Fulham supporters turned frustration into humour as Josh King’s disallowed strike against Chelsea was voted the club’s Goal of the Month for August. Despite VAR ruling it out in controversial fashion, the teenager’s dazzling effort has been immortalised by fans in a tongue-in-cheek award.
Fulham have aimed a playful jab at Premier League officials after Josh King’s disallowed goal against Chelsea was voted as the club’s Goal of the Month for August.
The 18-year-old’s stunning finish in the west London derby may not have stood on the scoreboard, but it captured the imagination of Fulham fans, who handed him an overwhelming 83% of the vote.
The controversy
The incident unfolded in the 22nd minute at Stamford Bridge. King latched onto a clever through-ball from Sander Berge, skipped past Chelsea’s defence with a silky feint that left Tosin Adarabioyo on the floor, and rifled his shot past the keeper.
But jubilation turned to anger when VAR intervened. After a lengthy check, referee Rob Jones ruled the goal out for a foul in the buildup when Rodrigo Muniz accidentally trod on Trevoh Chalobah’s foot near the halfway line.
Howard Webb, PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer, later admitted the officials made a “misjudgement.” The Premier League’s independent review panel went further, confirming the strike should have stood and calling the disallowance an error. Fulham eventually lost the game 2-0.
Fulham’s tongue-in-cheek response
The Cottagers chose to celebrate the moment anyway. In announcing the award, the club praised King’s composure and skill, while cheekily labelling the decision as having “cruelly” taken the goal away.
A statement read:
King’s magnificent strike away to Chelsea has been voted Fulham’s Goal of the Month for August. Though it was cruelly taken away from the 18-year-old, there is no denying the skill of the effort… That he garnered 83.1% of the votes demonstrates how special a moment that was, or would have been.
What’s next
Marco Silva’s side will now look to move on from the VAR row as they host Leeds United at Craven Cottage this weekend. For fans, though, King’s “ghost goal” against Chelsea has already become part of Fulham folklore.
