At a time when respect for referees has never been more in the spotlight, when there are talks about match officials striking, this incident must be recalled.
It remains one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history, an act of sportsmanship that received unanimous acclaim: it is 20 years to the day since Robbie Fowler tumbled under David Seaman’s challenge and asked Gerald Ashby, the match official, not to award a penalty.
The only thing to which it can be compared was when Paolo Di Canio caught a ball in the penalty area at Goodison Park, with the goal at his mercy, as Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard lay stricken with an injury.