Messi to join Real Madrid – Goal.com – April Fool
Website Goal.com would have got a few hearts beating faster this morning with its made-up story claiming that Real Madrid had agreed to sign Lionel Messi on "a record-breaking five-year deal that will be worth around half a billion euros".
It said Madrid had forked out €250m to trigger Messi's release clause and would pay the same again in agent fees, commissions and wages.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
But it soon became apparent that the story was false. "The move was announced directly before Saturday's Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu in what appears to have been a deliberate move to destabilise the Liga leaders," said the website. Eagle-eyed readers would have smelt a rat as this weekend's derby is at the Camp Nou.
Liverpool to quit Anfield – Daily Telegraph – true
The idea of Liverpool playing home games at Bolton or Wigan may sound outlandish but it could happen reports the Telegraph. If Jurgen Klopp's side have to play in the Europa League qualifying rounds over the summer it is "highly unlikely the Merseyside club would be able to play at their own stadium" as the redevelopment of the main stand will not be complete until August.
"Although the prospect of playing in a significantly reduced capacity is not being entirely ruled out at this point, most likely [there] will be a switch to a neighbouring club in the north-west with Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn Rovers under consideration. Liverpool would not ask their city neighbours Everton for use of Goodison Park."
Darts 'chucking' scandal – The Sun – April Fool
Darts has been "thrown into turmoil" by claims of illegal throwing actions among its top stars, claims The Sun. It claimed that Peter Wright, who is usually game for a laugh and appears in pictures alongside the story, had been "called in for checks into his throwing delivery".
The article claims "a little-known darts law – Law 01/04 – states that the dart must be released before the arm reaches a 170-degree angle", rendering many actions illegal.
But as Wright told the paper: "It's a complete load of bull."
Chris Hoy at Le Mans – BBC – true
If Victoria Pendleton can become a jockey then why shouldn't another British cycling legend become a racing driver? Chris Hoy's "motorsport journey" is well underway says the BBC, and the fact that the story about Hoy heading to Le Mans emerged yesterday proves that it is not a wind-up.
"The 40-year-old Scot, Britain's most successful Olympian, will compete in the second tier at the prestigious 24-hour event," says the BBC. "Hoy and two team-mates will drive a Nissan-powered Ligier JS P2 chassis at Le Mans' Circuit de la Sarthe."
Arsenal groundshare – Squawka – April Fool
With Spurs and Chelsea looking for new homes while they upgrade their grounds, website Squawka couldn't resist claiming that Arsenal had agreed "a historic deal that will see all three clubs share the Emirates Stadium for the 2017/18 season while Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane are redeveloped".
However, few people would have been fooled. The Daily Express ran a similar spoof in 2014 and the fact that the article quotes a fictitious Arsenal board member, Sir Alf Polo, was another giveaway.
Claims that Spurs would "replace the clock at the Clock End with their golden cockerel" when they were at home, and that Chelsea's John Terry banner would find a new home were a nice touch. There was also an element of plausibility in Arsenal's justification for the move. "Arsene Wenger is believed to welcome the move as another important step in improving the club's finances," reports the website.
