THE MET POLICE DO NOT HAVE TO ENFORCE THEIR PENALTY PUNISHMENT

On Wednesday 31st August 2005 Tunbridge Wells FC  played a replay against Littlehampton Town FC in the FA Cup. On the previous Saturday, they had drawn 1-1 by the seaside (at Littlehampton!!) and going back to Royal Tunbridge Wells and the Culverden Stadium, the Wells drew after extra time 2-2.

Littlehampton was called hamm tun, which means the farm or hamlet by the river meadow. In time the name changed to Hampton and the prefix little was added to distinguish it from Southampton. By the 11th century, Littlehampton was a tiny port. The inhabitants lived by fishing or farming.

Then began the penalty taking ritual in which after 20 shots at goal each, Tunbridge Wells ran out winners, 16-15. Despite having a stadium that held over 3,000, a miserly crowd of 122 only saw this record breaking shoot out, 

In the next round, weary from their exertions, the "Wells" lost 0-2 to the Metropolitan Police FC. You will know why Tunbridge has the added "Royal" and "Wells"!

The previous record for penalties under such conditions was 24.
Founded in 1886, The Wells reached the heady positions of the second round of the FA Cup during the 1930s and in 2013 got to Wembley, only to lose to Spennymoor in the FA Vase.
A spa town, Tunbridge Wells has much to celebrate and not pay the penalty (or upset the Met).

There was an English record for penalty shoot out "lengths" was set in March 2022, when Washington beat Bedlington 25-24. The two non-league clubs from the North-east of England were playing in the local Memorial Cup, a first round tie, which ended 3-3 after extra time. 49 goals were netted in the shoot out. In May 2024, SC Dimona and Shimshon,  took 56 kicks, a record in a Third-Tier Israeli Promotion play off, which took place in Dimona....yes in the Negev Desert! Dimona won 23-22 after each team took 28 kicks. (Shimshon means "bright sun")

In May 2024, SC Dimona and Shimshon Tel Aviv set the record for the longest penalty shootout in history with 56 kicks. The match was part of the third-tier Israeli promotion playoff and took place in Dimona, in the Negev desert. Dimona won the shootout 23-22 after each team took 28 penalties. (Dimona means South and is a girl's name).

F.C. Dimona was founded in 2004, one season after Hapoel Dimona dissolved, but are still commonly known and referred as Hapoel Dimona. The club reached Liga Bet in the 2005-6 season, where they played in the South B division. Ten years later the club was promoted to Liga Alef after winning the 2015-16 season.

In the 2017-18 the club was relegated back to Liga Bet. Two seasons later Shimshon Bitton was appointed the club's manager and the club was promoted after finishing the season in first place before stopping due to COVID-19.

In summer 2023 Nir Klinger joined as the professional manager and Bitton returned to the head coach position. Below, the Dimona badge.