Mascots in team photos

[tee rex]

So as not to dilute the Thread of Threads, here's a spin-off.

Heidenheim:



And the Frauen-Fussballers of Bayern:

[tee rex]

Mascots in team photos

Hamburg:



Stuttgart:

[Stumpy Pepys]

Mascots in team photos

The way VfB Stuttgart are playing this season, there's a good case for putting Fritzle in the first-team.

[Patrick Thistle]

Mascots in team photos

This is just stupid, isn't it.

(Admittedly hilarious - the giant bear in Heidenhaim in particular)

[Stumpy Pepys]

Mascots in team photos

I once saw a group of kids queueing for Berni Bär's (FC Bayern's mascot) autograph.

[The-Reverend]

Mascots in team photos

Rammy the Ram, was once relieved of his duties at DCFC as a thankful parent wrote in to say who grateful they were for Rammys attendance at their childs birthday party and that they thought it was excellent value for money.

The club knew nothing of this, the chap that was Rammy had a nice little sideline going.

[Patrick Thistle]

Mascots in team photos

The-Reverend wrote: Rammy the Ram, was once relieved of his duties at DCFC as a thankful parent wrote in to say who grateful they were for Rammys attendance at their childs birthday party and that they thought it was excellent value for money.

The club knew nothing of this, the chap that was Rammy had a nice little sideline going.

I can see a football mascot scandals thread coming to OTF in the near future.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Mascots in team photos

Jongudmund wrote: I can see a football mascot scandals thread coming to OTF in the near future.

My worry's that mascots will pair up and start making bongo flicks.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Mascots in team photos

My money's on Emma and Erwin.

[tee rex]

Mascots in team photos

Jongudmund wrote: This is just stupid, isn't it.

(Admittedly hilarious - the giant bear in Heidenhaim in particular)

Click on him twice, he'll eat the screen.

As a leading mascotologist (i.e Google time-waster), I have drawn the following conclusion: German clubs keep the mascots out of the minute's silence, but in the team photos, whereas British clubs do exactly the opposite (apart from our old friend Gunnersaurus, but then he's everywhere).

National socio-cultural significance, go figure.

[Various Artist]

Mascots in team photos

You're onto something here for sure tee rex. Needs more research across Europe, methinks.
It's startling how bizarre some of these mascots look, jammed into team photos — because it makes them look even more like faux-members of the squad than seeing them lined up alongside the players for minutes' silences does, I guess. I mean, talk about the elephant in the room: if you glance at that Heidenheim team photo all you can see is the colossal bear head, it's the width of two whole players. How anyone in charge of the photoshoot could look at that and not fall about laughing, I don't know.

[gloveguy]

Mascots in team photos

I can understand mascots in pre-game team photos. They're right there on the pitch already. But seeing them in these pre-planned team photos is pretty funny. I wonder if it's the normal mascot guy inside the kit? He doesn't need to do any fan interaction or amusing hijinks, so surely Rick from Accounting could stand in?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Mascots in team photos

Liverpool's hilarious new mascot is third from left in the front row of this one.

[Hugh Fatbastard]

Mascots in team photos

Jongudmund wrote: This is just stupid, isn't it.

(Admittedly hilarious - the giant bear in Heidenhaim in particular)

His head's so big, Daniel Vier's been relegated to TIFO form.

[Hugh Fatbastard]

Mascots in team photos

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote: Liverpool's hilarious new mascot is third from left in the front row of this one.

What a miserable looking bunch.

Here's the 1972-3 version - but perhaps they had more to be smiling about :



edit - actually it's quite amusing. It seems some time around 2007 the total number of players seen to be smiling became fewer and fewer (as witnessed here).

Perhaps it's because there weren't any shiny bobbins to cheer them up ?

[Patrick Thistle]

Mascots in team photos

We are going to get a book of these one day right? Should we start a letters campaign to WSC? I would buy copies for everyone.

[Furtho]

Mascots in team photos

Hoping it's acceptable to use this thread to draw attention to the mascot for the 2015 U20 World Cup, to be staged in New Zealand.

[tee rex]

Mascots in team photos

This is definitely Rick from Accounting, he hasn't even made the effort to put on a proper costume:



You can just about get away with a mascot standing on the flanks of the team photo, but they should never be told to sit down, and make a player feel like he has no real friends.

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

Mascots in team photos

Hugh Fatbastard wrote:

Liverpool's hilarious new mascot is third from left in the front row of this one.

What a miserable looking bunch.

Here's the 1972-3 version - but perhaps they had more to be smiling about :



edit - actually it's quite amusing. It seems some time around 2007 the total number of players seen to be smiling became fewer and fewer (as witnessed here).

Perhaps it's because there weren't any shiny bobbins to cheer them up ?

Their PR people advised them that smiling could reduce their blandness 1% percent, with disastrous consequences for their public image.

[Patrick Thistle]

Mascots in team photos

Furtho wrote: Hoping it's acceptable to use this thread to draw attention to the mascot for the 2015 U20 World Cup, to be staged in New Zealand.

Why Wool.I.Am though? (I mean I get the Wool joke, but surely there could be a more obvious football / New Zealand link?)

[tee rex]

Mascots in team photos

Oh God, is he meant to be a black sheep? *cringe*

Anyway, back to the team photos: not all mascots will be fobbed off with a position at the end of the row ...

[tee rex]

Mascots in team photos

We've seen him before, but now he's managed to push his way down a couple of rows:



If I were a club chairman, I'd arrange a friendly with Heidenheim, around November 11, just so Paule would turn up.

[Furtho]

Mascots in team photos

With a broad interpretation of the word "team", here's Omiya Ardija's chief mascot Ardy taking part in the launch of a Saitama Prefectural Police campaign to encourage safe driving over the forthcoming New Year holiday period.

Eagle-eyed OTFers may notice at the right-hand side of the photo evidence of another mascot. This is the police force's Poppo-kun, who research indicates also has a lady friend, Popomi-chan, to assist in law enforcement-related promotional duties. Further details of that particular dynamic duo are on the Saitama Police website, here.

[N est à?]

Mascots in team photos

Why Wool.I.Am though? (I mean I get the Wool joke, but surely there could be a more obvious football / New Zealand link?)

Possibly a reference to the popular beat musician will.i.am, M'lud.

[Patrick Thistle]

Mascots in team photos

Nesta Arantes do Nascimento wrote:

Why Wool.I.Am though? (I mean I get the Wool joke, but surely there could be a more obvious football / New Zealand link?)

Possibly a reference to the popular beat musician will.i.am, M'lud.

Well, yeah. But he isn't from New Zealand is he?