Time to own up, there never really was a Shay Sidi toaster among the items at the Maccabi online store, especially not if the offer starts on April 1st!
We all know that Maccabi Tel Aviv are a football club of great tradition, and what greater tradition could there be than April Fool's Day? No doubt many of you realised from the start that the launching on April 1st of a special toaster with a picture of legendary Bloomfield Stadium announcer Shai Sidi on the side (which produces toast with his likeness on it no less!) was no more than a good-spirited nod to this long-standing tradition. Others may have sat for a moment thinking that bringing a bit of Maccabi loyalty into the kitchen might not be such a bad idea after all. One splendid fan actually clicked on the "Add to cart" button and relished the thought of sharing morning coffee with one of the great symbols of the Maccabi family.
Alas! It was all in fun, but just to show that at Maccabi loyalty is no laughing matter, that one supporter will be receiving the (imagined) cost of the toaster as credit (and we mean real credit) for use in the Maccabi shop. And if any of you are thinking that Maccabi Tel Aviv are the only football club in the world to have joined in the April Fool's Day fun, check this out. Italian giants AC Milan reported on their website that "Hello Kitty" had become the club's major sponsor! Come to think of it . . .
