Hoots of laughter as football mascot injures ankle

A football club mascot came down to earth with a bump when he injured himself during the pre-match entertainment. Oldham Athletic's Chaddy the Owl ended up in hospital after falling off a bike in the build-up to his club's League One clash at Carlisle. The 7ft bird, dressed in the club's fluorescent away kit, was pulling wheelies on the BMX to the delight of the crowd before kick off.

But things turned sour when he fell off - and ruptured ankle ligaments. From the safety of his nest in Watersheddings, Oldham, the man behind the mask, Wayne Hurst, 34, said: "I was entertaining the crowd when I discovered a bike on the terrace behind the net. I was all right on a BMX when I was younger, so I thought I'd give it a go. I set off towards the fans and the bike went over. I put my leg down to stop it, but went over on my ankle. I knew as soon as I hit the ground I was in trouble."



The dazed mascot then lay `in agony' on the pitch. "I was shouting to the stewards that I'd hurt myself, but they were just laughing at me," he said. "Eventually the St John's Ambulance people came. They wanted me to take my head off so they could give me gas and air, but I said no. It's an unwritten rule that I never take my head off in front of the crowd."

Wayne was then helped on to a wheelchair and taken throught the players' tunnel. "I got a standing ovation from the Carlisle fans, which was nice," he said. He was then taken to hospital for x-rays. He said: "They thought it was funny there too. The nurses made me put my head back on so they could have their picture taken with me. I just wanted to get back to the game."