Football Club mascot injures himself in BMX stunt

I was doing some web based research this week and stumbled across an article about a football mascot. Most of you probably know who your own teams’ mascot is, and are fully aware that the likes of ‘Captain Canary’ or ‘Bluey’ are good pre-match entertainment for both kids and adults alike. The Kid personally thinks that mascots are great and that they merely add to what tends to be an expensive day at the football. This brings me to the article I found in the Telegraph:

Oldham Athletic football club's mascot had to be carried from the pitch after injuring himself during the pre-match entertainment. Chaddy the Owl ended up in hospital after falling off a bike in the build-up to his club's League One clash at Carlisle. The 7ft bird, dressed in the club's fluorescent away kit, was pulling wheelies on the BMX before kick off when he fell off and ruptured ankle ligaments.

The mascot, Wayne Hurst, 34, said: "I was entertaining the crowd when I discovered a bike on the terrace behind the net. I was all right on a BMX when I was younger, so I thought I'd give it a go."

"I set off towards the fans and the bike went over. I put my leg down to stop it, but went over on my ankle. I knew as soon as I hit the ground I was in trouble.

"Eventually the St John's Ambulance people came. They wanted me to take my head off so they could give me gas and air, but I said no. It's an unwritten rule that I never take my head off in front of the crowd."

Wayne was then helped on to a wheelchair and taken through the players' tunnel.

"I got a standing ovation from the Carlisle fans, which was nice," he said.
His injuries were expected to rule him out of his team's clash with Crewe today. Oldham's chief executive Alan Hardy bemoaned the latest injury to hit the club. He said: "It looked quite nasty. Clearly the pressure of the end of season run-in caught up with him."

The KID thinks this is superb. Not because ‘Chaddy’ hurt his ankle (no one likes to see people injured). But the way that all involved responded. The Ovation from both sets of fans, the response the CE, the fact that Wayne would not reveal his identity! LEGEND! Now even if Oldham had lost (they drew 1-1), at least the fans have had a giggle regardless of the result. Surely football would be missing something if there were no mascots? Referee Chris Foy disagrees:

‘Billy Badger was trying to liven up the Craven Cottage crowd against Aston Villa with some Half-Time dancing. Referee Chris Foy had to escort Billy from the field as he wanted to get the second half started. He was quoted after the game to say “Mascots are a scourge on the game” (taken from the Daily Mail).’



Now it is obvious that referees have a job to do, and Mr. Foy may not speak for everyone, but there is no doubt there is a place for mascots at any football match. All that’s needed now is to decide what Jimmy O’Connor should dress up as at Dairy Hill on a Saturday afternoon!!!