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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Entertainment
Gary Armstrong

University Challenge team fail after suggesting Govan was island on the Clyde

A University Challenge team has been given a hard time by viewers after they suggested Govan was an island in the Firth of Clyde.

The Exeter University team have been panned on social media for the unexpected answer - and also for their bizarre pronunciation of the Glasgow area as 'Go-Van'.

During a quarter-final match-up between the University of Exeter and Imperial College London, host Jeremy Paxman asked the Exeter team: "The village of Lochranza is the site of a geologic unconformity that helps confirm Hutton’s principle [of unconformity].

"On which large island on the Firth of Clyde is it located?"

Unsurprisingly, the response of Govan wasn't greeted by Paxman with great enthusiasm, with the correct answer of course being the Isle of Arran.

Exeter lost in the quarter final after their 'Go-Van' answer (BBC)

Many Glaswegians watching the show at the time took to Twitter to slate the team's 'ridiculous' response.

One viewer said: "Did he just mistake Govan for an island?"

Another added: "Lochranza? On the 'Isle of Govan'?"

Of course a couple were also quick to jump on the odd pronunciation.

One Tweet read: "Am I imaging it or did one of the teams pronounce Govan, Go-van?"

One comment said: "The worst part of the Exeter team on University Challenge getting it wrong with Govan is not the typically English mispronunciation like "Go, van", it's that they thought it's an island in the Firth of Clyde."

Exeter exited the competition after being defeated by Imperial College London by 205 to 70 points.

You can watch their response to Paxman's Firth of Clyde question by pressing play in the video player above.

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