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Weird Week in Football: Crowdfunding and crowd surfing

John Sibley / Reuters

Every Monday, theScore will highlight the most outlandish moments from the wacky, sometimes daft, and perennially entertaining world of football. Here's what made us smile - or cringe - on the pitch this past week.

As bizarre as football can be, this past week was rife with the expected. Arsenal collapsed at the last-16 stage of the Champions League, Leicester City continued its downward spiral, and Pablo Escobar was being his characteristically unruly self. No, not that Pablo Escobar.

Elsewhere, Bundesliga bottom-dweller Darmstadt invited President-cum-retiree Barack Obama to a match, Chelsea's David Luiz continued to serve his role as nightmare fuel for TV presenters, and like the youngest of four siblings, the United States got some familiar-looking hand-me-downs.

In the face of uniformity, here is the latest installment of the Weird Week in Football:

Norwegians crowdsource signing

For entrepreneurs looking to kick-start companies specialising in cell phones for dogs and shower gels that double as energy drinks, crowdsourcing has proved a vital tool when piggybanks have run barren.

(Photo courtesy: Kristiansund BK)

Asking the public for help has now made its way to football, with Norwegian top-tier side Kristiansund BK signing Estonian international defender Nikita Baranov from Flora Tallinn courtesy of some help from its supporters.

According to the club's statement, the club was gifted 500,000 kroner (£48,300) for Baranov's winter move using crowdfunding that was to be split between the transfer fee and the 24-year-old's wage.

Fervent Forestieri > Floundering Forest

From crowdsourcing to crowd surfing we go. Sheffield Wednesday's Fernando Forestieri gave Owls supporters plenty to cheer about Saturday at Nottingham Forest in the Championship, with the Italian's goal giving the visitor a two-goal advantage in a 2-1 win.

One fan decided to film the moment, and in an attempt to capture the reaction of his mates at the City Ground, nearly missed Forestieri leap into the stands to celebrate with those who made the hour-long pilgrimage south on the M1. There's no faking that reaction. Get in.

Marvel at Rooney's movie moonlighting

Manchester United's latest sponsor-driven drivel coincides with the release of the 8,000th film in the X-Men franchise, "Logan," with Wayne Rooney mimicking Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character.

*Movie trailer guy voice* "It's 2017, and amid a chaotic world emerges a legend. Now sluggish and with half the hair he once had, our hero combats the perils of age to fight for a place on the bench for Sunday's FA Cup clash at Blackburn Rovers. From the makers of the promo for Independence Day: Resurgence comes a compelling story of one man's battle with a drastic drop in form... Wayne Rooney is Logan, in theatres this March."

The right to bare arms

In this week's sign that football is going to crap, the Philadelphia Union released a statement to announce the club is in search for a resident tattoo artist.

"This is an exciting initiative for all of us here at Philadelphia Union as we look to provide a revolutionary service for our players and front office, particularly those new to the area," Vice President of Marketing Doug Vosik said, while simultaneously Googling the nearest job centre. No Ragrets!!!

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