You’re probably thinking this is all a little nuts, but it will start to make sense when you realise the context.
A football club having to ask its fans not to dress up as squirrels for a particular game must be a first in world sport, but Scunthorpe United have been forced to take that fairly drastic measure ahead of their clash with Torquay United this weekend.
The reason behind the quite ridiculous request is because the game will mark the return of Torquay manager Alan Knill to Glanford Park, the same Alan Knill who was injured while in charge of Scunthorpe last year when he crashed into a squirrel while cycling his bike. Knill escaped with only cuts and bruises; the squirrel was not so fortunate.
Players and officials returning to a former club are never guaranteed a hospitable welcome and judging by an exchange between a Scunthorpe fan and the club’s official account on Twitter, it appears as if some Irons fans were planning a witty if a little cruel welcome for their former boss this weekend.
@SUFCOfficial will anyone wearing any ‘squirrel attire’ be banned from entering the ground on Saturday?
— Ben Drage (@drageben) November 27, 2013
@drageben No you won’t be banned. However, the club would prefer it if you didn’t dress up in “squirrel attire”
— Scunthorpe United FC (@SUFCOfficial) November 27, 2013
@SUFCOfficial I am not planning to just asking for others via the medium of Twitter and therefore informing your many followers
— Ben Drage (@drageben) November 27, 2013
@SUFCOfficial @TheSpecialRon @drageben Now even I want to dress up as a squirrel and come to the game!
— furious pigeon (@furiouspigeon) November 28, 2013
@furiouspigeon @SUFCOfficial @drageben I might dress as a squirrel whilst watching Jeff Stelling.
— The Special Ron (@TheSpecialRon) November 28, 2013
The ironic thing about all of this is that because the request has now gone public, the likelihood of fans turning up dressed as squirrels has probably increased dramatically.
In the quest to gain any possible edge before kick-off it seems that it’s Scunthorpe fans one, Alan Knill.
