Red Card: President Obama mistaken for England soccer player Chris Smalling on souvenir mug

http://www.nydailynews.com/

A bumbling souvenir company deserves a red card after mistaking Obama for the English player on a memento mug. There are now 2,000 of the blotched mugs selling for £2,000 (or $3,401).

Maybe the Leader of the Free World might have improved our chances?

A bumbling souvenir company deserve a red card - after mistaking Barack Obama for England player Chris Smalling on a memento mug.

The unnamed company - they're embarrassed - were keen to go top of the league with a range of merchandise for the World Cup.

But when they unpacked the 2,000 mugs featuring the faces of our brave - and underperforming - heroes, it was clear someone's footballing research skills were strictly non-league. They turned to Dorset-based expert clearance resellers Wholesale Clearance UK to try and shift the stock that could have easily appeared in an Only Fools and Horses episode.

Karl Baxter MD for Wholesale Clearance says the company contacted him with the hope of off-loading the stock. He now believes a junior member of staff could be facing demotion after being trusted with picture research. Karl explains: "The Dorset company in question (whose blushes we shall protect for now....maybe!) was given the seemingly easy job of sourcing royalty free pictures of each England squad player to use on the England mugs - along with other accompanying items such as England coasters, England mouse mats etc. "They passed this onto their young, bright eyed and bushy tailed new apprentice. The designs were proofed and signed off by their Boss, who had clearly had a heavy night with the lads playing poker and before he'd had his first vat of coffee the following morning.

"They immediately contacted us and 2,000 of the England items was dispatched to our warehouse. We eagerly unpacked them and, indeed it turned out that the Chris Smalling cup had Barack Obama's head on instead of Chris's." Wholesale Clearance is now trying to sell the mugs for £2,000 ($3,401). Karl says: "This is your chance to snatch up a piece of World Cup history. Who would ever believe that Barack Obama ever played for England? Hang on to this England cup and you'll have a great story to tell your grandkids."