It has become more and more common for football clubs to have mascots that can be used to entice in younger supporters. Here we’re looking at the mascot of the Gunners, who is known as Gunnersaurus and looks a lot like a dinosaur. That doesn’t seem to be the most obvious thing for a club associated with the world of explosives, so where does it come from?
A Mascot that Looks Like a…Dinosaur?
Gunnersaurus is the name of Arsenal’s official mascot. Even if you had never seen the mascot in the flesh, you will no doubt have a sense of what he might look like based on the name. The decision to introduce a new mascot for the club was taken in 1993 and the fact that it was meant to appeal to younger supporters meant that a competition was held amongst young Gunners to design him. Countless attempts at creating a mascot that could be brought to life were sent in, with an 11-year-old called Peter Lovell winning the competition.
— Gunnersaurus (@Gunnersaurus) September 28, 2020
Lovell, it transpires, decided to create Gunnersaurus as a dinosaur because, in his youthful mind, a dinosaur was a solid embodiment of the level of ferocity that the team should display on the pitch. Whilst it might be a bit weird for a football club’s mascot to be a dinosaur, unless the football club was formed by the cast of Jurassic Park, there is little doubt that it has captured the imagination. It has gone on to become one of the most famous mascots on the world, with Lovell saying that he sees him a little like a son.
When Arsenal Sacked Gunnersaurus
It is fair to say that the global health crisis that enveloped the world in 2020, lasting for a couple of years, resulted in some strange decisions being made by people on all four corners of the planet. In the case of Arsenal, one such decision led to them making the choice to effectively sack Gunnersaurus. The 2020-2021 Premier League campaign was one in which, for the majority of the season, supporters were not allowed inside the ground. As a result, Arsenal’s management decided that certain jobs were surplus to requirement.
One such job was that of Gunnersaurus; after all, if there is no crowd in the ground to engage with then there really isn’t much of a need for a mascot to be running and jumping around the place. As a result, Gunnersaurus was not present at the Emirates for the first time in 27 years, with 54 other members of staff let go along with him. The decision to basically sack the person playing the role of the club mascot came under immediate criticism, with midfielder Mesut Özil offering to pay the wages of Jerry Quy, the man in the suit.
It didn’t last long before public opinion was such that Arsenal were forced into a u-turn. At a time of huge uncertainly on the global stage, people felt as though they needed the fun and frivolity provided by Gunnersaurus. Supporters around the world, as well as fans of other clubs, confessed their dismay at Arsenal’s decision making. It even got to the point that a man dressed as the animated character Shrek turned up at the Emirates, offering his support to Gunnersaurus. Within a month, Quy and Gunnersaurus were back at work.
The Official Story of Gunnersaurus
Whilst it might seem hard to believe, there is actually an official story about the existence of Gunnersaurus that goes beyond simply a child winning a competition. Instead, it dates back to 1993 when the Gunners were organising a rebuild of the North Bank at Highbury Stadium. The workers were digging deep underground when a large boulder was discovered. Only it wasn’t a large boulder, with an enormous egg being revealed when the dirt was brushed carefully away from it; an egg that was warm to touch.
The workers, some of whom would later claim that the egg was slightly shaking, lifted it carefully out of the ground and wrapped it up in Arsenal blankets. Soon it began to crack, with some of the workers moving away in fear whilst others couldn’t help but be drawn closer to it. When it cracked fully open what emerged from it was a baby dinosaur, green in colour and with a large belly, boasting a long tail. Soon it had grown to be more than six foot tall, with the Gunners creating a custom-made kit for it, as well as football boots.
Ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League match with Manchester City on the 20th of August 1993, Gunnersaurus was revealed to the world for the first time. His name, the somewhat bemused crowd were informed, was Gunnersaurus Rex. When the Gunners defeated City 3-0, admittedly in the days before the Manchester side had become a sports-washing outfit, Gunnersaurus was seen as a good luck charm who would be part of the club forever more. Whether the rain is chucking it down or the club are observing a minute’s silence, Gunnersaurus will, somewhat awkwardly, be there.