Ernie Hunt: 'Donkey kick' scorer for Coventry City dies aged 75

Published on: 21 June 2018

The 'donkey kick' free kick was one of 51 goals Ernie Hunt scored for Coventry City between between 1968 and 1973

Ernie Hunt, the forward who scored the famous "donkey kick" free-kick for Coventry City in 1970, has died.

Hunt, who played 173 times for the Sky Blues, was 75 and had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Hunt volleyed in a free-kick from the edge of the box against Everton after Willie Carr gripped the ball between his heels and flicked it up.

It went on to win the BBC's Goal of the Season award, but the "donkey kick" was outlawed at the end of that season.

That year Coventry made the second round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, having finished sixth in the old First Division the season before.

The forerunner to the Uefa Cup, the Sky Blues were knocked out in the second round by Bayern Munich after losing 7-3 on aggregate - they lost the first leg 6-1 in Germany before beating the European giants 2-1 at Highfield Road.

Hunt began his career at hometown club Swindon Town in 1959 - he played more than 200 times for the Robins, before moving to Wolves in 1965.

He then joined Everton in 1967 before his move to Highfield Road and went on to join Bristol City in 1974 before moving into non-league football.

Source: bbc.com

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