5 Funniest Own Goals in English Football

Inspired by John Terry own goal yesterday against Swansea I decided to look for what I consider the five funniest own goals in English football.

They can be extremely funny to watch, especially if your team is not the one scoring one. Otherwise it can be as painful as letting a goal in during added time at the end of the 90 minutes of play.

Here are what I consider the 5 funniest own goals in English football.

Game: Arsenal vs Coventry City (1991)

Lee Dixon is an enigmatic player in the history of Arsenal, but in 1991 against Coventry City he would score an incredible own goal. The goal would end up giving Coventry a rare victory at Highbury, and one of the few blemishes in Lee Dixon’s career. Still one of the greatest defenders of all time, just shows how the best also have some bad games.

Game: Manchester City vs QPR (1998)

In the 1998 Manchester City was in the second tier of English football in a battle with QPR to avoid relegation to the third division, and a victory was needed in order to survive relegation. Fortune was not with Manchester City since they would be relegated while QPR would be saved. Pollock scored one of the most beautiful own goals ever scored, a goal that would make any striker jealous, but would end up costing City the match.

Game: Aston Villa vs Birmingham City (2002)

This starts as very casual throw in from your defender to the goalkeeper, but it was anything but casual. Ekelmann must have been thinking of something else, because his reaction to seeing the ball coming his way, missing it and letting it roll into the net is incredibly painful to watch. I don’t care how long you have been playing or for how long you will play, an own goal like this will never be erased from his mind.

Game: Liverpool vs Burnley (2005)

Traore in this own goal shows us two things that he can score goals and that he could be a contestant in Dancing with The Stars. Looking to clear a ball crossed to the area he instead waltzes it in the net with an incredible movement of his feet, worthy of a world class dancer.

Game: Bury vs Darlington (2006)

This has to be the funniest goal in the history of own goals scored in English football. The lucky winner is Chris Bass that while trying to clear the ball he lets it hit his face and roll into his own net. Like scoring the own goal wasn’t bad enough, he broke his nose in that play. No good deed goes unpunished.