As Europe faces the historic Brexit referendum, Germany has just made Britain an offer it can’t refuse. Germany’s top-selling daily tabloid Bild made a last-ditch plea for Britons to stay in the EU Thursday, promising to finally concede England’s long-disputed 1966 Wembley World Cup goal if they vote “Remain”.
As the United Kingdom began voting in the knife-edge referendum that could end its EU membership, the newspaper ran this front-page headline :
“Dear Britons, if you stay in the EU, we will recognise the Wembley goal ourselves!”
Bild also put out a list of all the other things it will not do anymore if UK decided to stay. It will:
- No longer make jokes about Prince’s Charles’s ears
- Stop using sunscreen in solidarity with the English sunburn
- Not field a goalkeeper for the next penalties, ‘to make it more exciting’
- It would personally reserve sun loungers for Britons on holiday using its own towels.
- Introduce tea breaks
- Turn their clocks back an hour to be in synch with the British
- Send (German national football manager) Joachim Low to guard their Crown Jewels
- Introduce an EU regulation banning a frothy head on beer
- Come along to the Queen’s 100th birthday
- Provide the villain in every Bond film
Remember that historic goal?
In the 1966 final between England and West Germany, both sides were tied at 2-2 when England striker Geoff Hurst fired a shot in extra time. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced off the ground before being cleared by West German defenders, and the referee was uncertain if it had crossed the goal-line.
The linesman however determined that it did, and the goal was awarded to England, to West Germany’s dismay. England went on to win the match 4-2. The goal remains one of the most controversial goals in Fifa World Cup history.
German media have come out strongly to ask the British people to remain in the bloc, with publications putting out countless editorials in the run-up to Thursday’s vote explaining why it is vital for the UK to stay.