Danny Murphy drops fresh Bob the Cat lore with tragic World Cup update | OneFootball

If you thought Ned Stark being beheaded in Game of Thrones was a twist, it’s got nothing on the second edition of Bob the Cat.

If you missed the feline talk, Bob the Cat first came to public attention during the Norway vs. Ivory Coast match when BBC co-commentator Danny Murphy revealed his cat had once jumped in the back of a Royal Mail van which viewers thought would be the end of it.

However, in Murphy’s next commentary stint, this time watching Spain beat Austria, Murphy provided chapter two of the Bob chronicles and it was a tale with more gut punches than boxing Oleksandr Usyk.

Steve Bower said: “Quick lull in the game so I think appropriate, just very quickly, because our phones haven’t stopped since our last commentary, when you told the story about your cat, Bob.”

Murphy: “Surprisingly, Steve, there was a lot of interest, which surprised us both. But yeah, he didn’t actually die.

“We did get him back six or seven weeks later. Unfortunately, he’d gone feral, and we couldn’t reintegrate him into the home. He ended up living with my friend’s parents in Preston and that was the life he had,

“And now he is passed away, unfortunately, many years ago. Thanks for all the concern, those who have been messaging us.”

Like all good cliffhangers, the new information only leaves us with more questions.

First of all, we know the Post Office gets a bad rap but how did it take them six/seven weeks to realise they had a cat? Was Murphy not allowed it back as it did not have the correct kind of stamp?

Secondly, since when did Preston become a safe haven for feral cats? I’ve been to Preston a few times and while my trips have been confined to Deepdale, I find it hard to believe the rest of the city is feral with cats outnumbering the people.

After the match, Bower took to X to share a picture of Bob on Murphy’s behalf and to be fair, that cat does look feral. Or like it’s coming up with a plan to take down Batman.

This also isn’t even the only pet-related story to come out of the World Cup.

A Mexican woman Ale Garcia lost her dog a month ago but was reunited with it after her brother spotted it during a live stream of celebrations following Mexico’s win over Czechia.

Cue an Instagram video of Garcia carrying her dog home and confirming that she was off to the vet. Hopefully, it has not gone feral and does not need to live in Preston.