A player has been dropped from a football club's squad after the Chairman discovered that his birthday fell on an 'unlucky' day.
Massimo Cellino, the new owner of Leeds United, found out that their goalkeeper, the Irish international Paddy Kenny, was born on 17 May 1978, and ordered the club's manager, Dave Hockaday, to leave him at home for their pre-season trip to Italy and to never play him again.
Cellino apparently believes that the number 17 is unlucky, following his observation that his previous club, Cagliari only won one game in 20 years that fell on the 17th of the month. Cellino also has a fear of purple and said in a recent interview that the one victory was achieved because, "the whole stadium was purple on the 17th. We won because I think that bad luck is like algebra: minus and minus is positive. Purple and 17…they became positive and we won. That’s the only time."
He had all the seats at Cagliari's ground that were numbered 17 replaced with 16B and Leeds will not have a player wearing the number next season.
In further crazy chairman behaviour, he recently sacked Brian McDermott and replaced him with Dave Hockaday, a manager whose only previous experience was at Conference side Forest Green Rovers. Hockaday will have no say on transfers. In addition, Leeds players are currently having to pay to have their own kit washed, while the club's canteen has been shut, forcing players to bring in their own packed lunches.
(Images: Rex/PA)
[via Guardian]
Latest
Related Reviews and Shortlists
