That’s how bizarrely simple it was for pub boss Brian Pickering, who exploded on social media (not literally, thankfully) after failing to spell Borussia Monchengladbach on his board outside of Tiles Bar in Edinburgh ahead of their Champions League tussle with Celtic back in October.
Pickering simply put ‘A German Team’ instead, leaving the crossings out in place outside his Edinburgh-based pub.
The power of social media led to 8,000 scarves being produced in Gladbach with the words ‘A German Team’ displayed across the front.
The move was so well liked by the Bundesliga club that they adopted it on their own social media account – and invited him as a VIP guest to Borussia-Park for February’s home clash against Fiorentina in the Europa League (video below).
He said: “The pub I worked in had a lot of construction so it was just something to try to catch the eye of the customers.
“I thought it would be funny to do something a little bit different. I had no idea that it would become so huge."
A German lesson with @OWendt_17 for @bampotto, the Scotsman whose pub chalkboard inspired us to become #AGermanTeam#fohlenelfpic.twitter.com/9mV5S9O0YA
— Gladbach (@borussia_en) March 6, 2017
Sweden international Oscar Wendt was one of the first to see the viral image, and sent it around to his team-mates on WhatsApp.
“On matchday I noticed the post on Twitter,” the Monchengladbach left-back said. “As a Swedish player I know how hard Borussia Monchengladbach is to spell and pronounce.
“So I found it funny and shared it in the team’s WhatsApp group. But of course we didn’t expect the story to go that viral.”
