Irish origins of World Cup penalty drama

Roberto Baggio lifting his penalty high and wide against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup final, Chris Waddle nearly booting the ball out of the Stadio delle Alpi in 1990 as England bowed out to West Germany, heck, even Diana Ross causing red faces at the World Cup USA opening ceremony – they all have a man from Armagh to thank for their moment of infamy.

William McCrum was the frustrated Milford FC player who conceived the idea of the penalty after coming to the conclusion that the punishment didn't fit the crime for offences close to goal.

His mood couldn’t have been helped by his side’s performance in the very first instalment of the Irish League. Milford, the only non-Belfast side in the division, lost 14 games from 14 and conceded 62 goals in the process.

McCrum offered his idea of a penalty to Jack Reid of the Irish FA, who in 1890 proposed it as a rule at a meeting of the International Football Association Board, the body that determines the laws of the game of association football.

Resistance emerged as such a rule would call into question the gentlemanly aspect of the sport, but it is believed an incident in the 1890/91 FA Cup quarter-final helped sway opinion.

Eventual finalists Notts County were holding onto a one-goal advantage against Stoke City when County defender Jack Hendry handled the ball in the box. The only available punishment was an indirect free-kick, which they cleared after stacking the line with bodies.

Four months later, and with the referee from the game John Lewis championing it in his position now as a legislator, the penalty was introduced.

There were some key differences to today’s version, with the fouls taking place within 12 yards of the goal-line as there was no penalty box at the time, and it