Premier League - 'Beach ball' fan says sorry

Eurosport - Sun, 25 Oct 12:24:00 2009

The Liverpool fan who accidentally caused the infamous 'beach ball' goal has publicly apologised and revealed he has been the subject of death threats.

Premier League 2009-2010 Sunderland-Liverpool, Darren Bent, Pepe Reina - 0

Callum Campbell, 16, batted a beach ball onto the pitch during Liverpool's game at Sunderland last Saturday, just before Darren Bent scored the only goal when his shot deflected in off the inflatable.

Campbell, whose face had been pixellated in TV and newspaper pictures, told the Sunday Mirror he was the culprit.

"It was me," Campbell told the tabloid.

"I'm the one who did it. I'm the one caught on camera. I'm so, so sorry. This is my worst, worst nightmare."

The teenager said he locked himself indoors for two days and had seen threats of violence against him on the internet. He said one person vowed to mince him and turn him into a curry.

"When I got home I went into the garden and threw up. I was physically sick - and that's before the death threats started appearing on the Internet the next day," Campbell said.

"I watched it over and over again, and I still can't work out how it happened."

The teenager punched the beach ball into Pepe Reina's penalty area, and the goalkeeper kicked it into his net. However, it rolled into play during a Sunderland attack, and diverted the ball past the helpless Reina.

The intervention of this 'outside agent' should have resulted in a drop ball, but referee Mike Jones allowed the goal, which condemned Liverpool to their fourth defeat in nine Premier League games.

Campbell continued: "My mum tells me it wasn't my fault - and that's what I have to believe. The referee should never have allowed the goal. I just hope the real fans understand and forgive me.

"How was I supposed to know what would happen? It was just a bit of fun, and if I could turn back the clock and do it differently, throw the ball into the crowd instead of on to the pitch, then I would.

"I'm really, really sorry it happened like it did. It's bad enough when Liverpool lose, like in a normal way, but this was just one big disaster.

"It would have taken someone a couple of seconds to move it away, or put a foot on it and flatten it, but nobody bothered. And then it started to roll about. Just at the wrong moment."

Stewards at Anfield were armed with safety pins to burst and beach balls taken into the ground by Manchester United fans for the arch-rivals' match on Sunday afternoon.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 5 - 24 of 24

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  1. google football toilet paper and wipe out your rivals,­ Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Birmingham, Villa,­ Rangers, Celtic, Newcastle and Sunderland toilet paper­ available.

    From footballtoiletpaper, on Mon 26 Oct 7:02AM

  2. YNWA Callum

    From richcollingwood, on Mon 26 Oct 12:10AM

  3. I blame the beach ball manufacturers and they must stop­ this probuct ever reaching the genaral public a beach­ ball was kicked into my garden the other day and­ frightened my wife and dog.... but yes surely this is a­ wonderfull part of football history and and will be­ remembered long after the idiots have gone and will­ only add to the overall charm of the best league in the­ world
    ­ from geordo scotland.

    From GEORGE, on Sun 25 Oct 9:53PM

  4. Its probably not the lads fault he's a @#$%, I­ blame the parents, his dad probably supports Liverpool­ & may even have taken him to anfield as a kid!­ Thats child abuse, social services should have taken­ him into care or placed him with a decent, none koppite­ , family. Lets just hope he breaks the chain &­ doesnt breed himself

    From Michael, on Sun 25 Oct 5:01PM

  5. just don't do it again . . ok?!

    From Danastri, on Sun 25 Oct 4:43PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    stupid putting that beach ball on d pitch shouldnt have­ done it in d first place and its to late to say sorry­ apolagy not accepted

    From FIONA, on Sun 25 Oct 4:36PM

  7. it's okay dear... look! we won tonight! with lots­ of beach ball from the Kop! Scouser lives on!

    From rockergirl, on Sun 25 Oct 4:29PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Don't worry Callum, it wasn't the beach ball­ that diverted the ball. I've looked at this over­ and over again in slow motion (yes, what a sad life I­ lead!) and it is actually full back Glen Johnson whose­ foot makes contact with the beach ball and kicks it­ aside, a fraction of a second before the ball arrives,­ which continues on its way into the goal. It is also­ possible, although this is harder to make out, that­ Johnson also very slightly deflects the ball upwards,­ helping it to go past Reina. So, a genuine goal, and a­ deserved win for Sunderland.

