Couldn’t resist taking this photo.
Watched the Euro 2008 qualifier, today, Finland v. Belgium – and the match was halted while the grounds crew worked at chasing this beautiful owl off the field. He had about a four-foot wingspread and was afraid of nothing.
I froze the image onscreen while he was perched on the Belgian goal – glaring back at the cameraman – and took this photo.
Eventually, he settled on a crowd barrier back off the field – and watched the rest of the match. Mike Riley was the head of the English officiating crew and I was surprised he didn’t show the owl a yellow card for delay of game. :)
Oh, yeah. Easy win for the Finns.
The owl was probably sick, or a lost pet. Wild owls are nocturnal and avoid humans.
He obviously want a birds eye view of the game.
If this owl were in an American football game some idiot either fan or security would have shot it down.
He obviously thought the game was a hoot.
Oh, you mean soccer. Silly foreign people.
He could have been safe in the goal. The ball hardly ever goes there.
Thank goodness it wasn’t baseball, this owl would be dead:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81oh1Wd9U_4
Thats a real classy statement Wong. Whenever Association Football is mentioned in a blog, you can always count on some tool taking a shot at American Football. Congratulations on winning todays award for Predictability.
4. Stupid joke, but made me laugh.
7,
Your comments aside… he’s correct!
#6
Either that or he’d been bored to death.
Silly muggles, we sent that owl from Hogwart’s. Quidditch excludes those who can’t fly on a broom, and we at the school are looking to expand our extra-curricular activities.
We promise not to use Mercury’s Shoes.
#1
Don’t know about that, but the owl was a northern eagle owl (Bubo bubo) and it’s a protected species in Finland. Reputedly it’s been living in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium for a while.
I love the look on that Owls face……it definatly says…**don’t mess with me mate**.
England won…thanks to Beckham, guess he isn’t too old for the team after all. England is still 4th., but the pressure is now more managable.
13,
England is shit. Second Choice coach, second choice players… Not since 96 Euro have they fielded a complete team.
Eideard….there’s a whole 7 minute video, in Finnish and Belgian on the Owl’s adventure. It’s great, people and players were cheering the bird on.
I read where the owl has been living in the stadium for around 4 months, guess he was pissed at so many univited guests in his home……. 🙂