SYLVESTER STALLONE HAS a seven-year affinity with Everton, ever since he watched the Merseyside club play Reading at Goodison Park.
The scoreline was 1-1 that afternoon — with Sly parading around the pitch with an Everton flag at half-time — but the American actor believes the Toffees have a big result in them. Even so, his prediction for a 17-0 Everton win over Norwich.
Stallone, who was in England this week to promote his new movie Grudge Match, told Football Focus that Roberto Martinez’ men would put the Canaries to the sword. He made his outlandish prediction as part of a weekly prediction game with BBC football pundit Mark Lawrenson. The former Liverpool and Ireland midfielder went for a sombre 2-0 win for Everton.
Stallone did not help his predictions cause by calling an Aston Villa win over league-leading Arsenal and for a Manchester United victory over Swansea. He must not have seen much Premier League [or Capitol One or FA Cup] action this season.
Stallone also told the show about the ‘butt-kicking’ he got when practicing penalties with Pelé during shooting for World War II film Escape to Victory. Stallone played an American P.O.W called Hatch, who was drafted in as a late goalkeeping replacement. He recalled:
He put on a pair of World War II shoes which were steel-tipped, and the ball was like a cannonball – it was twice as thick and heavy as footballs are today. He was telling me he was going to take a shot and I thought ‘it’s soccer, what’s the big deal? It’s easy’.
“He came to take one penalty shot and he told me exactly where he was going to put it, so I stood there but the ball still flew past me before I could move.”
