Happy Donkey Kick Day!

56 years ago, on another Saturday 3rd October, Ernie and Hunt and Willie Carr scored one of the most iconic goals in football history.

Its been called the best free kick ever. It was the first goal screened in colour by Match of the Day. It was the first winner of Match of the Day's Goal of the Season. It was so good that the killjoys at FIFA banned it at the end of the season.

"OH WHAT A GOAL!"

Everton rocked up to Highfield Road on Saturday 3rd October 1970 as reigning champions and having won 6 on the trot. Neil Martin opened the scoring for City before John Hurst equalised. Ernie Hunt then put City 2-1 up before football history was made in the 80th minute.

John Hurst fouled City forward John O'Rourke on the edge of the box and Willie Carr stood over the ball. As you'll hear in one of the supporter interviews in the videos below, fans behind the goal wondered what he was doing. He impishly flicked the ball up for the charismatic Ernie Hunt to volley home, Barry Davies excitingly stating "Oh what a goal!"

The Liverpool Echo described the goal like this:

"Coventry's third goal was a fantasy piece. The clever Carr, taking a free kick, stood over the ball. He gripped it between both heels, leapt in the air to flick it high behind him, dived out of the way and Hunt hit a superb volley into the top corner. The shot was magnificent, the Carr flick unbelievable—but they have rehearsed the move in training. It would go down well in a circus and they might try it a thousand times without succeeding again."

Ernie Hunt would dispute the fact they had practiced it in training, saying that it was only the second time they had tried it. The first time he said he "nearly knocked the big hand off the clock" at Blackpool in a preseason friendly. This footage features Enie Hunt and Willie Carr on a train being interviewed by Jimmy Hill. It is 1987 and they recreate the goal at Wembley, presumably in the days leading up to the Cup Final. Oggy is in goal and John Sillett can be seen with them at the end.

Willie Carr remembers it slightly differently in an interview with The Scotsman:

“It was a coach, Bill Ashbury, who came back from [sports centre] Lilleshall and suggested to Ernie and I that we try the move. I don’t know where he’d seen it but our first few attempts at training were utterly hopeless. Ernie was hitting corner flags and everything. That’s if I managed to flick the ball properly.

“He (Ernie Hunt) wasn’t the best trainer in the world and used to muck about in gorilla masks and ladies wigs but he had a great shot and was a superb volleyer. My part in the move was to grip the ball with my feet and flick it up behind me. Ernie used to say that our first attempt in an actual game was a pre-season friendly at Blackpool when his shot cannoned off a clock. I’m afraid I don’t remember that, and maybe for a good reason if the attempt was that lousy.

“Everton were the reigning league champs. In that match I think I popped the ball too high but in any case their wall didn’t move because none of them knew what was going on. I kind of walked away all nonchalant, didn’t I? That wasn’t me assuming he was going to score. If he hadn’t we probably would never have attempted it again. Everyone, the manager and our team-mates, was getting bored!”

I think we tried the stunt once more that season – against Spurs – but Ernie’s volley came back off the crossbar. And then Uefa banned it because using both feet I’d touched the ball twice and by being flicked directly upwards it hadn’t travelled its full circumference. We both thought that was absolute rubbish. Football’s entertainment, isn’t it?”

It was one of those "I was there" moments, here some fans relive some of their memories of watching the goal live.

City players tried to recreate the free kick back in 2022 with varying degrees of success! Mostly no success.

and here is the free kick in all its glory, this is the longest clip I can find. I'll never get bored of watching this.

Willie Carr explained how Baddiel and Skinner recreated the goal for the Phoenix from the Flames section of Fantasy Football League but I can't find the clip. If anyone does please let me know!

“Frank wanted to play Ernie and, because my old pal had these massive sideboards back in 1970, he hung a pair of bristly doormats from his cheeks. The crew hired a real donkey. They wanted to film in my garden but my wife wasn’t having that so we all trooped off to the golf course."

At the end of the season the routine was banned due to the ball not travelling a full circumference. That law was removed in 1997 and interestingly as the law stands today the free kick routine is legal. Law 13 even states:

"A free kick can be taken by lifting the ball with a foot or both feet simultaneously."

If you were there in 1970 and witnessed the free kick please leave a comment below or drop me a message, LAST would love to hear from you!

Thanks to The Scotsman - Full Willie Carr interview HERE and Covonthebox, City Official and Greyowl6 for uploading the YouTube videos.