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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Sport
Ellie Kendall

Bristol Bears fans baffled as club 'disappear' from printed league table

Bristol Bears fans have been left baffled after a misprint in a national newspaper meant that the team was left out of the league table.

In a Facebook group, a number of supporters shared photos of the league table, as printed in yesterday's issue of The Sunday Times (February 20) and pointed out that their beloved Bears had not been included.

They are now, in fact, sat in 10th position, just ahead of Newcastle Falcons and below Northampton Saints but when Bristol fans reached for the Times to browse the rugby latest, they were left feeling a bit confused, to say the least.

Read more: Pat Lam shares injury fears as fourth Bristol Bears scrum-half breaks down

Other fans said that it wasn't just The Sunday Times that had made the error, but claimed another national paper had misprinted, too.

Fans on social media were quick to doodle on the image of the incorrect table, drawing where the Bears should actually be, while others spotted several other 'mistakes' relating to other teams' points in the table, too. One fan wrote: "How does a table even exist like that one? You'd understand a little more if the top or bottom team was missed off... but?"

A second and third pointed out some figure errors, saying: "Leicester played 16 but only won 4 and lost 2... And apparently Bath played 16 ... Lost 14, Won 2 and Drawn 1. Pretty sure that doesn't add up either."

Mostly, though, fans saw this as the perfect opportunity to have a bit of fun - one supporter joked that Bristol were just "coming in under the radar" while another wrote: "Bugger, we've been relegated" to which another replied: "Or promoted!"

Others wondered if it was an old, out-of-date table that the Times had been using, perhaps for reference, while some simply took the opportunity to slate those who they believe "aren't a fan" of Bristol Bears.

Bristol are back at Ashton Gate on Friday, February 25 where they will take on Wasps in the next round of the Gallagher Premiership.

The Sunday Times has since apologised for the mishap.

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Read more: Bristol Bears player ratings from Worcester Warriors defeat - 'Unnecessarily overcomplicating things'

Also read: Bristol City, Bristol Bears and Bristol Flyers reveal new local sponsor for the 2022/23 season

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