RARELY HAS THE phrase about football being a ‘funny old game’ been more apt than in this instance.
One month ago, Derry native Blain Morrison tricked West Brom head coach Tony Pulis into believing he was Neil Lennon after getting hold of his mobile number through a mutual friend.
But the fun didn’t stop there — during the call, Morrison asked Pulis if he could take defender Gareth McAuley on loan.
Former Crystal Palace boss Pulis, only recently installed to the West Brom hotseat at the time, then responded by saying:
“I would rather recommend people I know and people I’ve worked with.
“And like I say [Crystal Palace defender Paddy] McCarthy was good. I don’t know what he is like now…
“I don’t know whether he has dropped off, on the basis of last year he was brilliant for us.”
The phone call ended there, with Pulis telling the fake Lennon to “keep in touch”.
However, in an ironic turn of events, the real Neil Lennon has seemingly taken Pulis’ advice, with the news having been confirmed that Bolton have signed 31-year-old Dubliner McCarthy from Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season.
Pulis and the ‘real’ Lennon also previously made light of the incident in a BBC Radio 5 Live interview.
