It’s April Fool’s day, so talkSPORT.com looks at the best pranks in football over the years. And there are some classics.
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1. Roman Abramovich appoints himself as Chelsea manager
We start with one of our own April Fool’s Day gags. On 1 April, 2013, with Rafael Benitez proving a very unpopular interim manager at Stamford Bridge – and the ninth boss in less than a decade under Roman Abramovich’s ownership – our intrepid reporter ‘Paolo Fril’ informed the world that the Russian planned to name himself the next Chelsea manager. We even got ex-Blues boss Gianluca Vialli to confirm that Abramovich had been in contact for advice on being a manager, with the Italian informing us he wanted to buy his coaching badges!
2. Grandstand fight
As Des Lynam introduced viewers to the Beeb’s flagship Saturday sports show on 1 April 1989, two men in the studio behind started having a fight. One day we hope to see something similar on Sky Soccer Saturday, except for real.
3. Craven Cottage is sinking
BBC Teletext – remember that? – claimed on 1 April 2000 that Fulham’s riverside ground, Craven Cottage, was gradually sinking into the River Thames. It was an April Fool of course, but this season it seems Fulham really are sinking fast.
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4. Ian Rush signs for Everton
In the 1980s Merseyside rivals Liverpool were undoubtedly the two best teams in England, if not Europe, and the one man who seemed to give the red half of Merseyside the edge was Ian Rush. Anfield’s muzzy-marksman made a habit of scoring against the Blues, particularly in cup finals. So when Shoot magazine pictured Rushie on the cover in an Everton shirt on 1 April 1989, Kopites couldn’t believe their eyes and Evertonians jumped for joy… until they turned to page seven, where it was revealed to be a cruel hoax under the headline, ‘Rush For Everton Neverton’.
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Shoot magazine ran this on their front cover in 1989
5. Madonna Maradona
The year 1989 truly was a vintage one for April Fool’s Day football gags. An Italian TV channel claimed Diego Maradona was dating similarly named pop star Madonna. Only trouble was, Maradona was married and didn’t take too kindly to suggestions he was cheating on his missus. Maradona was worshipped like a god in Naples and, allegedly under pressure from local Mafia, a grovelling on-air apology was subsequently issued by the TV company.
6. Man United’s new manager
In April 2016, with Louis van Gaal on his way out – he’s still angry about it – Ferdinand tweeted a picture of himself standing on the touchline at Old Trafford, with the words: “New Chapter.. Contract signed.. Looking forward to going into management in June. Big summer ahead!â€
Of course, Rio was not set for the dugout at Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho arriving instead. Turns out he’d ‘merk’d’ everyone. For those unfamiliar with the term, it was used when he pranked his team-mates in Rio’s World Cup wind-ups, including Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville and David Beckham.
7. Southampton’s new look
The Saints can be a funny lot and in 2016, they claimed, after meeting with focus groups, they were unveiling a ‘more modernised crest that continues to symbolise the city and its surrounding areas, while acknowledging more modern trends.’
The football on the crest was to be replaced by the Saint emoji. “The thinking being that over recent years the club has become much more than just a football club, with its work in the community and its forward-thinking approach,” a statement read.
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