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01st Apr 2014

Ireland going to the World Cup, United in City blue; here’s all the best April Fool’s Day sport stories

We look at the best of the sport prank stories we've seen today.

Eric Lalor

It’s the day where everything in the media has to be taken with a pinch of salt. We look at the best of the sport prank stories we’ve seen today.

Ireland to replace France at the World Cup in Brazil

The Irish Times ran this one this morning. They cite the Nicolas Anelka’s anti-Semitic “quenelle” gesture as being the reason for FIFA considering the exclusion of France at this summer’s show-piece event in Brazil. Ireland are said to benefit from the French exclusion as we were badly treated over the Henry handball (pic below) scandal. They’ve even gone to the lengths of including a quote from a FIFA ‘official’, the wonderfully named Falip Orol. See what they did there?

France wins the World Cup 2010 qualifying football match against Ireland  in Paris, France on November 18th , 2009.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur agree ground share

This story popped up on the The Daily Express. Apparently Spurs have shelved plans to build a new stadium and after extensive negotiations between Spurs supremo, Daniel Levy and TEN Arsenal officials, the deal has been struck for the bitter North London rivals to share the Emirates Stadium (pic below). There was even a mention that the seat colours would alternate between red and white depending on who was playing at home on any given week. Arsenal are nine years without a trophy, but one of their ‘officials’ said “Fans may have waited nearly a decade for glory but this move immediately doubles the chance of the Emirates crowd seeing a trophy won.”

Arsenal v Manchester City - Premier League

Manchester United unveil new ‘sky blue’ away kit

Riding on the wave of the Moyes (pic below) quote about Manchester United ‘aspiring to the level of City’, the Mirror have run this story. They’ve even gone to the trouble of including a ‘leaked video’ of the new kit from a shopping mall in Thailand. The feeling is that blue is seen as a lucky colour in Asia and of course United have to be seen to be pleasing their legions of Asian fans. The article contained this corker of a quote from a United ‘official’: “We can’t have it both ways in Manchester, it rains 366 days a year, so we can’t moan about having an away kit that reminds of what the sky actually looks like when you take the clouds out of the equation.” Bravo!

Manchester City v Manchester United - Premier League

England to wear yellow kit in homage to Brazil

England have only just released their new kit (pic below) to be worn at the World Cup in Brazil. The Daily Mail have an exclusive today about them wearing a special ‘once off’ yellow jersey as a tribute to their hosts. Again, they’ve gone for a video to substantiate the claims. It’s said that they will wear it only once in their final group game against Costa Rica. It could be argued that when it comes to penalties, the English lads always look yellow.

England kit WC 2014 home

Doncaster Rovers sell home soil for £1m to One Direction fan

Louis Tomlinson from One Direction caused all sorts of hysteria when he turned out in a charity match for his beloved Doncaster Rovers earlier in the year. So much so that The Star have run with the story of a South African millionaire, Rolf Opila (again, see what they did there?) agreeing a £1m deal to have the pitch at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium (pic below) ripped up and sent to his daughter as a birthday present. His daughter of course is a massive One Direction fan and he wants to make her dreams come true. Or something.

Doncaster Rovers v Stevenage - FA Cup Third Round