It’s 22 days into January and goalkeeper Tom King has already given the world the most preposterous goal of the year.
Guinness World Records has confirmed the Newport Town shot-stopper is the new owner of the longest-range goal ever scored in competitive football after his bonkers goal-kick from inside his own six-yard box.
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The goal, scored in the 12th minute of the 1-1 draw between Newport and Cheltenham Town, is going viral across the internet
The regulation League Two encounter wouldn’t normally get a look in for media coverage around the world — but that all changed when King, 25, prepared for his goal kick from near his own net.
His strike was boosted by a strong breeze, travelling more than 70m on the fly.
A wicked bounce from near the edge of the penalty box completely bamboozled Cheltenham keeper Joshua Griffiths.
The desperate dive wasn’t enough to stop the ball from bouncing over the goal line to create a moment of madness that has written King into the history books.
King’s wind-assisted effort against Cheltenham on Tuesday travelled 96.01 metres (315 feet), erasing Asmir Begovic’s 2013 goal from 91.9 metres for Stoke City from the record books.
The official Guinness World Records website confirmed the new mark, saying: “With his epic downfield kick, King officially broke the record for the longest goal scored in a competitive football (soccer) match, which covered an incredible distance of 96.01m (105 yards).
“Booting the ball from his own six-yard-box, it was picked up by the wind and soared into the net just out of opposition goalkeeper Joshua Griffiths’ reach.”
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Incredibly, King didn’t even celebrate the goal.
With a bemused smile on his face he simply raised his hands once and went back to business. He said after the game he didn’t want to celebrate because the goal was completely unintentional. He also didn’t want to show any disrespect to Griffiths up the other end.
King was happy to have a laugh about it after the game, however.
“I’m absolutely delighted because it’s not something that I intentionally set out to do,” King said on the club’s website.
“I’m sure it will be talked about for a long time to come, so I’m proud and I’m sure my family will be extremely proud too.
“I’ll have to drop Asmir a message to send my commiserations. It’s different territory for me because I never dreamt of being in the books that you get for Christmas every year.
“Hopefully I might actually read it if I get one for Christmas this year. I’m delighted and hopefully no one beats it for a long time now so I can show my grandkids.
“There was no celebration — I’d never do that to another goalie. I’ve not meant it and I think we have that kind of unwritten rule, that secret goalkeeper’s union that people talk about so I’d never do that.
“I’d never celebrate, but I’m just happy that I could help the team, really.”
He said before the record was ratified he was going to get a tape measure out to see where his goal fits in the history books.
Guinness World Records did it for him and gave him the good news on Thursday (AEDT).
It was some way for King to celebrate his first professional goal.
