Fake Sheikh raises a smile at the One Call Stadium

Mansfield Town chairman John Radford's wry smile says it all after Stags fans spotted a sheikh in the directors' box at the One Call Stadium on Saturday less than a week since manager Steve Evans was linked with a move to Qatar!

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Apr 2017, 12:38 BST

Updated 8th Apr 2017, 22:22 BST

Mansfield Town v Exeter.
Mr Mansour Cin Hamad Al Stagni with John Radford. April Fool? — Mansfield Town v Exeter. Mr Mansour Cin Hamad Al Stagni with John Radford. April Fool?

The mysterious visitor was said to be Mansour Cin Hamad Al Stagni of Qatar.

But no one was taking his appearance too seriously on 1st April.

The fake sheikh’s presence seemed to be the club smiling once more after last week’s worries over whether they might lose their manager to a lucrative offer from the Middle East that he would find impossible to turn down.

Evans had been approached a second time for his services from Qatar, but once again he turned them down as he reaffirmed his commitment to get promotion for Mansfield. In the end on Saturday Stags were left ‘sheikhing all over’ by Exeter’s late penalty winner.