This week Partrick Thistle launched a new mascot. Normally, a mascot is soft, cuddly and child friendly. Thistle must have lost the design brief as Kingsley is as soft and cuddly as a pointed rock.
Football has a long history of mascots so here are some of the best you may or may not have heard of.
Mascots originate from the 1966 World Cup when England created the first Mascot for a major tournament. His name was World Cup Willie (no sniggering at the back of the class). Unlike today’s mascots he only appeared as a cartoon on World Cup merchandise. The Willie theme was kept for the next major tournament in the UK – the London Olympics. The mascot looked like a cock.
Rammie The Ram (Derby County)
The first club to have a full time mascot. He warms the crowd up before the match and encourages them during it. During the week he tours schools and does charity work.
Deepdale Duck (Preston North End)
The first mascot to be sent off during a game. Such was the bird’s protest that he had to be dragged from his post by his wings.
Cyril The Swan & Zampa The Lion (Swansea & Millwall)
Swansea City’s mascot (Cyril) is the first mascot to attack another one. During a match with Millwall a scuffle broke out between the pair resulting in Cyril beheading Zampa. He then proceeded to drop kick the head into the crowd. Cyril was fined £1000 after the game to repay the damage he had done.
Hercules (Aston Villa)
The first mascot sacked for Sexual assault. During a warm up Hercules grabbed one of the club’s cheer leaders around the waist and tried to plant one on her in front of thousands at Villa Park. The lion used the Keys and Gray defence of “it was just a bit of fun”, but sadly for him (and no-one else) the club thought otherwise.
H’Angus The Monkey (Hartlepool United)
The first mayoral mascot. The name is derived from the tale of monkey hanging way back in the Napoleonic wars, when the good people of Hartlepool, in their infinite wisdom, hung a monkey fearing that it was a French spy. However, H’Angus, stood as mayor of his town and won.
Cappie The Cat (Greenock Morton)
The kidnapped mascot. After a break in at their stadium police had to investigate the theft of expensive sound equipment – as well as the First Division football club’s official mascot. The burglars left behind Cappie the Cat’s chopped-off hands and feet at the stadium and dumped its severed head in a nearby garden. The torso and tail are still missing.
Paisley Panda (St Mirren)
The most infamous mascot in Scotland. In 2003 he pretended to shag an inflatable sheep in front of Queen of the South fans. In a subsequent match he stole a Falkirk strip from their dressing room pretended to use it to wipe his arse in front of the enraged Falkirk fans. A complaint to the police ensued leading to the Panda’s resignation.
St Mirren and Morton, who enjoy one of Scottish footballs biggest rivalries, have a bit of a history mascot-wise. The Panda, armed with a bar of soap and long-handled brush, proceeded to “wash” himself in front of the (in his eyes) soap-dodging Morton fans. He even produced a giant pine tree air freshener which he placed in front of their supporters. That almost sparked a brawl with Morton’s own mascot before the police intervened.
The Broxi Family (Rangers)
Broxi the bear is the main mascot at Rangers but for a short period he brought his wife and child to work. She was Roxi Bear and the son was Boris Bear. The mascots didn’t reappear the next season which makes me wonder if Broxi is the first divorced mascot.
(We couldn’t find a picture of the Broxi family and we’re sure that this isn’t one of his wedding photos – Ed.)
