They ink it's all over, it is now: Football in mourning as Paul the octopus dies

[Blackleaf]

The football world is in mourning today over the death of one of its most beloved stars.

Paul the psychic octopus was found dead at his home yesterday morning. He shot to fame during this year's World Cup by correctly guessing the outcome of Germany's six matches and the Final.​

Two boxes were placed inside his tank and his favourite food, mussels, were placed in each one. Emblazoned on each tank was a national flag, each flags of nations about to play each other in the World Cup. Paul told us who he thought will win the game by going into the jar with that team's national flag on it.​

Amazingly, Paul was correct in ALL his predictions. He correctly picked the winning team in all Germany's six matches - one of which was against Paul's native England - and correctly predicted that Spain would beat Holland in the Final. ​

With top footballers such as Wayne Rooney, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo flopping at this year's tournament, Paul the octopus was the REAL star of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.​

His football expertism even prompted calls for him to become a pundit on the BBC's Match of the Day alongside Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson.​

Now, staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany are to commemorate Paul's passing by building a shrine in his memory. Paul's memory will live on in a range of memorabilia ranging from clothing lines to mobile phone applications.​

English-born Paul was born in January 2008 at Weymouth Sea Life Centre in Dorset before emigrating to Germany. His cause of death isn't a great mystery - most octopuses only live to around two years old.​

And, before he died, he made one more prediction - that England will win the bid to host the 2018 World Cup. He hasn't been wrong yet.​

They ink it's all over, it is now​

By STAFF REPORTER
Published: 26 Oct 2010
The Sun​

Glory ... Paul uses his powers to correctly predict that Spain will win World Cup against Holland​

WORLD Cup legs-end Paul the psychic octopus has died. ​

The tentacled tipster's luck has finally run out and staff at his sea life centre found him dead this morning. ​

Paul shot to fame during this summer's World Cup using his amazing powers of predictions. ​

The British-born mystic mollusc picked the right winner in every single game he was challenged to predict at his new home in Germany. ​

A £10 accumulator on Paul's tips would have won £3,000 at William Hill. ​

Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany, said: "His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself." ​

Paul predicted the winners of all Germany's World Cup clashes, and then the final, by selecting one of two boxes, each loaded with a mussel food treat and marked on the outside with one of the teams. ​

Staff at the centre said his death was not entirely unexpected, since common octopuses generally only live a couple of years. ​

Psychic ... Paul uses his fortune-telling skills​

Stefan said: "He appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes, and we are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here. ​

"We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine." ​

Paul's memory will live on in a range of memorabilia ranging from clothing lines to mobile phone applications. ​

He will also feature in a documentary to be released early next year. ​

thesun.co.uk