6 Funniest Things that Stopped a Football Match

Things happen, and a football match isn’t spared from fun moments.

Here are some of the funniest things to ever stop a match.

A chicken wearing the club crest

Angry Blackburn Rovers fans released a chicken onto the pitch in protest against the club’s owner who happened to be in the poultry business. 

The chicken was even dressed up wherein the club crest could be seen by everyone watching the spectacle. Security had quite a runaround that day.

A black cat and its purrfect crime

Do you know what they say about coming across a black cat? Bad luck!  

However, there was nothing unfortunate about what happened in a match between Heracles and FC Groningen in a 2013 Eredivisie game. A feline was seen trundling onto the pitch. The scoreless match became a comedic sight.

No one dared touch the cat. The players waited for the cat to leave the ground before the game continued. 

A football-chasing pooch

It must’ve been an enticing football—the ball, not the game—for this dog to run into the pitch and chase the ball.

The game was typical until that incident. The players went on to trap the dog, but they failed. Then, Jimmy Greaves distracted the dog by going down on all fours and mimicking its actions.

It happened during the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Brazil where Garrincha and Pele both played.

A rushed paint job

This occurred in 1977 on a game between Manchester City and Derby County. During those times, how the pitch looked was very different from how they look today. No manicured green lawns then.

The said game was played on dried mud that made the penalty spot disappeared. When a Derby player was about to do a penalty kick, he did not know where to put the ball. 

A man holding a bucket of paint, brush, and a measuring tape came to the rescue and painted the spot right on.

A dashing pine marten

The small and furry creature ran abruptly onto the field during a game between Zurich and FC Thun. It ran around for over 5 minutes, and the players and security failed to capture him.

A Zurich player tried, but the pine marten bit him. This animal is known for its incredible speed and sharp teeth. 

Then, the goalkeeper stepped in to capture the weasel-like creature using his gloves.

A political drone

This is not funny, but it did stop the football game anyway. And it was the game between Serbia and Albania, who were not historically the best political allies.

It happed in October 2016 during a qualifying match. In the 41st minute of the game, a drone came down, carrying an Albanian flag. The banner also depicted the disputed territory between the two countries. 

Pitch battles ensued soon after Stefan Mitrovic snatched the drone down. The brawl involved not just the players and substitutes, but also stewards and fans.

Both teams abandoned the match, but Serbia was awarded the winner due to a 3-0 score.

The UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) also perceived this as a political provocation, and the two teams were investigated for the incident. 

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