footballcircus: Shirley Valentine & A Blow Up Shark

Forget your transfer madness this week because we've got far more entertainment for you here on Football Circus this week. We bring tales of a blow up shark, a chairman inspired by Shirley Valentine, an upset mother and an angry blue mascot. So stay away from your football transfer rumour nonsense and indulge in some...other...football nonsense...

Football Circus Clown Quote of the Week

- "We saw some great pictures of you wearing that sombrero this season. Any more plans do you think, this season, to be wearing any more head gear such as that?".

- Sky Sports News presenter Pete Graves, who knew all the right questions to be asking in his interview with Rotheram manager, Steve Evans.

Blown Out of Proportion

A Grimsby Town fan was this week found guilty of assault after hitting a steward on the head with an inflatable shark. 51 year old Kenneth Meech was let his celebrating get the better of him after Grimsby went 3-1 up away to Barnet in February and before long, found himself hitting a steward over the head with his blow up shark. Meech told the Grimsby Telegraph:

"You can imagine what it is like when they score a late goal like that – it's like England versus Germany. We were all jumping up and down and my inflatable must have accidentally hit the steward on the head.

"I got picked out by the steward and I was then pulled out of the crowd. I did not show any physical violence whatsoever.

"I am a season ticket holder and have been a Town fan for around 40 years now. I don't know who is more embarrassed – me for getting arrested, or the police charging me for this".

The steward told the court however, that he was terrified. The steward, 59 year old Cgagi Gladyng, said he felt "like (he was) being hit by a roll of paper".

Sounds like quite the ordeal.

After being fined £800, Meech later apparently told local news that he felt "a bit deflated" over the incident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaHc7WOivgE

Limerick FC Chairman Inspired by...Shirley Valentine?!

Limerick FC chairman Pat O'Sullivan has this week revealed his masterplan to sign up some Greek players to help his relegation threatened side avoid the drop. Bizarrely, O'Sullivan has said that his idea was inspired by the film, Shirley Valentine!

In an interview with RTE, O'Sullivan said of his plan:

"I need to bring in quality players now to help us get out of where we are at. I don't see them in Ireland, so I am looking around. We can't get them from England, I would love to see the English windows match in Ireland because there is an awful lot of young players that come free in England at the end of their season and we can't sign them until July.

"And then the English season is open again so then we lose that chance generally.

"So what do we do? I'm sitting at home, I'm watching Shirley Valentine the other night with my wife Helen and I'm saying the Greeks are technically very good at football, austerity has to [have] had [an effect] and football must be suffering. So why not look at that?

"They are Europeans so why not look at them as regards looking at any other country. So, what we did was I got my daughter Pam to Google and find the players union in Greece and emailed them and told them what we were looking for. They have sent us details of certain players.

"We have spoken to the individual players and the terms and conditions we have agreed. Now we have to look at bringing them for trials when we are ready to do that which has to be done and in place by the end of this month. If I can find players do a job for me in Limerick, particularly in the short-term and possibly in the long-term, the Irish go to England and different countries so why can't the Greeks come here.

"They have to be a quality of a player that will give us what we need in our team and that the manager has to be happy with".

Now that's what you call thinking outside the box.

Casillas' Mother Unhappy over Son's Move to Porto

Many football fans were a little taken aback by Real Madrid's treatment over loyal servant and captain Iker Casillas in recent weeks. From the outside looking in, it seems as though Casillas, despite expressing his desire to remain with Real, was forced out the door by president Florentino Perez.

Now Casillas' mother, Mari Carmen, has spoken out against Perez and voiced her displeasure over her son's move to Porto, claiming she would prefer to have seen the goalkeeper move to Barcelona!

Speaking to El Mundo, she said:

"Porto is like a Segunda B team for someone like Iker. A world champion can’t finish his career in Porto. He could have finished where he was wanted, and I wouldn’t have minded if it was Barca because they are gentlemen.

"This President has never loved him because he is short. He likes height. He was always obsessed with signing Buffon. Iker has put up with a great deal, he has suffered psychological pressure and they treated him differently to other players. I have watched him suffer for many years. It is Florentino who is pushing him out because he wanted to end his career at Real Madrid".

San Jose Earthquakes Mascot Loses the Head

San Jose Earthquakes took on Club America in the International Champions Cup this week and were on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline. But it was the Eathquakes' mascot, 'Q', who stole the headlines rather than the players.
After the full time whistle, an unhappy Q happened upon a drunken pitch invader. Rather than let stewards or authorities deal with the unwelcome guest, Q decided to take matters into his own, fluffy, hands. Q approached the pitch invader and dump tackled him to the ground.

Not content with sorting out the pitch invader, Q then became embroiled in a scuffle with a number of the Club America players after they berated him for his actions.

Who would have thought that a grown man parading in a giant blue pensioner costume would have such issues?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NgK0XuY0Tg

What's Mad Mario Upto this Week?

Balotelli's days at Liverpool look well and truly numbered. Having jetted off on their pre-season tour of the Far East, the Merseysiders left poor Balo out of the squad. As we reported, Balotelli last week buried his father and there is a chance he was omitted from the squad on compassionate grounds. Nonetheless, he continues to be linked with a move away from Anfield.

Having been linked with Sampdoria and Newcastle already this summer, Balo has this week been linked with a transfer to Fiorentina as part of a swap deal with German striker Mario Gomez. Whilst nothing may come of the rumours, the evidence that Super Mario won't be a Liverpool player for the 2015/16 season, seems to be building.

Balo did take time this week to post a video to Instagram however and it would seem that he can't stay away from football as he is shown having a kickabout in a back garden.

https://instagram.com/p/5FZXBIrj5Y/

Italian Football Story of the Week

- Matthaus Unhappy with Inter Treatment of Shaqiri

Former Germany, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan player Lothar Matthaus has brandished the treatment by Inter of Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri as "shameful". Shaqiri looks likely to exit the club this summer as manager Roberto Mancini does not see Shaqiri in his plans. Already the player has been linked with a move to Stoke City and this week a move to Schalke has been mooted. Muller however, has been unimpressed with his former club's actions.

Muller told Blick:

"Mancini did not have any faith in Shaqiri and without that no player can show his true worth.

"If you sign a player, you have to actually play him. If the Coach doesn’t help him to settle in, the player will fail. With his quality, it’s unthinkable that Xherdan could not be first choice at Inter.

"Mancini wanted him and then didn’t use him in the matches. If I were an Inter director, I’d be asking him why that happened.

"What’s been happening at Inter over the last two years is shameful and you can see the results on the field".

"I’d been happy to see Shaqiri at Bayern Munich, but Pep Guardiola does not admire players who are tactically anarchic.

"Schalke made errors in the past, but if this transfer went through, both clubs would win".

Artist's Impression of the Week

- 'Mascot Loses the Head'; Mascot takes headlines over players in International Champions Cup Clash.

Football Recommendation of the Week

- Pog mo Gól; Irish football magazine which is both aesthetically pleasing and thought provoking. In fact, we pretty much like everything about Pog mo Gól.

http://pogmogoal.com/