The history of the most popular sport in the world is incredible. More than two hundred years have passed since football appeared and during this time, immeasurable miles have been covered. Most football fans know such past events as Diego Maradona's hand goal or the Hillsborough tragedy, during which in 1989 a stand collapsed at a match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, resulting in the death of 96 people. However, like any thing with a history, football has had a lot of strange and funny incidents during its existence, which make you shake your head in disbelief. The most popular football website in the country, "EuroFootball.com", continues to tell incredible football stories. You can read the first part here, the second part here, the third part here, and the fourth part here.
The man who sold himself What would you do if you were the owner of a modest football club and had to save money in order not to go bankrupt? Well, you would appoint your best footballer as the head coach! What would you do if you were the player-coach of a struggling football club and saw that the team, short of money, could disappear from the football map? Well, you would sell yourself to another club! At least that's what "Carlisle United" did, which in 1946 signed a contract with talented center-forward Ivor Broadis, who was also appointed as the head coach of the team. Three years later, when the club faced serious financial difficulties, "Sunderland" became interested in the player-coach. The "Black Cats" decided to pay £18,000 for I. Broadis. It was a great opportunity to restore the team's financial stability, so the player-coach decided to sell himself. Broadis, who played 18 matches for the England national team, returned to Carlisle United after thirteen years.
The resurrected grandmother Former Ireland national team goalkeeper Stephen Ireland "killed" his grandmother in 2007. No, the footballer did not commit murder - in order to avoid playing for the national team, he claimed that his grandmother Patricia Tallon had died. When the truth was revealed, the former Manchester City player had to apologize for his childish behavior. Without a key football player, the Irish national team lost 0-1 to the Czech Republic. Later, S. Ireland revealed that he did it because of his girlfriend, claiming that she was very lonely and he had to visit her in the city of Cork. The Irishman even asked the "City" head coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, not to include him in the team's lineup because he was very sad and had to help organize the "grandmother's funeral". Because of this act by Ireland, the coach called him a fool.
Beer for a lifetime! Austrian breweries came up with a way to encourage their country's footballers who participated in the 2008 European Football Championship. The first player to score a goal was promised an unlimited supply of beer for life. The task was not easy, as the owners got into a competitive Group B, where Germany, Croatia, and Poland also competed. It was against the latter that the Austrians managed to score their only goal of the championship when Ivica Vastic converted a penalty kick in the 93rd minute. That goal not only earned I. Vastic a lifetime supply of beer but also the only point earned by Austria in the tournament, which allowed them to overtake the Poles by a better goal difference and secure third place in the group.
Players misbehaving in public After visiting nightclubs, footballers often decide that urinating in a public place is a great idea, and athletes couldn't care less if anyone is watching them. London "Chelsea" legend John Terry and former "West Ham" defender Hayden Foxe are excellent examples of this. In 2005, J. Terry, who soon became captain of the England national team, was filmed urinating into a glass in a nightclub. Meanwhile, in 2001, H. Foxe at a "Hammers" Christmas party decided that it wasn't worth going to the toilet and why not just urinate here. The former footballer did it in the dance hall of the London "Sugar Reef" club in front of all the people there.
