A THROW AWAY LINE

Now the "Islanders" have gone home, we have wonderful memories of their impact on Euro2016. One obvious moment had to involve the English and the long throw that brought about our downfall. Remember Roy said
1. Don't give away cheap throw ins in your final third.
2. Mark the thrower, make life difficult for him especially when he follows through, but don't obstruct him.
3. Closely mark the targets goal side in the penalty area (and around it too)) using brave people who can and want to head a ball.
4. Can the keeper get the ball?
5. Stay with your markers for second ball dropping down.
6. Put your boot through the ball if it comes near you.


When football was being played on rough pitches, eventually there were peripheries marked out, otherwise the ball would end up miles away in a river. When the ball went over the line, the first player to touch the ball got the throw in, hence "touchline". Throws could be thrown in one handed, like William Gunn who threw the ball huge distances in internationals against the Scots. The Sheffield Rules insisted on the throw being at right angles to the pitch (as in the rugby throw in).

The one handed throw went out of the rules in 1883 and the law said that players had to stand on the touchline; not so now, so long as the thrower is in contact with or behind the line when he throws the ball (and hasn't left the stadium).

Longest throw records vary though Thomas Gronnemark for FC Horsens on June 18th 2010 seems to hold the record at 51.33 metres.


John Radford (Arsenal) and Ian Hutchinson (Chelsea-now dead) made full use of their strength; (remember Hutch's throw onto David Webb's head to win the 1970 FA Cup Final against leeds?) and of course there is/was Rory Delap. A school javelin champion, he made a name for himself influencing games, though the FA tried hard to lessen his "unfair" effect on a match by banning towels left at appropriate places around the home pitch. Rather like that famous English cricket captain, Rory might even have used soil to dry his hands! Rory also apparently had towelling sewn in under his shirt front and then had advertising hoardings moved further away from the home touchline to help with his run up. Needless to say opposition teams at their home ground put all sorts of obstacles near the touchline to prevent his acceleration!

I can't see Rory doing the Flip Throw which this female footballer, Leah Fortune, born in Brazil and playing in the USA, perfected. See video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItqpoS-Miw
Here are a few other throw ins for you to ponder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5H0E9QQubE