Ever get the feeling you’ve been goosed?

The football industry isn’t known for its sparkling humour, so it’s no wonder London design group Blue Goose received a mixed response to a recent direct mail campaign it developed to win itself more work in the sports arena.

Company creative director Paul McManus wrote to London clubs which had lost matches the previous weekend, stating that he ‘had the ear’ of a famous striker seeking to move to a London club. Meetings were then arranged to discuss further how his services could be useful.

Shortly before the appointed time, each club received a toy footballer from the Striker board game, with the relevant team strip hand-painted by Blue Goose staff.

Some clubs, notably Fulham which appointed the consultancy to some projects, reacted well.

‘Some of them were furious though,’ concedes McManus, including Wimbledon and Watford. Maybe football fans can guess which team actually postponed real transfer deals while awaiting the identity of the fictional striker.