14 DAY TRIAL // Scunthorpe United fans were asked by the club's management to avoid dressing up as squirrels for Alan Knill's return, as it could be disturbing for the former footballer, after being injured in a collision with a rodent.
Allan Richard Knill, former Wales International footballer, will make his official return as a manager on Saturday's Torquay game. Knill suffered a rather bizarre accident involving a squirrel, which may have affected his way of perceiving the rodents.
Allan was cycling when a squirrel got caught in the spokes and caused the footballer to fly off his bike. He was going with almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) an hour when the animal interrupted his ride, causing him to injure himself. Sadly, the poor animal did not survive and Allan received medical care.
“It was quite serious at the time, I was flying through the air. I came off my bike at 20-whatever miles an hour, an ambulance was called and everything – I could have died,” the Torquay manager says according to The Guardian.
Knill admitted to changing his perception after the collision. “I'm worrying every night about football, about this, about that, I could have been dead. The perspective for me was I might not have been having this conversation. [Defeats] happen but it puts a perspective on everything,” the former footballer declared.
When fans asked if people wearing squirrel-looking attire would be banned from the club on Saturday, Scunthorpe United's response was “No, you won't be banned. However, the club would prefer it if you didn't dress up in squirrel attire.”
The club's concern for Torquay manager Knill's well-being is admirable and, hopefully, fans will accept Scunthorpe's request. This will be Allan's first official return after the October Irons sacking, and as it may seem, everyone is trying to welcome him as nicely as possible.