I scored a last-minute screamer to relegate Coventry just so I could go on my brother’s stag do, says Paul Merson
IN 2001, Paul Merson scored the goal that relegated one of his club’s rivals.
But the joy of the goal was far from the first thing on his mind when Aston Villa took on Coventry.
Arsenal legend Merse told Sky Sports in 2020: “It was the year where the FA Cup final was played before the final day of the season, and my brother had a stag the weekend of the FA Cup final, I’d organised it in Orlando.
“We were playing Coventry on the penultimate game week of the season.
“I went to Villa manager John Gregory, asked him if I could go to Orlando after the game and he said: ‘Not a problem, you can go, we haven’t got a game!’
“We came in 2-0 down at half-time at Villa Park. Our season was over anyway.
“But Gregory said to me: ‘You’re not going to Orlando tomorrow if this game doesn’t get turned around.’
“And then, low and behold, I scored the winner with the last kick of the game, and Coventry went down. The next day, I went to Orlando!
“You can imagine what I said to Gregory when I got back in.
“I was putting my suntan cream on when he was having his post-match chat!
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“People say that goal sent Coventry down, I don’t believe that and I hope it didn’t. It’s a long season, and don’t just blame it on one goal.”
Merson spent 12 years at Arsenal, winning two league titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Cup Winners’ Cup.
But he is also fondly remembered for his four years at Villa where the team qualified for Europe and reached the FA Cup final.
And now he entertains viewers on Saturday afternoons on legendary Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday.