LONDON - An amateur soccer player who scored 2 1/2 seconds into a game earlier this month was credited with the world's fastest goal by the England Football Association on Tuesday.
Marc Burrows scored the goal for Cowes Sports in an amateur league match on April 3. The FA gave its confirmation after receiving a match report from referee John Sorrell.
"We can now say that Marc's goal is the fastest we are aware of," the association said in a statement. "Two-and-a-half seconds may not seem long enough to complete the maneuver described by the referee but we appreciate there was an exceptionally strong wind."
Burrows, who registered a hat trick in the game, said he would contact the Guinness Book of Records to try and get his achievement in the next edition.
"The wind was so strong I thought it was worth a goal," Burrows said at the time. "The ball just sailed over their poor keeper. I was so stunned I didn't really celebrate. I just put my hands in the air and burst out laughing."
The previous fastest goal, according to the Guinness World Record organization, was scored in 2.8 seconds by Argentine Ricardo Olivera in 1998.
Marc Burrows scored the goal for Cowes Sports in an amateur league match on April 3. The FA gave its confirmation after receiving a match report from referee John Sorrell.
"We can now say that Marc's goal is the fastest we are aware of," the association said in a statement. "Two-and-a-half seconds may not seem long enough to complete the maneuver described by the referee but we appreciate there was an exceptionally strong wind."
Burrows, who registered a hat trick in the game, said he would contact the Guinness Book of Records to try and get his achievement in the next edition.
"The wind was so strong I thought it was worth a goal," Burrows said at the time. "The ball just sailed over their poor keeper. I was so stunned I didn't really celebrate. I just put my hands in the air and burst out laughing."
The previous fastest goal, according to the Guinness World Record organization, was scored in 2.8 seconds by Argentine Ricardo Olivera in 1998.