West Midlands rivals Aston Villa and Wolves lead the Premier League for the staggering amount it costs to be a matchday mascot.
Villa tops the list with their ‘Mascot Experience’ which will set you back a whopping £500 for a Category A game, dropping to £460 for Category B games.
For Wolves, meanwhile, it costs up to £450, with seats still available for their last three home games against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Everton.
A list by club of the cost of becoming a mascot, compiled by Mail Sport, shows the high price of what many teams sell as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’.
Information was only available for 18 of the 20 Premier League teams and Mail Sport was still awaiting a response from Nottingham Forest and Newcastle after contacting them – although the Magpies did reveal that the packs had sold out this season.
Aston Villa leads the table in the price it takes to be a mascot at all Premier League clubs
The Wolves mascot packs are the second highest, costing £450 for Category A fixtures
The role of the mascot has come under scrutiny this week after Arsenal stars were criticized for seemingly ignoring a young mascot before driving away to West Ham on Sunday.
In more positive news for the Gunners, they’re one of all the Big Six clubs that don’t charge for the experience of being a mascot, and those who want to walk out with their heroes only need a Junior Gunners membership – some up to £20.
To its credit, many other clubs also offer free packs, although these are often limited to certain sections of the fan base.
For example, to be a mascot at Brentford there is no charge, but you do need to have the latest full home kit and also hold a junior season ticket – something that will cost £124 next season when Thomas Frank’s side start their third consecutive season in the Premier League.
A number of clubs, including Liverpool, Leeds, Chelsea and both Manchester sides choose their mascot through a random drawing from among their respective junior membership club and junior season ticket holders.
The highest price to be a mascot at West Ham has been reduced to £375, after costing £700 in 2019
It’s not an easy process, however, with Chelsea revealing they have a four-year waiting list to become mascots.
In total, only six clubs charge for the mascot experience, which is a discount from 10 in 2019, according to data collected by the BBC and reported by Mail Sport at the time – but packages cost £300 or more at all of those clubs .
Brighton have pay packages available that cost between £225 and £375, but they also offer two free seats at every home game to junior season ticket holders and members.
Villas £500 is high but their website lists several benefits that are there.
Being a mascot of Unai Emery’s high-flying side will include your choice of a full junior home or away kit, a complimentary drink on arrival, a player meet and greet and a shout-out on Twitter. advantages.
The role of the mascot has come under scrutiny this week after Arsenal stars were criticized for seemingly ignoring a young mascot before leaving West Ham on Sunday.
However, the mascot’s father has since jumped to the players’ defense, insisting the footage was just a “little window” into her day. He also shared a photo of her holding Odegaard’s hand
Similarly, the £450 cost of going to Molineux in Julen Lopetegui’s outfit includes two adult tickets and two junior tickets in ‘premium view seats’, access to hospitality lounges and a full home kit for 2022-23.
In Bournemouth, it costs £300 to be a mascot in Category A games. This includes matches against the Big Six, plus the south coast derby with Southampton.
For that price, the perks include a photo with the team captains and match officials in the center circle, the ability to lead the team onto the pitch and a ‘goodie bag full of AFC Bournemouth gifts’.
Mascots priced at £375 at Crystal Palace – where fees start at £200 – can meet the entire first team team and management in the dressing room, while the same cost at West Ham allows mascots to ‘take part in the official handshake with the visiting team’, among many other benefits.
Tottenham and the rest of the Big Six clubs no longer ask to be a mascot, with several parties opting to offer it as a perk to junior members and season ticket holders
Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly greets his team’s mascot ahead of their game at Brentford. It costs up to £300 for the experience with the Cherries, but is free for young Bees supporters
Following on from the previous data collected by the BBC in 2019, Leicester was widely criticized for charging £600 for their VIP mascot pack.
However, the club now offers the option to become a mascot as part of their Junior Foxes benefits package, with two members and two junior season ticket holders being randomly selected for each match, meaning it’s now free.
Elsewhere, Tottenham are no longer charging after previously asking fans to pay £405 for the experience, with mascot packs listed as ‘one of a number of free benefits available to One Hotspur Junior members and season ticket holders aged 14 and under ‘.
Meanwhile, West Ham had the highest price in 2019 at £700, but this has since been reduced to £375.
Bournemouth, Brighton and Wolves remain the only teams to have increased their top mascot prices since 2019, which is certainly a welcome move for football supporters.
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