10 Footie Mad Animals.
1 - You moth be joking!
During the recent European Championship final in Paris between Portugal and France an infestation of moths descended onto the pitch. The insects attracted a lot of attention throughout, mainly due to their vast numbers and the game's poor quality. However it wasn't until the 16th minute that one moth
stepped up to become the internet's newest star. As a crestfallen Cristiano Ronaldo lay injured on the Saint Denis turf one moth settled gently between his eyebrows and thus took his place as the web's latest viral trend. The moth now has various facebook and twitter accounts in his honour.
2 - Fowl play at Ewood Park.
As Blackburn took on local rivals Burnley at Ewood Park it seemed that the two Lancashire clubs were heading for an uneventful derby day draw. That was until one fan took it upon himself to release his pet chicken onto the pitch. Causing quite a stir, the chicken evaded officials for quite some time before finally being rounded up and removed, much to the fans' disappointment. This isn't the first time this has happened either, with Blackburn fans doing something similar during a match with Wigan.
3 - Garrincha the dog catcher
In the 1962 World Cup Quarter Finals as England took on Brazil the match was interrupted by a stray dog who had wandered onto the pitch. The referee was forced to stop the match and it wasn't until a dog loving Jimmy Greaves calmly approached the canine invader that the dog was able to be moved on. Things didn't go completely without a hitch as the frightened animal relieved itself down Greaves' jersey before he was removed. Following the conclusion of the game, Brazil's Garrincha took such a shine to the dog he adopted it and took it home with him.
4 - Once bitten, twice shy.
A Swiss Super League encounter between FC Thun and FC Zurich was interrupted by a pine marten that ran wild across the pitch. At first officials and players tried to stop the weasel like creature by
throwing bibs on top of it, but such a tactic was fruitless against such a nimble assailant. Loris Benito, a defender for FC Zurich then thought he had saved the day when he seized the animal only to lose control of the miscreant when it bit him. After much confusion David Da Costa, Zurich's goalkeeper, managed to pick the pine marten up with his gloved hands and have the animal removed by stewards.
5 - News from across the Pond.
Back in 2010 Lokeren's match with Waregem in the Belgian top flight was disrupted by a curious duck who had waddled onto the pitch. Mahamadou Habib Habibou briefly chased the feathered intruder in a comical pursuit before he caught up with it and rather ruthlessly threw it over the advertising board. Thankfully the duck was unharmed. We must also point out we don't condone duck tossing as a method to remove such creatures should they find their way onto your pitches.
6 - Champions League semi final turns nuts.
As Arsenal tried to book a place in the Champions League final in 2006, a local Highbury squirrel seized his moment of fame. Leaping the advertising board the squirrel tried a variety of positions whilst on the pitch including left back and goalkeeper. The Arsenal faithful took to the bushy tailed visitor like one of their own giving him his own chant and cheering, 'There's only one squirrel' in
unison. The bushy tailed Gunner enjoyed a solid ten minute stint on the hallowed Highbury turf and helped inspire his team to a 1-0 first leg victory against visiting Villareal.
7 - Birdwatching.
England have churned out more drab performances in recent years than I've had hot meals and their 2010 World Cup performance against Algeria was one I will sadly never forget. An 0-0 draw against the North African minnows was perfectly described by the sight of a bird sitting completely undisturbed on the Algerian crossbar. As England tried, and failed, to get any momentum going, TV cameras continually chose to focus on the bird as oppose to the football on the pitch.
8 - Good cop, bad dog.
A police dog handler was left red faced after his canine companion forgot all his training and raced onto the pitch to play ball. The dog made a textbook run from the sidelines, took full control of the ball before dribbling off with it between his paws. The match between Varginha and MG was temporarily delayed as players and officials attempted to reclaim the ball from the excitable dog.
9 - Big bugs in Brazil.
Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't the first to have an uninvited guest land on him. In the 2014 World Cup, James Rodriguez of Colombia scored a penalty against hosts Brazil, and it wasn't until he wheeled away in celebration that most noticed his new companion. A huge green grasshopper like creature had set up shop on the goalscorer's sleeve who himself was completely unaware. The bug soon flew off but without leaving the whole internet and all the non South American viewers absolutely terrified that the critters in Brazil could get that big.
