Soccer is without a doubt responsible for some of the greatest moments in the history of sport. Fans all over the world gather year-round to support their favorite team and witness great players perform what can only be described as magic.
No matter if you are an ardent fan of soccer or not you have heard some of its most incredible stories like the winning of Leicester City of English Premier League in 2016, but also heart-breaking moments like the Hillsborough tragedy. However, not everyone is familiar with some bizarre soccer stories that are also worth telling and almost impossible to imagine.
At All Costs
John Beck was the manager of Cambridge United and in the 1990s he led the club to its most important year. However, his reputation for sabotaging opponents spread like a wildfire. This “dedicated” manager used different tricks and performed unimaginable acts to influence the play of the opponent’s team.
By doing things like putting too much sugar in the opponents’ tea and flooding their dressing rooms, this manager would do almost anything to secure the victory of his players. One of the more interesting stories is the one when he ordered the grass to be cut unevenly so that his player would have an advantage over the possession of the ball.
Oh, Brother!
It is a well-known fact that soccer fans are extremely loyal to their team and everything around it. But no fan has shown more loyalty than Martin Warburton in 2003. Martin was a dedicated fan of Manchester United, but he had a brother named Paul who was also an ardent fan but of another team. Manchester United’s greatest opponent, Manchester City has won the heart of Martin’s brother.
Unfortunately, Paul was diagnosed with leukemia, and the only thing that could save him was a stem cell donor. And the perfect match was no other than his brother Martin. Even though Martin agreed to donate the stem cells, he had a condition. He wanted his brother to renounce the loyalty to his favorite team, and join Manchester United’s fan club. And not only that. He also had to paint his house red, which is the signature color of Manchester United. Paul agreed to his brother’s terms.
Dead or Not, That Is The Question
In 1993, team Congleton decided to hold a minute of silence in order to honor the passing of the club’s oldest fan. They have received the information that the fan reportedly died in the previous week.
It seems that no one bothered to verify that information since the fan that they were honoring stepped into the field during his own silence memorial.
What a Bargain
In 1998, a Romanian soccer player Ion Radu was preparing for his transfer. That winter he was to go from Jiul Petrosani to Valcea, and everything was done regularly during the transfer window. Everything but the currency used.
As a matter of fact, Ion was not sold for monetary value but for 500 kilograms of pork. The president of the club stated that the meat will be sold to provide salaries for players.