Athletic's feathered mascot, Chaddy The Owl, is considering going out to roost after being removed from the field in the final away game of the season at Doncaster Rovers. Chaddy was escorted off the premises by the police for inciting a riot and making obscene gestures.After the game Chaddy commented, "I did not like it at all today. Don't know if any of you saw what happened, but basically the Donny police were great and had a laugh with me, but there was a copper there from Oldham who had me marched off the premises for inciting a riot and making obscene gestures? I can't go into it too much until I have heard from the club, but they said if I did not go with them to be escorted off the premises I would be arrested immediately."
"I spoke to Alan Hardy and he seemed ok with it. He is a sensible bloke and will look at all the facts before he decides how to deal with it, but the copper who gripped me said he will make sure I never mascot for Latics again. If the police ask me to do any appearences for them again I will tell them where to stick it. As far as I was concerned I did nothing bad. I was having a laugh with the fans, but they said I was responsible for the muppets in the home end who were giving grief. They said I broke the rules for going onto the pitch, even though I was told it was ok by the steward on the gate at the front. No communication whatsoever, but I get the blame."
"The reason I was ejected was because I did the roll on the pitch without asking for permission. The ruling is that you are not allowed on the pitch whilst the game is on play. Just seems that someone forgot to tell the Doncaster mascot who was also on the pitch. The problem is that I did ask permission to go on the pitch from the guy stood on the gate in front of me and he gave me permission. But when the little woman Hitler came over to give him a roasting he denied all knowledge of it even though the people around were saying that he had said it."
"I dont have a problem with being ejected. I have a problem in the way it was done. I had no warning that I was not allowed to wave to the Doncaster fans who were having a bit of "friendly banter" in the words of SY police. I am there to entertain whoever finds it amusing, not just kids. The Oldham officer was totally out of order the way he spoke to me and treated me, there were kids in the area at the time and they dont need to see that sort of thing. I did nothing offensive in front of them so neither should the police. I am seriously considering giving it up after that today, but I will give myself time to think long and hard about it over the next week."
Not one for feathering his own nest and Chaddy's feathers are definitely ruffled but will he be caged over the incident? After getting his claws into the Doncaster game his future now rests on a wing and a prayer.
