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Guinness World Records has confirmed Newport goalkeeper Tom King’s strike against Cheltenham on Tuesday is the longest goal ever scored in a competitive football match.
The 25-year-old’s goal kick at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium was caught in the wind and sailed over his Cheltenham counterpart Josh Griffiths from a distance of 96.01m.
King’s goal beat the previous record of 91.9m set by fellow keeper Asmir Begovic when he was playing for Stoke against Southampton in November 2013.
After the record was confirmed, King said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have set the record.
“It’s something that could never really dreamt of doing but I’m sure it’s something that is going to make my family and future family very proud indeed.”
Speaking to Sky Sports on Wednesday, King joked he would return to Cheltenham’s stadium to measure the pitch in a bid to get his name into the record books.
He added: “I hope that somebody can check that for me – saves me the trip back there – but that would be quite the achievement.
“I get given enough of the Guinness book of records for Christmas so to be in one would be lovely.”
King said he would be contacting Begovic, who he knows from his time in the youth team at Portsmouth while the Bosnia-Herzegovina international was the No 1 at Fratton Park, after
breaking his record.
King described his goal – which earned Newport a 1-1 draw – as a dream, saying: “It’s a complete and utter surprise to be honest.
“I got a good feeling when I connected with the ball and I saw Padraig [Amond] was high up the pitch. I knew it was heading in that direction but I couldn’t have expected that result – no way.
“I’d love to sit here and lie, say I saw him off his line and completely meant the bounce from 22 yards, but it’s not something I’ve been practising. It’s just one of those things.
“I’ve done it as a young kid on smaller pitches, so to take it into the professional game is a dream. I was only planning on the assist at first.
“We recognised the wind and soggy pitch, it’s something we spoke about. I’ve got that distance with my kicks, but my initial reaction was utter fury he didn’t get it under control. But it turned quite quickly into overriding joy.”
Vincent Paul
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