Is it ever OK for a football fan to switch allegiances? Of course it’s not, but an experiment conducted during the North London derby proves that it is possible.
Breakdown cover provider Green Flag filled a pub with Spurs and Arsenal fans yesterday to watch the match and they had a twist in store. At half-time a hypnotist convinced some fans that they actually supported their hated rivals.
Dan Titley, the Head of Marketing at Green Flag, explained the thinking behind the novel idea: “It’s clear we’re a passionate nation when it comes to football, but how much the UK public are prepared to give up for their team is incredible.
“The North London derby switching experiment is set out to show just how easy it is to switch – even in situations when switching isn’t necessarily ok.
“Our research has shown that it’s not just football that Brits remain loyal to – but services such as hairdressers, cleaners and coffee shops – with a real reluctance to switch even if service is poor and expensive.
“A quarter of people have never switched their breakdown cover provider – but when you switch to us, you get 50% off your renewal, and its hassle free. We hope people can make the jump and switch.”
You might find it impossible to imagine supporting Arsenal, but a couple of Tottenham supporters were put under the spell successfully and were convinced that they were Gooners. Fortunately, they were spared the indignity of having to celebrate an Arsenal goal, as Arsene Wenger’s team proved incapable of scoring of one.
The Arsenal supporter who was hypnotised to believe that he supported Spurs wasn’t so lucky. He celebrated wildly as Dele Alli and Harry Kane struck the goals that produced a 2-0 win for Tottenham, even pulling his Arsenal shirt up over his head in his unadulterated jubilation.
Considering the fact that Arsenal haven’t beaten Spurs in the Premier League since 2014, it must have been a nice change for him, though he seemed less happy when the hypnotist brought him back to reality. Watch the hilarious video below. #ad