Fans of The Premier League in UK will know two things (amongst many other things). 

Firstly West Ham United are in deep, deep trouble and need any help they can get to win, or even draw a match otherwise they face a humiliating relegation to a lower league.

Secondly, midfielder Rory Delap of Stoke City has a strange ability to throw a football longer than anyone else. Averaging 38 meters (yes thats over 100 ft) they are akin to a corner or a free-kick and much feared by the opposition because they are such a good source of goals. 

On Saturday this weekend these two met; West Ham needing to protect the point they started the game with and Stoke's almighty ball thrower trying to take two more points off the suffering Hammers. But West Ham had a nifty trick up their Claret sleeves, with thanks to Burnley who had actually come up with this idea originally. Making the longest throw of a football requires Delap to make something of a run-up and so West Ham brazenly and cheekily installed a new ring of advertising boards around their pitch, only 3 feet away from the edge of the playing area, making any run up to throw the ball impossible. 

Bad sportsmanship? Who knows, frankly who cares. (Some may say, yet again) advertising could have come to the rescue, but didn't. That it didn't actually make a difference, or do the job that it was supposed to.... I'll leave that debate for another time. Delap still managed to make 30m+ throws and Stoke City won the game. Looks like West Ham are doomed. Strangely co-incidental then that debate also rages about the demise of advertising and its own potential relegation from the top table...?