Roger Milla’s samba with the corner flag, Peter Crouch’s Robot Dance or Pele leaping into the arms of other players with the biggest grin,  or this goalkeeper’s extraordinary celebration or,  this fan singing and dancing and inspiring a stadium, or perhaps this 19 year old jockey’s unbridled joy as he wins the 2011 Epson Derby* – what’s your favourite celebration?

Some say that the young French jockey’s celebration was dangerous. But surely it was better than ‘Rooney’s Rage’  style celebrations , that we see on TV screens every week as millionaire footballers release  angry tension with roars and aggressive fists (see why do people celebrate with anger?). Where is the joy gone?

Do players forget the fun, excitement and joy of playing in top class competitions? Research into England’s most recent World Cup flop revealed ‘fear of failure’ as the major factor.

Great players do not fear failure. In fact they have, what sports psychologists call, ‘Failure Tolerance’ – they don’t beat themselves up when they make a mistake. They just get on with it as in the case of Martin Palermo who once missed three penalties in one match for Argentina but never gave up and went to score the goal that put them into the last World Cup.

The  former junkie basketball player now coach highlighted last month seems to have it right. He gets kids to enjoy their game first and foremost. Come to think of it, the world’s most successful football/soccer manager, Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson constantly reminds his players to ‘enjoy themselves’.

So come on, let’s get the joyous celebrations back into sport. Share your favourite celebration here by posting a comment. Tell me about your favourite celebration (in any sport).

Thanks to Paul Bowket for alerting me about the unbridled joy of the young French jockey as he comes from nowhere to win the 2011 Derby (*2 mins 30 seconds). 

In 1999, Palermo made international headlines when he missed three penalties for Argentina. They lost 3-0 to Columbia in the Copa America.

Next day Palermo gave interviews and promised to get on with his career. Three days later, he scored in the 2-0 win over Uruguay.

He scored from his own half against Independiente something even Pele failed to do in the 1970 World Cup.

His 200^th goal for Boca Juniors was a 40 yard header to win the game 3-2 against Velez Sarsfield.

In the lashing rain, last October, he scored the last minute goal against Peru to propel Argentina into the 2010 World Cup. Listen to the commentator roar ‘goaaaal’.

Although he’s stuck on the bench behind Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain, Diego Milito and Sergio Aguero he loves being part of the team. “Diego will decide when I get on the pitch, and it will be when he considers it beneficial for the team. I value greatly being where I am.”

“The problem is that we are talking about a team in which every player is more of a superstar than the one before, in the best way. I am surrounded by monsters!” the Boca Juniors legend joked with Ole on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile Palermo does not rule out a last minute goal in a crucial game like the final! “That would be one hell of a film ending no?! Something incredible. Whatever is coming my way, bring it on. Meanwhile I’ll enjoy this time like nobody else.”