Mascot surprise for birthday boy's 60th

Mascots are a familiar sight at football matches - usually between six and 18 years old, they walk out on to the pitch with their team, holding hands with the players.

But it was a slightly different scene at Hereford FC's home FA Trophy tie against AFC Fylde at the weekend, when 60-year-old season ticket holder Mark Bond strode out on to the Edgar Street pitch.

His friends had arranged it for him as a birthday treat, giving him the chance to walk out alongside forward Andy Williams.

"Andy said to me, 'I'm not walking out holding your hand,'" said Bond. "That made me laugh - and was fine by me."

Bond, who has been following the Bulls for half a century, arrived at Edgar Street on Saturday afternoon expecting nothing more than some pre-match hospitality in the Hereford Suite to mark his birthday.

But then his friends sprung the surprise that he was to be a mascot.

And a surprise it was - one which gave Bond mixed emotions.

"I felt like I'd been stitched up a bit, but I was happy to go along with it," he said.

"I was a bit embarrassed, but it was quite nice really.

"At the end of the day, it's my team isn't it? It was nice to go out onto the hallowed turf."

Bond admits the centre of attention is not his favoured position and said he felt a little out of place alongside the usual mascots, who were all between seven and 11 years old.

"It's not me really, but it gave [my friends] a lot of fun, so that's not a bad thing is it?" he said.

"I could hear my mates chanting my name from the stands.

"They loved it, they were having a good laugh at my expense. I think a few of them were secretly a bit jealous."

So has the experience given Bond a taste for being a football mascot? How would he react if his friends arranged a similar surprise for his 61st birthday?

"I would kindly decline. I've done it now, and it can't be topped."

To add insult to injury, Bond's team lost the game on penalties.

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