Eric Cantona - Kung Fu Legend

RedPed

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I remember it like it was yesterday. The only season when we never won the League with Eric Cantona in the team.



Fecking love this guy.
 

Falcow

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Wow I remember listening to it on the radio with my brother. I honestly do remember it like it was yesterday. The media storm in the aftermath.....I couldn't possibly accurately describe it now, it was unbelievable.

Scores against liverpool then on his return and leads us to the double, amazing times to be a united supporter.

Thanks for posting.
 
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Annihilate Now!

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One of those "remember where you were" moments...pretty surreal stuff.

Also one of those moments that crossed over into the mainstream (It was one of the main headlines on the news that night - not in the sport section)... Had some pop culture impact too.

 

RedPed

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Never heard of this before, what happened?
I'm guessing you're not a United fan or a very young one? If you know Eric Cantona, you will know about this. The story is in the video clip. He got red carded, abused by a Palace fan, lunged at him then got banned from all football for 8 months. Was massive at the time as he was the biggest PL star at the time.
 

vidic blood & sand

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Remember listening to it on the radio live, then watching it on the news. He was ready to throw it all in and leave football, but Fergie tracked him down and changed his mind.
What makes it so memorable was the way he came back a changed man with a class and arrogance that drove a young team on to go on and win the double. Special player, and special times for Utd fans.
That passion and determination to win has absolutely gone today. Martin Edwards was desperate to put the club back at the top, and Fergie was doing it. From the top down the club was driven to succeed on the pitch.
 

RedPed

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A nice recap of the incident and the events following it.

 

Vidyoyo

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I'm guessing you're not a United fan or a very young one? If you know Eric Cantona, you will know about this. The story is in the video clip. He got red carded, abused by a Palace fan, lunged at him then got banned from all football for 8 months. Was massive at the time as he was the biggest PL star at the time.
Nah just a shit joke :)
 

Oldyella

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If only we had players with that sort of passion now.
Remember that year so well.
Still love that the rest of the team piled over. We had more success with later teams but that era will always be my favourite, bunch of hard bastards.
 

Denis79

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Still love that the rest of the team piled over. We had more success with later teams but that era will always be my favourite, bunch of hard bastards.
Same, easily my favorite united team I've been able to watch.
 

Shipperley

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Understand the nostalgia around the incident from a Utd perspective but however big or small a role, it unquestionably created tensions which resulted in the death of a Palace fan a few months later. A murder for which no justice has ever been served. That is why Cantona songs are never welcome at Selhurst Park, not for the incident itself.

RIP Paul Nixon.
 

Art Vandelay

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What I posted above. According to him. In reality it was more along the lines of "Faaaaccck off, you big nosed French caaaannnnnnttttt!!!"
Wasn't he alleged to have shouted stuff about Eric's wife and mother too?

I still remember the match, I'd gone into the other room to get something but could see the and hear the TV. Heard the red card, saw him going off then turned away. Then it all kicked off.
 

Jippy

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Understand the nostalgia around the incident from a Utd perspective but however big or small a role, it unquestionably created tensions which resulted in the death of a Palace fan a few months later. A murder for which no justice has ever been served. That is why Cantona songs are never welcome at Selhurst Park, not for the incident itself.

RIP Paul Nixon.
The strength of the causal link is questionable, but that is obviously not to detract from his family's loss.
Keane and Southgate getting sent off amid ugly scenes on the pitch that match in the so-called 'semi-final of peace' contributed to the toxic atmosphere on the night, which some forget now.
 

Shipperley

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The strength of the causal link is questionable, but that is obviously not to detract from his family's loss.
Keane and Southgate getting sent off amid ugly scenes on the pitch that match in the so-called 'semi-final of peace' contributed to the toxic atmosphere on the night, which some forget now.

Absolutely agree and I am far from implying that it directly led to Paul’s death, that would be simplistic at best. Nevertheless I don’t think celebrating the anniversary of this (as some in the media seem to be) sits comfortably with me given the context of what followed soon after.
 

Sandikan

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Simon Bird in the mirror used it as an excuse to have a go at us.

Saying how back in 95 there weren't many foreign players, but roll on to 2020, there's loads, and the big thing you couldn't imagine is United winning the league.
What a nobber.
 

Jippy

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Absolutely agree and I am far from implying that it directly led to Paul’s death, that would be simplistic at best. Nevertheless I don’t think celebrating the anniversary of this (as some in the media seem to be) sits comfortably with me given the context of what followed soon after.
From a narrow perspective, I'd have thought most United fans feel at least a sense of regret about it, given it cost us the league that season.
I can understand Palace fans' views on it and how his death has become a faded footnote at best for most football fans now.
In some ways I guess the episode has been somewhat romanticised as a player standing up to fan abuse and reinforcing the view that supporters shouldn't be able to shout vile abuse without consequence.
Wssn't football's finest hour all told though.
 

MichaelB1807

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Amazing player, I loved him, but he let himself and the club down that day. Players get abused all the time and it isn't right nor fair, but if this happened today it would have cast us in such a bad light. And before you have a go, imagine Suarez did this, Terry, Ramos, Ashley Cole, Joey Barton. He reacted like that (imo) because of the red, not the abuse. I have been to many games where the opposition fans screamed horrid abuse at him after he scored, he didn't react once, or if he did it was by playing even better. A lot of fans might love him for it, but I bet Sir Alex has a different view privately, and he was probably the only player he was ever scared of chastising because of his importance so we never got to hear that view.
 
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The Brown Bull

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We do (Rashford, McTominay, WIlliams), they're just not as good. If we were better, they'd be appreciated more
Rashford possibly is as skilful, certainly is faster but he just doesnt lift the team and supporters the way the Mercurial Frenchman did.
I certainly can't imagine Rashy or McTom clattering an abusive opposition fan, possibly Williams.
 

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Ali Dia

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So class to watch someone do the unexpected on the pitch (in foootballing terms). Pure class. I also can’t believe that’s so long ago now. I’m officially old! I remember my friend recorded the match so we saw it a good few times and everybody was going on about it in school all day. What an idiot that fan was. Imagine being him when you realise Cantona is actually going for you studs up!! Shiiiiiit
 

momo83

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“When the seagulls follow the trawler.... it’s because... they..... think ..... sardines will be thrown into....... the sea”

At a young age I never understood why the media ridiculed that or why they didn’t understand it. But now I’m older I know... they understood exactly what he meant and who it was meant to... but ridiculing it and making him seem crazy to their audience is how they’d try to win. Media / Politics 101
 

pastyfool

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A friend who was a season ticket holder at Palace (think for around 10 years he went home and away) told me a story about Simmons.

He was well known within the fanbase as being a kn*b. Would always be the one looking to start trouble at away games etc...

One time, on the way back from an away game, the supporters bus stopped at a motorway service station. My friend was on the same bus as Simmons. It just so happened that there were a bunch of other fans at the station. Simmons decided to mouth off given it large to the other fans.

As things were starting to get a bit heated the Palace fans jumped back on the bus, told the driver that everyone was onboard and drove off, leaving Simmons all by himself with the other fans...

He wasn’t liked even amongst Palace fans.
 
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