The honour of being a soccer mascot is a captivating custom. Alternatives for younger supporters to really feel near their heroes and golf equipment are few and much between, and it doesn’t get a lot nearer than main the crew out for a sport.
Even Premier League and Championship golf equipment provide the prospect to be a mascot. In an period through which soccer on the high stage can really feel sanitised, the persistence of this tradition is to be applauded.
Nevertheless, the place there’s entry to be gained, there’s cash to be made. The matchday mascot has turn into one other side of soccer’s nice tug-of-war between neighborhood and commerce.
How a lot does it value to be a matchday mascot?
Mascots main out the crew is a long-standing soccer custom (Picture credit score: Athena Photos/Getty Photos)
For a lot of soccer followers of a traditionalist bent, the function of the matchday mascot is seen as a privilege, not only a buy. Constructing the following era of followers is necessary and the flexibility to offer a magical expertise is a good way to forge unbreakable connections that final for all times.
However it hasn’t at all times been a free expertise, and it’s not at all times a free expertise now. In some locations, it’s truly very costly. The social implications of which might be apparent: some households can afford it and others can’t. Golf equipment must earn money however that specific division is problematic.
It is now free to be a matchday mascot at Aston Villa (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Analysis by OLBG has revealed surprisingly optimistic developments within the Premier League, the place the golf equipment have began bringing their matchday mascot providing into line with what ought to be acceptable.
Within the 2023-24 season, 5 of the present Premier League golf equipment researched provided matchday mascot experiences for a value. The very best charge by far was charged by Aston Villa , the place being a mascot value greater than £500.
Villa have made some questionable industrial selections prior to now couple of years however scrapping the mascot charge was a win within the eyes of supporters.
Brighton & Hove Albion (£240 – £340, down from £375), Ipswich City (£250), West Ham United (£175 – £375) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (£290 – £395, down from £450) are the Premier League golf equipment coated within the research that apply a cost to be a matchday mascot.
The Den, house of Millwall (Picture credit score: John Walton)
If the information is broadly optimistic within the Premier League, one or two golf equipment within the Championship ought to be taking notice.
OLBG discovered that eight of the golf equipment coated within the analysis cost dad and mom and guardians to have their younger ones lead out the crew on a matchday. A number of of these charges are increased than these within the Premier League.
In line with the analysis, Middlesbrough , Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield United cost £350 per mascot, whereas Bristol Metropolis and Blackburn Rovers matches can push so far as £275.
Norwich Metropolis ’s charge is a worryingly open-ended £275+ and one membership applies a variety of costs between £350 and £400.
Millwall are the membership whose mascot charges exceed these of each Premier League membership.
Listed below are all of the charges recognized by the OLBG analysis:
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Mascot charges 2024-25
Membership Division Mascot Charge
Arsenal
Premier League
Free
Aston Villa
Premier League
Free
Bournemouth
Premier League
Free
Brentford
Premier League
Free
Brighton
Premier League
£240 – £340
Chelsea
Premier League
Free
Everton
Premier League
Free
Ipswich City
Premier League
£250
Leicester Metropolis
Premier League
Free
Liverpool
Premier League
Free
Man Metropolis
Premier League
Free
Man United
Premier League
Free
Newcastle
Premier League
Free
Nottingham Forest
Premier League
Free
Southampton
Premier League
Free
Tottenham
Premier League
Free
West Ham
Premier League
£175 – £375
Wolves
Premier League
£290 – £395
Millwall
Championship
£350 – £400
Norwich Metropolis
Championship
£250+
Bristol Metropolis
Championship
£210 – £275
Sheffield United
Championship
£350
Middlesbrough
Championship
£350
QPR
Championship
£350
Blackburn
Championship
£275
Sunderland
Championship
£185
West Brom
Championship
£150
