h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's Steed Malbranque, for Fulham, 12:53pm, 06-03-2004.

Most observers failed to mention that Gerrard's was the first penalty scored *in the league* at Old Trafford since Ruel Fox's...

Really?

So he set a record *and* won me shit-loads of money all in the same match. Lovely job

There was also the pen Phil Neville conceded playing for England - I still swear he thought it didn't matter because they don't give penalties at Old Trafford.

cos it's a bitter sweet symphony that's life


Ok, you all keep banging on about the scarcity of penalties at Old Trafford, can't this just be because we don't foul inside the area
If not, then could someone please tell me, exactly, how many penalties, according to the rules of the game, there should have been at Old Trafford in the last 10 seasons?

I can't tell you that without having watched every game at Old Trafford for the last 10 years

All I can tell you is that the number of penalties that ought to have been awarded over the last 10 years - according to the law of averages - ought to have been more than zero.

I dunno Creachy, but can you explain why a few seasons back in the glory days of O'Leary, Fabien Barthez committed a professional foul on a Leeds player yet was allowed to remain on the pitch to save Ian Harte's (admittedly poor) penalty, when any other keeper would have seen in from the stands.

Or why Robbie Keane's freekick against ManU at OT was disallowed when an almost identical one scored by Harte at Highbury that season was allowed?

You'll never convince me there isn't a bias towards the successful teams in the league (Ie Arsenal's pen against us last week). It's just ManU are slightly more successful.

It's a funny old game eh Psycorp? I am pretty sure, given Leeds reputation, that many decisions that should have been made against your team have not actually occured. If you wanna know the answer to your questions, give the referee who made the decision a call.
If I will never convince, I shant bother trying.


Number Six - The wonderful thing about the law of averages in football is that it generally means diddly squat
The chances of getting a penalty at OT are the same every single game for every single team in every single ground around the country, the world even.
I'll grant you that people probably 'want' a penalty at Old Trafford more than anywhere else, but to claim bias when one is not awarded is as ridiculous as it gets.

I for one am pleased for the players over the years for having such a good record in that area.

To be fair, I think penalties have been awarded at Old Trafford, but they haven't been scored. Remember Bartez's disgraceful timewasting antics? Or was that an away game?

But Creachy, red-tinted glasses aside, how can you really not think that there's anything suspicious about not having a penalty scored against Man Utd at OT for ten years, and having very few even awarded? 38 games a season means 19 home league games, which over ten years means 190 league games alone, never mind cup games. Say 250 games in ten years, that's 22,500 minutes of football (not including extra time or time added on). That's a long time!

Although it doesn't tell you whether the games were home or away, ManUtd have conceeded two penalties which were converted this season. But that doesn't put them at the top (or bottom if you prefer) of the league, the least conceeded and scored are Bolton and Wolves.

http://www.soccer-stats.com/divisions/how_goals.asp?divno=1&orderby=11&orderdir=ASC

Yes I know, and they should be applauded for keeping such a good record.
As I said before, can someone give me the exact amount of penalties, according to the rules of the game, that have not been awarded at Old Trafford. And can they then do the same for their team.
The laws of averages would suggest it to be an even count
In the last few seasons penalties have been awarded at Old Trafford, we have also had a shaky defence, the two tie in quite nicely.

I can see why there were no penalties during the Pallister and Urwin years. They were quality and top notch tacklers. With the likes of G. Neville and Silvestre, who are scrappy to say the least, it is easy to see why we are now conceding penalties at home.

Nothing suspicious at all in any of that, unless you support the opposing team, in which case you would have swore under your breath when you read, 'they should be applauded for keeping such a good record.'.