MORE "ANIMAL" INJURIES

An Italian playing for Grimsby Town is always likely to be a fans' favourite, especially when the player himself contributed half the transfer fee out of his own pocket, a large part of the fee than allowed him to move from Serie A to Lincolnshire. But as popular as Ivano Bonetti (below) was with the fans, that earned no brownie points with manager Brian Laws when he considered that the Italian had not tried hard enough. after a 3-2 defeat away to Luton Town on Saturday 10th February 1996.  This was just a month after they had beaten Luton 7-1 in an FA Cup tie. Laws confronted the former Juventus player about his lack of effort and the confrontation ended when Laws threw a plate of chicken wings at Bonetti, breaking his cheekbone. From then on the legacy of that amazing signing by Grimsby was forgotten and just those chicken wings got the headlines.

This injury might not have been caused by an animal, but Alex Stepney was "animated". In the second League match of the 1975/76 season at Birmingham City, Manchester United's goalkeeper, Stepney, became so animated in shouting at his own defenders, that he dislocated his jaw and had to be taken to hospital. 

OK, this may not be an injury, but it did cause a player to fail his medical, part of the procedure when there is a transfer in the offing. In 1972, Frank Worthington was about to move from Huddersfield Town to Liverpool, a serious career move!! but Frank failed a medical at Anfield because of high blood pressure - caused by 'excessive sexual activity' the doctors said. Liverpool manager Bill Shankly sent Worthington to Majorca for a week to relax - but that wasn't the place to expect him to relax! So on his return he once again failed the medical and his move to Liverpool was called off. He later moved to Leicester City and in his playing career he played for 11 League clubs and made 8 appearances for England.

Partick Thistle manager John Lambie knew exactly what to say to his trainer when his striker Colin McGlashan was dazed and didn't know who he was -
"That's great. Tell him he's Pele and get him back on."and finally...An unfortunate misprint in a report about an injury in the Hartlepool Mail..."Paul Walker is doubtful for the game today, with a toe injury, while John Foster will have a late fitness test on his thing injury."