Hey, I’m Chris ✌️
My interest in sports mascots began as a child, when my parents bought me a ‘Junior Gunners’ membership at our local / family football (soccer) club, Arsenal FC. I distinctly remember a cartoon Gunnersaurus likeness being plastered all over the quarterly newsletter I used to receive as part of my membership.
My first game was a 3-1 home win at Highbury (RIP) against Everton in January 1997 – but I remember it as much for the big green fella doing the rounds before the game in his undersized Arsenal strip, as I do the match itself.
Football quickly became a huge part of my life and still is. I also take a keen interest in American sports, particularly Baseball (go, Padres!) and Ice Hockey. On a recent trip to California, I was lucky enough to watch my first NHL game at the San Jose Sharks’ SAP Arena aka the Shark Tank. Their mascot SJ Sharkie left a big impression, skating out to the pre-match anthem waving the team flag, before routinely winding up opposition players sent to the sin bin for foul play.
I’ve always been fascinated by how sports mascots can facilitate bonds between their club and individuals, both locally and worldwide. When I was at university, I roomed with a lad who wasn’t really into football, but after hearing about Gunnersaurus and watching a few videos of this loveable rogue doing his thing on match day, he’d always ask me whether I’d met Gunnersaurus on my fortnightly jaunts back to London for the game. Eventually, I was able to tell him that I had!
It was a long-running joke amongst myself and my Arsenal-supporting friends at the time that the man in the Gunnersaurus suit was actually none other than cult icon, Emmanuel Eboue. Sadly, I can neither confirm nor deny whether this was the case following our meeting.
Years later, my sister – working for the local council’s Events Team at the time – worked on the launch of the new Arsenal strip at a pop-up in Islington. Later that day she rung me in fits of laughter, and explained that Gunnersaurus – who had been there to meet fans and model the new kit – had accidentally tripped over his own tail and fallen headfirst into one of the full-length mirrors that fans could use to check what they looked like in their new threads before deciding whether to make a purchase. Having checked they were okay, my sister had to break the news to Gunnersaurus that he had just brought Arsenal seven years of bad luck! Head in hands, the man inside the suit gave her a fright when he voiced a whispered “sorry” to her once the crowds had dispersed.
Essentially, what I love about mascots is how they bring a touch of light relief to the culture around sports, which can so often be shrouded in tribalism. After years of threatening to do so to my friends, I’ve decided to create the site as a tribute to the important work they do, and to help spread the word about the wackiest, most wonderful sports mascots around the world!
