Rangers do an Arsenal as Michael Beale joins Arsene Wenger and Di Canio in greatest acts of sportsmanship

Michael Beale has been applauded for his sportsmanship as he ordered his Rangers players to gift Partick Thistle an equaliser after a "misunderstanding" in the Scottish Cup.

But it's not the first time a manager has stepped in to prevent a similar injustice - in fact it came almost exactly a year to the day since a controversial FA Cup tie that saw Arsene Wenger order Arsenal to replay their clash with Sheffield United for a similar reason. Beale insisted there was no cheating about it as Tillman was simply unaware of the situation when he chased down Kevin Holt and dispossessed him as the Thistle defender shaped to give Rangers the ball back.

But the manager couldn't stand by and watch his side progress off the back of the controversial goal as he made a point of "upholding the standards of the club" - by ordering his side to let Thistle equalise. They went on to win it anyway through an own goal but it was a touch of class from the Rangers boss that earned applause from opposing number Ian McCall.

In an eerie twist of fate, the show of sportsmanship from Beale was almost exactly 24 years to the day that Wenger requested that their FA Cup win over Sheffield United was voided. On February 13 1999, Nwankwo Kanu made his Gunners debut against Sheffield United in the cup and with 10 minutes to play, the Blades kicked the ball into touch so a player could receive treatment.

Kanu, seemingly unaware of the English game's etiquette, intercepted a throw-in aimed at away shotstopper Alan Kelly and set up Marc Overmars up to score. There wasn't enough time left in the game to allow an equaliser, and boss Wenger was left so red-faced by the incident that he requested the FA sanction a replay - which they won 2-1 and went on to reach