Farnborough FC Legally Change Player Names To ‘Messi’, ‘Zidane’, ‘Cruyff’ And ‘Maradona’ In Order To Field Team Of Legends Next Season

Chris Wright

14th, August 2013

6 Comments

By Chris Wright

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After a generous injection of cash from their new principal sponsors, Conference South side Farnborough FC will be able to field an almighty side this season, thanks to the club registering the likes of Zidane, Cruyff, Cafu, Messi and Maradona over the off-season.

Farnborough were able to tempt banterrific bookmakers Paddy Power into sponsoring the club for 2013/14 on the basis that their entire first-team squad legally change their names via deed poll to those of famous footballers. Paddy Power agreed and funded the whole thing, paying £75-a-pop for each player to legally assume a new identity.

As a result, Farnborough will be managed by Jose Mourinho (formerly known as Spencer Day), will play at the Paddy Power Park stadium and will be able to select from a squad which now includes Paul Gascoigne, Zinedine Zidane, Gordon Banks, Johan Cruyff, George Best, Lionel Messi, Bobby Moore, Cafu, David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen, Franz Beckenbauer, Roberto Carlos, Pele and Diego Maradona.

Meanwhile, first-team training duties will be picked up by Sir Alex Ferguson (yes, the knighthood has been added by deed poll as a first name) and the kit man will be none other than Terry Venables.

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(Images: Paddy Power)

Posted in Funnies, Newsnow, Non-League

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6 Comments

  1. S says:

    This sounds incredibly weird to me. I wouldn’t change my name just like that :P

  2. Wardy says:

    Absolutely brilliant idea. In a world where football is nothing more than the wheel-barrow being pushed around a Monopoly board, it’s such a breath of fresh air for both club and sponsors to break the mold and inject a bit of light-hearted humour. Brave of the players and coaches to legally change their name, but it’ll be more than worth it for the laughs and banter this whole thing will generate. Great work, Farnborough FC and Paddy Power.

  3. Adam says:

    The thing is, they will eventually get some other players, and they can’t drop Messi for Smith! Or Maradona for Jones!

  4. TravisKOP says:

    lol naturally the one black kid has to be cafu. i feel lineker is a bit misplaced in this line up if you ask me.

  5. Whizz says:

    Why is ‘cruyff’ black? Just saying…

  6. Whizz says:

    Surely Cryuff is the wrong colour?

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