Leeds United have removed an "offensive" cardboard cut-out of Osama Bin Laden from the stands at Elland Road.
The Championship club had allowed supporters to pay £25 for a photograph of themselves to appear in their usual seats in the form of a cardboard cut-out.
But one prankster used a picture of the former al-Qaeda leader and an image of "life-size" Bin Laden was erected in the stadium ahead of the side's clash with Fulham on Saturday.
Bin Laden was this afternoon trending on social media after one Twitter user spotted the cut-out of the former world's most wanted man, who was the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York in 2001.
Some fans questioned whether the original image was photoshopped before Twitter user @AllLoveLeeds noticed that his 'crowdie' was placed directly next to ex-militant leader.
He tweeted: "Thanks @lufc I’m next to Bin bloody Laden!!!" before revealing that he had expected a cut-out of his son to be next to him – not the notorious terrorist.
Comedian and Top Gear presenter Paddy McGuinness weighed in on the picture, tweeting: "Nothing surprises me anymore in 2020? Leeds United – Hold my pint."
Twitter user Seb Marsden tweeted: "Bin Laden... How can the staff be ok with displaying that regardless if it was paid for?"
Comedian David Baddiel said: "What's amazing about this is that someone at Leeds is educated enough to realise that even a fake crowd should not be entirely white, but not educated to know who Osama Bin Laden is."
Some fans saw the comical side of the cut-out, while others pointed out that Bin Laden was actually believed to have been an Arsenal fan.
One social media user posted: "Can’t get over the fact that someone has paid 25 English pounds to put a cardboard cut out of Bin Laden at Elland Road and even more so that the club have done it no questions asked."
A spokesman for the club this afternoon said the 'crowdie' has been removed and that "checks are in place to ensure there are no more offensive images" in the stadium ahead of the upcoming Fulham match.
It's not the first time a controversial public figure has been spotted in the grounds at a sports stadium as clubs allowed supports to pay for cardboard cut-outs.
A cardboard cut-out of government adviser Dominic Cummings was spotted at a rugby league match in Australia last month.
