It’s a funny ole game

Footy gone Foul

In celebration of April Fool’s Day we honor some of the biggest pranks in the modern football era.

Saints sign a ‘Weah’ – During the 1996 season, Southampton manager Greame Souness received a phone call from a man pretending to be Liberian international and AC Milan legend George Weah. After falsely claiming to be his cousin, ‘Weah’ convinced Souness to sign little known Senegalese footballer Ali Dai. Though Dai’s agent was later revealed to be the mystery phone caller, ultimately it was Dai’s indifferent form during the one month loan period that proved he had absolutely no relation to the great George Weah.

That Guy – Karl Power, the Manchester native and perpetual prankster, has popped up in many a team photo over the years. His most memorable shot came in 2001 before a Champions League match against Bayern Munich when he slipped into the frame alongside Andy Cole for the Manchester United team photograph. It wasn’t until long after the shot had entered the public realm that Manchester officials noticed the uninvited visitor.

Eat my shorts! – Football’s clown prince Paul Gascoigne recorded one of his most memorable pranks on the eve of an important England World Cup qualifying match against Moldova. During an open training session, Gazza pulled down Paul Ince’s training bottoms after a warm up. Snaps of Ince’s rear end were splashed across the tabloid press causing unnecessary distraction. What an arse! (Gazza, I mean).

One Response to “It’s a funny ole game”

1. Szymon says:

   June 4, 2010 at 8:29 am

   haha nice