    From Bar

    From basjones, on Sun 25 Oct 4:28PM

  9. Dont worry son,JUST DONT DO IT AGAIN!!!

    From REAL REDS boycot the SUN, on Sun 25 Oct 4:11PM

  10. poor kid, how can anyone send a kid death threats?!?!­ its disgusting

    From chris.shaw47, on Sun 25 Oct 4:04PM

  11. We have all done silly things that we were unaware of­ how serious the consequences would be. Goodness sake,­ he is only 16. This lad is not responsible for his team­ defeat. Unfortunately, Liverpool are not playing as­ well as they should and any attempt to make a scapegoat­ out of the boy is deplorable. Reina had an opportunity­ to eliminate the balloons interference and didnt do it.­ The referee should have stopped the game and he didnt.­ Liverpool had 80 mins to redress the situation and they­ didnt - i have played a bit of football and something­ as unfair as this would have made me play with more­ conviction - Liverpool didnt. I suppose this lad will­ be viewed as an object of scorn by the ignorant and­ narrow minded. I hope he isnt. Man. Utd fan

    From Bo, on Sun 25 Oct 2:46PM

  12. it's not your fault Callum. Don't worry about­ it. Liverpool would've drawn nil nil anyway, as­ they didn't score after all. Reina sholda stepped­ on the ball, but not even he would've predicted the­ outcome of what happened next! As for death threats,­ the people making these have a pea for a brain.­ It's not going Liverpools way, and it's as­ simple as that. Know how you feel too! Arsenal fan.

    From Paul, on Sun 25 Oct 2:15PM

  13. Message to those who sent death threats to the young­ lad : Get your priorities right, life is too precious,­ incluing your lives! It was an unfortunate accident and­ under no circumstance the boy should be blamed.­ Campbell, move on and be assured that there are­ millions of us behind you.

    From Iqbal, on Sun 25 Oct 2:10PM

  14. In the good old days it was toilet rolls and no one­ seemed to bother. I feel sorry for the lad who has­ blamed himself entirely for his team's defeat -­ which is completely unfair, and agree with the poster­ who said that death threats are well over the top. If­ there was an opportunity to get rid of the beach ball­ beforehand it should have been taken. Hindsight is a­ wonderful thing. It seems that fans can take anything­ they like into grounds these days - just look how many­ of them get away with taking flares - and are able to­ throw them on the pitch. If having a bit of fun costs­ your team a match, perhaps you should think twice about­ the possible consequences of your actions. Wasn't­ one poor fan killed by a stray rocket a couple of years­ ago ? Liverpool will bounce back.(Manchester United­ fan)

    From a.wise987, on Sun 25 Oct 2:07PM

  15. Callum, don't worry about it man. It was NOT your­ fault, and for the people who sent you death threats,­ they wouldn't have the bottle to do it anyway,­ they're just cowards who hide behind a computer­ screen who think they are hard. Let's hope our­ beloved club win today!

    From Tony, on Sun 25 Oct 1:56PM

  16. I'm so glad Liverpool lost, and I've had a­ laugh about the beach ball, but come on people,­ it's a game! I would be angry, but death threats? ­ Seriously?

    From bizriak, on Sun 25 Oct 1:37PM

  17. It's a ridiculous goal, but Liverpool couldn't­ even equalise. What a shame!

    From hawx_crew_360, on Sun 25 Oct 1:19PM

  18. Why would anyone blame him?! Liverpool is­ "world-class" but they didn't prove it­ that day. The goal was scored just before the 10 minute­ mark, that is 80 extra minutes of football. If they­ were world class, they would comeback in the game. They­ were just @#$%! If Liverpool won the game, this thing­ would be forgotten by now!

    From Icarus, on Sun 25 Oct 1:18PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Actually..youre a PRAT

    From Andrew, on Sun 25 Oct 1:13PM

  20. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.... Brilliant!

    From Lee B, on Sun 25 Oct 1:11PM
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