The mad, mad world of Leeds United took another turn for the farcical this week as new owner Massimo Cellino axed goalkeeper Paddy Kenny over his date of birth.
Cellino has such a fear of the number 17 his former club Cagliari's stadium featured seats marked 16B, and he has axed Kenny after discovering he was born on 17 May. He has also banned the colour purple from Elland Road.
Footage emerged of Kenny looking embarrassingly overweight in training earlier this week and he will not travel with the squad for their pre-season trip to the Italian Alps.
Kenny will not play for Leeds again due to his date of birth
No current player occupies the No.17 squad number after its previous incumbent, Michael Brown, was released in the close season.
Cardiff City's reviled owner Vincent Tan reportedly asked former manager Malky Mackay to sign players with the number eight in their birth date because it is a respected number among Malaysian Chinese.
Cellino overturned the Football League’s decision to try and block him from buying Leeds earlier this year on the grounds he had a previous conviction for fraud and he bought the Whites in April.
The Italian has already replaced former manager Brian McDermott with Dave Hockaday, whose Forest Green Rovers stint ended with seven defeats in eight games in 2013.
