A stunning backheel volley from Bristol City's Dom Ballard has reignited discussion about how early in a campaign a truly great goal can be scored, and whether it stands a chance of being remembered come the end of the season.a
Ballard's effort arrived away at Birmingham City in the second round of Championship fixtures on 22 August, the ball cannoning in off the crossbar in spectacular fashion. The strike has been touted as a genuine contender for the division's eventual goal of the season, despite the vast majority of the campaign still lying ahead.
History shows that scoring early does not preclude a goal from being celebrated months later. Eleven years to the day before Ballard's moment of magic, Marco Matias produced an audacious finish for Sheffield Wednesday against Leeds United, though that strike came in gameweek four of the 2015-16 season, making it technically later in campaign terms. Matias was nonetheless handed the goal of the season award the following April.
For pure earliness, few strikes rival Ismaïla Sarr's effort for Watford in 2022-23. The forward, now at Crystal Palace, launched a shot from inside his own half to beat West Brom on the opening day, 8 August, doing so just 12 minutes into the match. It remains among the earliest Championship goals to later be recognised as a standout of its season.
The comparison naturally extends to the Premier League, where David Beckham's iconic lob over Neil Sullivan for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996-97 is still held up as one of the competition's greatest goals. That effort also came on the opening weekend of the season, though 11 days after Sarr's strike chronologically and in the 87th minute of the match, some 75 minutes later in the game itself.
Scotland has its own early-season example. Kieran Tierney's goal for Celtic against Kilmarnock, scored on 8 August 2017 in a League Cup tie, went on to win the SPFA goal of the season. That match came three days after Celtic had opened their league campaign with a 4-1 win over Hearts on 5 August. A separate case saw Celtic's Jota win a goal of the month award for August 2022, even though the goal itself was scored on 31 July, in the club's opening match of that season.
Perhaps the most unusual entry in the conversation belongs to Schalke, whose goal of the year for 2013 was scored on 27 July, earlier than any of the above. However, the circumstances come with significant caveats: it occurred in a pre-season friendly, was scored by a player not officially on Schalke's books, and was a simple close-range finish. Raúl, having just left Schalke for Al-Sadd, agreed to play the opening half for his new club and the second half for his former side when the two teams met in Gelsenkirchen. Raúl scored twice while turning out for Schalke, the first a straightforward finish from close range, though its selection as goal of the year is generally credited to a teenage Julian Draxler's contribution in the build-up.
While the Championship season remains in its infancy, Ballard's contribution has already set a high bar. Whether it ultimately claims the season-long honour will depend on what unfolds over the coming months, but as recent history shows, an early strike is no barrier to lasting recognition.
Based on reporting from The Guardian (The Knowledge).