English football club Leeds United have issued an apology after a cardboard cutout of former al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden appeared in the crowd during a game.

Many football teams have followed suit from the NRL where fans can pay for a cutout of them to sit in the stands during matches after crowds were denied the chance to go to games during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The image of Bin Laden was spotted by a Leeds Utd fan whose image was placed next to the al-Qaeda leader, who was killed in 2011.

Leeds United said they "will ensure there are no more offensive images", BBC reports.

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The NRL had a similar issue when first introducing the new fan experience with an image of English serial killer Dr Harold Fredrick Shipman appearing in the crowd during a game between the Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights.