Some 20 years after the event, Gary Lineker has seen fit to announce - in an interview with the BBC, his employers, to mark the occasion of his 50th birthday - that he did a poo on the pitch during a World Cup game against Republic of Ireland at Italia '90 .
That he had stomach cramps during the game was widely reported at the time, but the press missed the full ramifications of the incident.
"Unless you know, you wouldn't know," Lineker said. "I tried to tackle someone, stretched and relaxed myself and erm ... "
He then spent a considerable amount of time trying to wipe his effluent on the pitch while 'washing' his hands on the grass. "I was very fortunate that it rained that night," he added.
The match report in the Daily Express seemed close to uncovering the facts of the case - "trying to get through was like trying to unblock a clogged drain, and the supply to Lineker was more like a drip than a flood" - while the striker said he "never found so much space after that in my life".
Perhaps the incident was still on his mind during the post-match interview, when asked for his thoughts on Ireland's performance. "Not pretty to watch, but certainly effective," he said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SpNSXErBZc
