A fantasy football manager has spent a day as a human trophy in a creative forfeit for losing in a league with his friends.
Painted all in gold, Chris Talbot spent around two hours stood on the streets of London this week as he paid for coming bottom of a league with 12 of his mates last season.
Talbot wore a football kit marked “loser" and stood on a plinth which read “Loser Fantasy Football 2019/20", and took the punishment in good humor according to his friends.
The forfeit is the latest in a series from the 12-manager league (Jon Fuller)
“He's happily mid-table this year in the early stages and definitely learnt his lesson," fellow fantasy manager Jon Fuller, told the PA news agency.
“We've done a forfeit every year for the loser but had to come up with something a bit different this year… something he could do socially distanced. He had a gold mask for getting around on public transport."
The friends know each other by playing together in a six-a-side team in Greenwich and formed a league called How Souness Now seven years ago.
Talbot was provided with a gold-painted face mask for public transport (Willem Van Aswegen)
Each year a creative penalty is devised for the loser by the league's winner, which this year was Mike Arnsbro.
Other forfeits have included a “bush tucker trial" style eating challenge and a belly button piercing.
“I think Chris got away fairly lightly," added Fuller.
“The forfeit helps keep everyone motivated not to forget to do their team or drop out."