over ten years.

If you're not familiar with him, let me introduce you. The 43-year-old is an internationally known streaker who began his action back in 1993 at the Hong Kong Sevens after losing a bet at a local bar.

Roberts, who has also streaked at the Miss World contest, the Ashes Series, the UEFA Cup Final, Super Bowl XXXVII, scored in the Worthington Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield in 2000 and the 2002 Champions League final, between Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.

At Anfield, Roberts took a pass from Gianfranco Zola, who started laughing when saw him runnning and passed him the ball, and he ran through the whole Chelsea team before unleashed his best shot past a half-hearted Ed de Goey.

In the Champions League final, at Hampden Park, he ripped off his suit before stealing the ball, running past two Leverkusen defenders and finding keeper Hans-Jorg Butt no match for his finishing prowess.

Roberts is not the only streaker to find the back of the net. In December 1998, during an interruption in Reading's 1-0 win over Notts County at the Madejski stadium, a fan ran on to the field, kissed the ground and scored past the County keeper before evading a steward and disappearing into the crowd.

These goals didn't count because they occurred during breaks in play (both of Roberts' efforts came during the half-time interval), but even if a streaker were to find the net during a game, it wouldn't count.

Law 10, The Method of Scoring, says that a goal can only be given if no infringement has been made by the team scoring the goal. A streaker would be an ineligible player; a team cannot field more than 11, so there would be no goal.

And for fun, perhaps you want to see a love story between two streakers here. It's a very funny story so please check it out.

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