The Euro 2024 qualification game between England and Ukraine made for a rather timid watch.
Well, aside from a peculiar observation made by a number of spectating fans online.
This point of interest had little to do with the game, and instead, it centered around referring icon Mark Clattenburg and star of Discovery Channel’s ‘Man vs Wild’ Bear Grylls.
For our football audience, Clattenburg needs little introduction.
The 48-year-old is among the most famous referees of all time, having officiated a whopping 576 matches, of which 297 were Premier League games.
With so many games under his belt, he likely drew the ire of millions of fans during his refereeing career. It is only natural after all.
Clattenburg also took charge of numerous high-profile matches, including the 2014 UEFA Super Cup final, the 2016 Champions League final and the Euros final in the very same year.
The ref retired as one of the Premier League’s finest, becoming a yardstick by which future referees have long been measured.
With Clattenburg getting so much game time throughout his career, he naturally became a recognizable figure, as his appearance was ironed into the brain of every PL fan, especially those watching on from the Barclays days.
But with it being almost 6 years since his exit from the Prem, the memories of his appearance are beginning to fade, as evidenced by the comments made by fans during the recent Euros qualifier.
Fans mistake Bear Grylls for Mark Clattenburg
In the build-up to kick-off, actor, television producer, and ultimate survivalist Bear Grylls popped by to promote his upcoming interview with Ukraine President Zelensky.
You likely know the 48-year-old from his appearances on ‘Man vs Wild’, wherein he traveled to remote jungles and rainforests across the world and survived through extreme methods.
Devouring worms, drinking his own urine, and hunting alligators were just some of his escapades.
His newer endeavors are pretty tame by comparison, and as mentioned above, Grylls recently conducted an interview with the President of Ukraine.
The Englishman chose to promote it during a football game for some reason, leading fans online to mistake it for a figure connected to the game.
Due to their similar facial features, they believed Grylls to be Mark Clattenburg sporting the classic ‘stash.
The sign of a seasoned veteran or a 40-year-old embracing his age, the stash is a facial trim many turns to, including Clattenburg in recent years.
When compared side by side, the pair do look uncannily identical, especially if you just squint a little.
And as such, fans on Twitter were genuinely under the impression that Clattenburg had turned up for England vs Ukraine game.
