Leeds Issue ‘Special’ Match Programme To Appease Massimo Cellino’s Superstitious Fear Of The Number 17 (Photo)

Chris Wright

4th, February 2016

4 Comments

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In an effort to avoid upsetting their delightfully quirky owner, Leeds United have been forced to go out of their way while knocking out the matchday programme for this weekend’s Championship tie against Nottingham Forest.

Due to Massimo Cellino’s all-pervading superstitious mistrust of the number 17, the front cover of the aforementioned programme has been customised to suit…

leeds-programme-cellino

Image: @LUFC/Twitter

Just take a closer look at the top-right corner…

leeds-programme-cellino-crop

Yep. Issue ‘16b’.

Cellino’s fear of the number 17 (heptadecaphobia to give it its proper name) is deep-rooted and dates back to his time in charge at Cagliari, where he noticed that the team had only managed to avoid defeat on the 17th day of the month on one occasion in 20 years.

This eventually led to him having every No.17 seat torn out of the club’s stadium and replaced with a 16B.

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paddy Kenny too has felt the wrath of the hoo-doo – reportedly being released from his contract in 2014 after Cellino discovered he happened to be born on the 17th May.

They’re not all locked up, are they?

Posted in Championship, Managers, Newsnow

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4 Comments

  1. James Taylor says:

    It’s not just Cellino: the number 17 is actually generally considered unlucky in Italy, just like the number 13 elsewhere.

  2. Gerardo says:

    Italians are notorious for their superstitions…doesn’t surprise me at all. Remember Trapattoni stalking the touchline with a bottle of holy water during the 2002 world cup…used to sprinkle it on the pitch before free kicks. Unfortunately God doesn’t trump a corrupt FIFA hell bent on getting the home nation to the semis!

  3. leeds says:

    Paddy Kenny was released because he was 17 stone more like

  4. Banty says:

    Will next year’s programmes be labelled `2016/2016b’ season?

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