The Wierd and Wacky World of Football

In 1990, the Football League banned Scarborough from wearing shirts advertising 'Black Death' vodka on the grounds of bad taste.



A Manchester City fan was banned in 1995 from bringing dead chickens into City’s Maine Road ground. He used to celebrate City goals by swinging the birds around his head.



In 1998, the Macclesfield mascot, Roary the Lion (right), was sent-off for making obscene gestures during a players’ brawl in the match with Lincoln City.



A Tanzanian soccer match was postponed in 1978 after the referee was arrested on the pitch and accused of smoking marijuana just before the kick-off.



Barcelona’s Hristo Stoichkov was banned for six months in 1990 for stamping on the referee’s foot after being sent off in a Cup tie against Real Madrid.



Cash-strapped Portsmouth cancelled their weekly order of new jockstraps in 1999, a move which would save £112. Administrator Tom Burton ordered the club to wash them instead of buying new ones.



In 2003, Manchester City's Shaun Goater (right) celebrated Nicolas Anelka's goal at Birmingham by kicking an advertising hoarding, but he injured his knee in the process and had to be substituted.



Up until 2005 Young Boys of Switzerland played their home games at the Wankdorrf Stadium, Bern in Switzerland.



West Ham defender Alvin Martin scored a hat-trick against three different goalkeepers in the 8-1 win over Newcastle in 1986. The injured Martin Thomas was replaced in the Newcastle goal first by Chris Hedworth, then by Peter Beardsley.



Bury players refused to do any more promotional work for the club in 1997 as a protest at the lack of nappy-changing facilities at Gigg Lane for their wives.



In 2004, James Hayter (below) came on as an 84th minute substitute for Bournemouth against Wrexham and scored the fastest Football League hat-trick ever. It took less than 140 seconds.

The Scottish Cup tie between Falkirk and Inverness Thistle in 1979 was postponed no fewer than 29 times because of bad weather.



Fans at Gillingham were subjected to celery searches in 1996. a craze had started for waving sticks of celery while chanting an obscene song. So anyone caught in possession of the vegetable was threatened with a life ban.



Sheffield Wednesday keeper Kevin Pressman has the somewhat dubious distinction of holding the record for the fastest ever red card in English football. He was sent off after just 13 seconds on the opening day of the 2000/01 season against Wolverhampton Wanderers.



Cameroonian, Roger Milla (right), is the oldest player to play in the World Cup. He was all of 42 years and 39 days when he played against Russia in 1994!

During that game, he also scored, making him the oldest goal scorer in the World Cup!



West Bromwich Albion's 'Hawthorns' stadium is English football's highest ground above sea-level.



In 1950 India withdrew form the World Cup because FIFA refused to let their team play barefoot.



The Anglican church in 2002 in England decided that instead of loosing its parishoners they would try a new approach. A number of parishes held services earlier, then put TV screens on altars and the lawns. One put a sign out front that read "make jesus the center forward of your life" and urged fans to come to church in their jerseys.