[ALBSA-Info] Before the match between England - Albania - The Mirror

[Agron Alibali]

The Mirror 

September 5, 2001, Wednesday 


A MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE OF ALBANIA.. GIVE UP OR YOU MAY NEVER SEE YOUR NATIONAL HERO AGAIN 

Jan Disley 

TIED ASSET: Kidnapped Sir Norman promised to back England; DIVIDED:; Norm in split strip 




THE Mirror today sends a warning to Albania's footballers - win and your countrymen will not see Norman Wisdom again. 

Legendary comic Sir Norm is a national hero in the Balkan land thanks to his slapstick movies shown there in the 50s and 60s. But if Albania derail England's World Cup bid tonight we will kidnap their best -loved star and deprive them of his special humour. 

The psychological pressure that puts on their players will no doubt be too much to bear and Sven Goran Eriksson's boys should seal a victory. 

We've already kidnapped Sir Norm once, but let him go after he promised his hero-status in Albania hasn't shifted his loyalties. 

The 86-year-old said: "I'm English and I'll be supporting England. Who else? 

"The Albanians are charming people and I'm very fond of the country. They go potty when I'm there. But my heart lies with England." 

And he declared England's strikers could go one better than Saturday's 5-1 demolition job on Germany by putting six past his adopted country. 

Albanians took Sir Norm to their hearts when his 18 films were the only Western movies to escape censorship during the Communist regime. 

Now he regularly turns up at the country's football games to boost the national team. 

In Tirana for the first leg of this clash he did a lap of honour dressed in a half Albania, half England strip. 

But tonight, he will break Albanian hearts by taking his place at St James's Park to cheer on Sven's rampant team. And we'll be watching him. 




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