Football’s mascot race returned at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Bank Holiday Monday – but there was an unlikely winner.
The tradition of football mascots gathering for a race began in 1999, when Beau Brummie Bulldog of Birmingham City triumphed in the Mascot Grand National at Huntingdon Racecourse.
It became an annual event, with Harry The Hornet of Watford winning in 2000, Dazzler The Lion of Rushden and Diamonds (remember them?) finishing first in 2001, before the dominant era of Chaddy The Owl of Oldham Athletic, very much the Usain Bolt of the mascot world.
Helped significantly by wearing football boots, rather than possessing the cumbersome giant feet of some other mascots, Chaddy surged to glory in 2002 and 2003.
Things got obscure in the ensuing years – winners included Graham the Gorilla of little-known Finedon Volta FC, Saffron Walden Town’s Wacky Macky Bear, The Sun newspaper’s Scoop Six Squirrel, Kick 4 Life’s Mickey the Monkey, plus Stag from Huntingdon Rugby Club, disappointing football fans everywhere.
That led to a boycott by some football mascots – Barnet’s Mr Bumble restored some sanity when he won in 2010 and 2012, but victory a year later by Barry Barratt, the Barratt Homes safety mascot, was seemingly the last straw, and the event was discontinued.
WOMBLE DOWN! The Mascot Race 2024 😆 pic.twitter.com/y9jDwUYAHXAugust 26, 2024
A mascot race returned on Monday though, as a whole host of popular footballing figures faced off at Epsom, including AFC Wimbledon’s Haydon the Womble, Bolton Wanderers’ Lofty the Lion, Wigan Athletic’s Crusty the Pie, Plymouth Argyle’s Pilgrim Pete and many more. In total 30 mascots took part, raising significant amount of money for the Children’s Trust.
The action was as dramatic as you’d expect – after a staggered start, giving an advantage to those mascots with particularly bulky costumes, Crusty the Pie faded, weighed down by his massive pie head, while giraffes and swans also fell by the wayside.
Grimsby Town’s Mighty Mariner surged for the line, but couldn’t overcome the early advantage of Surrey Police Dog, a police mascot in a hi-vis jacket – meaning that once again, football’s fun had been spoiled by a random winner. Cambridge United’s Marvin the Moose was not far behind.
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