The night Cantona went from Red Devil to game’s diabolique

It was 20 years ago tomorrow, mon dieu, says Liam Mackey.

January 25, 1995 was the night that Eric Cantona vaulted into infamy, leaping over the hoardings at Selhurst Park to kung-fu kick an abusive supporter and spark another raging English football scandal in a turbulent season already disfigured by numerous stories of bungs, bribes and boot boys.

(Just a few weeks later, hooliganism would come to Dublin with a vengeance when rioting away fans forced the abandonment of an Ireland-England friendly).