Leeds United Football Club is apologizing after allowing a fan purchase a cardboard cutout of the late Osama Bin Laden to sit in on games. SIPA USA

Leeds United remove Osama Bin Laden cutout from stadium seats

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jun 25, 2020 1:45 PM ET

With English football stands left mostly empty due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some clubs elected to place cutouts of fans in stadium seats.

At least one team may be regretting that decision.

As noted by BBC Sport and other outlets, Championship side Leeds United offered an apology after a picture of former al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was found among cutouts:

Tremendous effort from whoever actually paid English pounds just to have Bin Laden sit in the Leeds crowd. pic.twitter.com/XhEZd87Vqw
— Elliot Hackney (@ElliotHackney) June 24, 2020

Per a statement offered by the club, Leeds announced they "will ensure there are no more offensive images."

Bin Laden is believed to be the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed over 3,000 people in the United States. American forces killed Bin Laden in 2011.

Leeds fell 2-0 to Cardiff City over the weekend but remain likely to earn promotion to the Premier League, as they sit seven points clear of third-place Fulham in the table. Leeds host Fulham on Saturday.

Earlier this month, fourth-division club Northampton Town announced NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, a supporter of the team, would virtually "cheer" the team on via a cutout.

⚽️Cobbler in the Crowd deadline 10pm - be like @SHAQ or @chattyman and get right behind the lads: https://t.co/l4OoQqHxfy pic.twitter.com/qc77PX9dEo
— Northampton Town (@ntfc) June 25, 2020

Northampton Town will face Exeter City in the promotion playoff Final on Monday.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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