The manager of Turkish third division side Corum Belediyespor has defied a 285-day stadium ban by hiring a crane to watch their crucial promotion playoff match, according to reports in newspaper Hurriyet.
Turkey’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board handed Hamit Isik a nine-and-a-half-month ban and from his club’s matches after angrily confronting a referee during a recent league match and – after crowd disturbances in the same game – the club were ordered to stage their playoff first leg behind closed doors. Isik also received a fine of 33,500 Lira (£8,250) for his sins.
While Isik took up his imaginative new position – no doubt frustrating the authorities in the process – the Corum fans also circumvented their own sanctions by watching the game on a giant screen outside the stadium. After all this fuss, the match against Darica Genclerbirligi finished 0-0 and there’s all to play for in the return leg.
What the inventive manager plans to do next season – particularly if Corum Belediyespor are promoted to Turkey’s 2. Lig – remains unconfirmed, but one thing seems clear: he’s going to need a bigger crane.