WIGAN ATHLETIC’S PLAYERS were left kicking their heels and gossiping about The X Factor on Thursday, when thieves stole 48 footballs from the Premier League club’s training ground.
The team ran out on to their practice pitch to discover that four out of five bags, containing a dozen Nike balls in each, had been lifted.
Manager Roberto Martinez sent the squad for a jog – the goalkeepers got to play with the remaining twelve footballs – while replacements were found.
It was later revealed that a side gate had been left open to allow the thieves to sneak in around 10am.
A spectator told the Daily Mirror: “One of the groundsmen came over to me and asked if I had seen four bags of balls. He said they had left five bags out but when the players came out, there was only one left.
“It was hilarious. The goalkeepers arrived first, took the one remaining bag and started practice. When the rest of the players arrived, they were just standing around with their hands on their hips. Some of them started wandering about looking for the missing balls.
“When the manager Mr Martinez arrived, I said to him, ‘Where are the balls?’ He said, ‘I don’t know but the police are on their way.’ Later, someone arrived with some replacement balls.”
Of course, all we can wonder is what this spectator was doing watching Wigan train of a Thursday, but that’s hardly our business.
