Your sporting Mandela effect

[bovril]

On 17/02/2026 at 21:03, ramboacdc said:

I couldn't think of one that wasn't just my bad memory, and I didn't have any England World Cup winners left on my oujia board, so I googled sporting Mandella Effects. 

So many people seem to believe Younes Kabul played for QPR when he didn't.

 

 

But then again I have never met anyone who believed Mandella died in prison. He was rather famous once he got released. Not like he fecked off into obscurity is it?

 

Maybe thinking of Adel Taraat? Both French-Moroccan I think.

 

You're right about the original Mandel Effect - like literally nobody thinks he died in prison. Are they mixing him up with Bobby Sands or something?

[Voll Blau]

2 hours ago, Stadt said:

It is a bit odd they have red on their kits come to think of it. Germany is probably top for badge-kit colour disparities 

Hannover another one in that bracket.

[CL Fox]

On 17/02/2026 at 00:33, Guest said:

One that comes up very often on here is people being convinced that in 14/15 it was Top who sacked Pearson and then the subsequent reversal of that call was down to Vichai, rather than the opposite which is what actually (allegedly) happened

I dont think we'll ever know on this.

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, CL Fox said:

I dont think we'll ever know on this.

For certain, probably not unless my dreams of a Pearson memoir come true. There are still a number of reports from the time (and from some reputable journalists, not just gossip merchants) that Vichai made/was about to make the call and was dissuaded by Top, and none that I have ever been able to find claim that the opposite happened - nonetheless, whenever the subject comes up you will still get people who very confidently make exactly that claim. I get why because it fits a lot more naturally with the romantic ideas we now have about Vichai being (comparatively) sensible and competent, and the less romantic ones we have about Top being a clueless dildo who regularly makes bad calls.

[ramboacdc]

16 hours ago, Guest said:

For certain, probably not unless my dreams of a Pearson memoir come true. There are still a number of reports from the time (and from some reputable journalists, not just gossip merchants) that Vichai made/was about to make the call and was dissuaded by Top, and none that I have ever been able to find claim that the opposite happened - nonetheless, whenever the subject comes up you will still get people who very confidently make exactly that claim. I get why because it fits a lot more naturally with the romantic ideas we now have about Vichai being (comparatively) sensible and competent, and the less romantic ones we have about Top being a clueless dildo who regularly makes bad calls.

I had never heard this version. I was under the belief Top sacked him without Vichai's knowledge, or at least started the press rumblings and Vichai stopped it. Soon after, to teach him a lesson, Vichai sent Top off to be a monk for a year. 

[The Year Of The Fox]

On 17/02/2026 at 16:27, SystonFox said:

i, oddly, remember this too. did we win 1-0 through either a Hume or Fryatt goal?

 

"win it for Ball-y" was sung in the concourse..... no idea why as he had zero affiliation to our club?

 

also "Alan Ball Alan Ball Alan Ballll" to the "here we go here we go here we goooo" chant?

Yep

 

2007 

[Trent Steel]

Heres mine and this is true, for years and years I though Mikhel Arteta was Argentinian, I swear I saw him playing for Agentina

[DDub]

Told people for years I’d seen Cristiano Ronaldo play down our place in the 03/04 season. Checked a match report a couple of years ago and turns out he was an unused sub. 

[purpleronnie]

1 hour ago, DDub said:

Told people for years I’d seen Cristiano Ronaldo play down our place in the 03/04 season. Checked a match report a couple of years ago and turns out he was an unused sub. 

Probably saw him warming up though...that's playing

[Corky]

I was convinced that the World Snooker Championship main event had 64 players for years.