Hi, everyone!
I’m a sucker for a must-see own goal.
Ladies & Gentleman, con todos ustedes, el primer gol de la historia de la nueva 1RFEF.pic.twitter.com/VeHlqMMwaw
— Fernando Tejerina (@ftejerina5) August 27, 2021
Ramble of the Day
I really don’t know how to set this up, so I will just jump right in. I saw a tweet on Saturday and genuinely feel the need to share the story about Wigan paying tribute to a dead duck over the weekend.
I was thrilled to discover that The Athletic’s Joey D’Urso did actually write about the whole thing, and you should take the few minutes to read it if you have the subscription. It’s all the result of a mixup that a supporter, Keith Valentine, died after a battle with cancer rather than someone’s pet duck with the same name. The mixup then caused a (seemingly somewhat ironic) push from Wigan supporters to get the duck a nice tribute during the Saturday win over Portsmouth.
The misunderstanding has, understandably, been cleared up. Keith Valentine, per The Athletic, will actually be invited to Wigan’s hospitality box for their next home match and Keith the duck actually got his big moment.
Our big lad on the screen at footie
— Daryl Ravden (@RavdenDaryl) August 28, 2021
#keiththeduck#wafc #latics@LaticsOfficial @Talalalhammad32 @talkSPORT pic.twitter.com/FfF5VsqIKa
It’s an almost wholesome example of what supporter culture can be like, and we can all pull our own examples from the fandoms we’re entrenched in. (Granted, most supporters groups don’t rally around dead ducks but they also don’t have the chance to!) D’Urso makes a really meaningful point about Keith the duck’s tribute, though — “It is hard to imagine Keith being memorialised in a Premier League game on Sky.” It’s always nice to see a direct link between supporters and the club they support, and particularly so when it’s a gesture of respect.
Rest in peace, Keith the duck. It was lovely to see the tributes you received.
tl;dr: Wigan paid tribute to a dead duck over the weekend after the duck was confused for a supporter.
Stay informed, read this: Ben Rothenberg interviews Olga Sharypova on the abuse she received from her ex-boyfriend, tennis player Alexander Zverev for Slate
Links of the Day
Liverpool supporters sang homophobic during the team’s match against Chelsea.
CAS rejected La Liga’s decision not to release players for international duty after FIFA extended the international window.
Transfers: Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus; Manchester City signed Alanna Kennedy on a free; West Ham signed Kurt a puma from Chelsea; Burnley signed Maxwell Cornet from Lyon; Wolves signed Hwang Hee-Chan on loan from Leipzig
A longer read: Max Rushden on Millwall manager Gary Rowett’s recent comments and football needing to support those making gestures and taking action against racism for The Guardian
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