Never mind David Beckham's efforts, Zaire defender Mwepu Ilunga was responsible for probably the most memorable free kick ever back in 1974.
During a World Cup match in West Germany against Brazil, he famously rushed out from a defensive wall to simply boot the ball away, earning a yellow card in the process. He was widely ridiculed, but the move was actually deliberate, as a protest against President Joseph Mobutu's withholding of player bonuses for the country, now known as DR Congo.
Ilunga, who died last year, said, “I was aware of football regulations. I did not have a reason to continue getting injured while those who will benefit financially were sitting on the terraces watching. I know the rules very well but the referee was quite lenient and only gave me a yellow card.”
Now though, 41 years on, Andy Yiadom, playing for League Two side Barnet, has unintentionally paid his own tribute to the famous kick in a match against Northampton at the weekend. Getting frustrated at the Cobblers' messing around before taking a free kick late on in the game with the score at 3-0 to Northampton, he promptly rushed out from the wall and kicked it away before squaring up to one of the would-be takers.
Yiadom earned a yellow card for his efforts - which led to an always-entertaining brawl between the two teams - with a red card somehow avoided; presumably as the referee appreciated this new addition to the rich heritage of free kick booting.
That wasn't the end of the football comedy this weekend though: Peterborough's Jack Baldwin managed to score a truly bizarre own goal to give Sheffield United an equaliser - heading the ball into his own net despite lying on the ground at the time. Sensational stuff.
