To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

'Donkey' free-kick routine was so genius it got banned immediately

'Donkey' free-kick routine was so genius it got banned immediately

Incredible ingenuity.

It won BBC Goal of the Year, but the incredible 'donkey kick' free-kick routine was quickly banned 53 years ago.

Everton were the team on the receiving end when Coventry City, top-flight regulars back in October 1970, unleashed this unique trick. It was a pre-planned move played to perfection.

As the wall lined up, Coventry's Willie Carr - innocently standing over the ball - suddenly gripped the ball between his heels and flicked it into the air.

Striker Ernie Hunt swung back a boot and absolutely smashed a volley right into the net. Sublime. Check it out below.

"An original piece of football impudence," acclaimed John Motson on Match of the Day.

Everton were certainly caught completely unawares by the routine, as they waited for a traditional dead-ball strike.

However football authorities banned the so-called 'donkey-kick' as a means of taking a free-kick at the end of the season.

Coventry went on to win the match 3-1, with Hunt (who died in 2018) netting a brace. Yet we'd never see another goal like this again.

Unfair? Well, Mexico's Cuauhtemoc Blanco got away with his 'bunny hop' - leaping over tackles with the ball wedged between his feet - for years.

But that wasn't from a free-kick and he didn't have Hunt thundering in behind him.

The closest we'll probably see in the Premier League era is something like Matt Le Tissier's flick-up free-kick, which also resulted in a volleyed finish but with Le Tiss providing the set-up himself.

No, it looks like Carr and Hunt's routine will go unmatched, unless the FA or FIFA relax the rules on the 'donkey-kick'.

SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We've launched a dedicated news channel to send you the latest news, features and plenty more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for 'SPORTbible News' to appear in the 'Updates' tab on your WhatsApp.

Featured Image Credit: BBC