During the recent European Championship final in Paris between Portugal and France an infestation of moths descended onto the pitch. The insects attracted a lot of attention throughout, mainly due to their vast numbers and the game's poor quality. However it wasn't until the 16th minute that one moth
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| Ronaldo limped off injured but not after making a new friend. |
2 - Fowl play at Ewood Park.
As Blackburn took on local rivals Burnley at Ewood Park it seemed that the two Lancashire clubs were heading for an uneventful derby day draw. That was until one fan took it upon himself to release his pet chicken onto the pitch. Causing quite a stir, the chicken evaded officials for quite some time before finally being rounded up and removed, much to the fans' disappointment. This isn't the first time this has happened either, with Blackburn fans doing something similar during a match with Wigan.
3 - Garrincha the dog catcher
In the 1962 World Cup Quarter Finals as England took on Brazil the match was interrupted by a stray dog who had wandered onto the pitch. The referee was forced to stop the match and it wasn't until a dog loving Jimmy Greaves calmly approached the canine invader that the dog was able to be moved on. Things didn't go completely without a hitch as the frightened animal relieved itself down Greaves' jersey before he was removed. Following the conclusion of the game, Brazil's Garrincha took such a shine to the dog he adopted it and took it home with him.
4 - Once bitten, twice shy.
A Swiss Super League encounter between FC Thun and FC Zurich was interrupted by a pine marten that ran wild across the pitch. At first officials and players tried to stop the weasel like creature by
 |
| Benito chases the intruder. |
5 - News from across the Pond.
Back in 2010 Lokeren's match with Waregem in the Belgian top flight was disrupted by a curious duck who had waddled onto the pitch. Mahamadou Habib Habibou briefly chased the feathered intruder in a comical pursuit before he caught up with it and rather ruthlessly threw it over the advertising board. Thankfully the duck was unharmed. We must also point out we don't condone duck tossing as a method to remove such creatures should they find their way onto your pitches.
6 - Champions League semi final turns nuts.
As Arsenal tried to book a place in the Champions League final in 2006, a local Highbury squirrel seized his moment of fame. Leaping the advertising board the squirrel tried a variety of positions whilst on the pitch including left back and goalkeeper. The Arsenal faithful took to the bushy tailed visitor like one of their own giving him his own chant and cheering, 'There's only one squirrel' in
 |
| The Highbury squirrel makes a forward run. |
7 - Birdwatching.
England have churned out more drab performances in recent years than I've had hot meals and their 2010 World Cup performance against Algeria was one I will sadly never forget. An 0-0 draw against the North African minnows was perfectly described by the sight of a bird sitting completely undisturbed on the Algerian crossbar. As England tried, and failed, to get any momentum going, TV cameras continually chose to focus on the bird as oppose to the football on the pitch.
8 - Good cop, bad dog.
A police dog handler was left red faced after his canine companion forgot all his training and raced onto the pitch to play ball. The dog made a textbook run from the sidelines, took full control of the ball before dribbling off with it between his paws. The match between Varginha and MG was temporarily delayed as players and officials attempted to reclaim the ball from the excitable dog.
9 - Big bugs in Brazil.
Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't the first to have an uninvited guest land on him. In the 2014 World Cup, James Rodriguez of Colombia scored a penalty against hosts Brazil, and it wasn't until he wheeled away in celebration that most noticed his new companion. A huge green grasshopper like creature had set up shop on the goalscorer's sleeve who himself was completely unaware. The bug soon flew off but without leaving the whole internet and all the non South American viewers absolutely terrified that the critters in Brazil could get that big.
10 - Paws for thought.
A 2012 league encounter between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur was delayed following the introduction of a furry four legged visitor. The cat, now known as the 'Anfield Cat', had a leisurely stroll around the famous ground for ten minutes before being scooped up by stewards much to the sadness of fans who claimed it was a highlight in the two sides' 0-0 draw. This wasn't the first time Liverpool fans have been treated to a feline streaker, a black and white cat also made an appearance on the Anfield turf in 1964 during a match against Arsenal.
Henry Justice
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