The great Masal Bugduv hoax: Timeline

By freemansjournal

  • First mention of Bugduv?

    Wikipedia entry for the Moldovan national team amended to include reference to 16 year old wunderkind Bugduv. The amendment is written by user...Masalbugduv

  • Blog comments start rolling

    Comment by Kev on caughtoffside.com on who Arsenal should buy for the coming season: 'Why aren't we snapping up Bugduv, he's supposed to be unreal'. He goes on: 'Masal Bagduv has been described as one of the most exciting young footballers to come out of Moldocan football.'

  • Slovan Drakovic sets up a blog to announce a move to Arsenal

    In the only entry on the blog, the teen's managerannounces Arsenal's interest, quoting a report in Moldovan paper Diario Mo Thon (Diary of my arse, in Irish)

  • A Cork City loan for Masal

    James Stephens on boards.ie and hotbovril on eleven-a-side.com both reproduce a fake AP report titled: 'Moldovan sensation to be loaned to Irish club Cork City?'

  • But wait, Arsenal are interested now

    So says Ken Wright (Can Write?) on hammyend.com, reproducing another AP report: 'Bugduv could go straight into Arsenal team, says agent'

  • Arsenal move picked up by commentor on soccerblog.org

    The same AP report from Tirol, Moldova on Bugduv's move to Arsenal reproduced by user calledgheno.

  • Bugduv move held up by red tape

    According toTommy Kelly who reproduces another AP report,Bugduv's move could be held up by visa issues.

  • Eek! Liverpool join the fight for the magic Moldovan

    'Benitez to steal wunderkind Bugduv from under Arsenal's nose' says igorpetrev on bbc.co.uk

  • Bugduv's contract with Olimpia Balti expires..

    ...leaving him free to join Arsenal, according to another AP piece reproduced byKevin Wright on the Mirror's football blog site.

  • 'I will destroy Luxembourg and join Arsenal'

    So says Bugduv to AP's intrepid reporter, article reproduced byGalwaygooner on bbc.co.uk

  • When Saturday Comes pick up on the Bugduv story

  • Times lists Bugduv at no. 30 in its Top 50 Rising Stars list

    This has since been amended so no link, sorry

  • 'Such player doesnt exist'

    Offside.com links to the Times list, commenter makki says, 'heh there is very funny misteak in Times list...such player (Bugduv) doent exist, it is fake'

  • Exposure! But not the Max Clifford kind

    Fredorrarci on soccerlens.com exposes the whole Bugduv story as a hoax

  • Times admits mistake, apologises

    And removes Bugduv from its list.

  • My little black donkey

    Thanks to runofplay.comreveryone now knows that Masal Bugduv is a phonetic spelling of m'asal beag dubh, or my little black donkey in Irish. Speculation that the name derives from a Padraic O'Conaire short story