11 Most Ridiculous Excuses For Losing Football Matches

4. The Boardroom Is Haunted!

Problems with the boardroom can be a significant impediment to football managers' quests for league and cup glory: Brian Clough infamously quit Derby after turning them into giants because he didn't really get on with his boss, and Kevin Keegan walked out on Newcastle when it became clear his expectations of Mike Ashley weren't exactly correct. But for some clubs, the toxic influence from the boardroom comes from an entirely different realm, as Blackpool found out in 1996, when they let a two goal lead slip against Bradford at home at Bloomfield Road, and crashed out of the play-offs. Inevitably it wasn't their players' fault, as the club's fans pointed to the influence of the ghost of Lord Nelson - presumably a Bradford fan - who was haunting the boardroom, as the oak panelling in there was salvaged from his flagship. In the grand history of ghost stories, haunted wall furnishings has to warrant special mention.