Has your DC been a football mascot?

[DaffodilsAreHereAgain]

I'm writing a book - well I'm trying to - and I'm attempting to write a scene which involves a young boy being a mascot at a premier league football match. This isn't an area I know much about so I have a few questions that I was hoping MNers might be able to help me with.

1. How does a child become a mascot?

2. Do they rehearse before the match?

3. At what point do they find out who they are walking in the pitch with?

4). Are their parents allowed in the tunnel with them? If not who looks after them?

5. A kit question. I assume the club provides the kit. Do they change into it on the day at the stadium and do they get to keep it afterwards.

6). Can you choose if it a home or away match? If so I guess home matches are generally preferable?

7). What happens if something goes wrong (e.g kid is poorly or maybe has an accident or gets really upset) just as they are about to go out? How is it dealt with?

8). Do they have child mascots at international games?

Thanks.

1. You pay a lot of money (although some clubs will give a free place to sick or disabled children)
2. No
3. Just before they go down although you can sometimes work it out from the order eg dd was no 1 & went out with the goalie
4. No unless very sick or disabled Someone from the club eg their Community Officer
5. Yes kit included in the price you pay. They do keep it. Mine were mascots at a European match so no colours they got an anti racism t shirt and white shirts not a full kit.
6. Different matches are different prices. At the game my two were mascots at the home club provided mascots for both teams. You didn’t get a choice. Mine both struck lucky and walked out with home team players.
7. Don’t know sorry.
8. Yes. Think they are usually competition winners.

My child hasn't been a mascot, but a friend's children were (at Manchester City) and I go to a lot of football matches!
Getting chosen depends on the Club. Some, you just agree to pay a sum of money and go on a waiting list. Others, you have to be a member of the Junior Supporters Club and they may, for example, have a raffle for anyone interested. Many fans only go to home games so it is, I think, easier to get picked to be a mascot at an away game as there is less competition! If you are writing a book, I would choose whatever scenario best fits your plot line, as it is bound to be true somewhere!
They don't have an actual practice, but an official at the Club will run through what will happen with the children beforehand. If there is one mascot, s/he will walk out with the Club Captain (they often hold hands, but this isn't compulsory). Often, there are 11 mascots, so one for each member of the starting 11.
I don't think my Club give the mascots a kit, as they are often wearing home kit at away games, away kit at home games and, when there is more than one, different kits to each other. It wouldn't surprise me if it was included in the purchase price at some clubs.
Yes, they have mascots at international games.
If I were you, I would watch the beginning of a live game on TV, and you will see what happens at the start of the game (ie walking out, shaking hands with other team and officials, warm up, the coin toss).

More info that might be useful.

I looked up the info and yes you can usually choose between home & away.

Some clubs you have to be a junior member to be eligible to apply.

You usually get a stadium tour or refreshments beforehand. My two spent an hour with the community development officer playing a penalty shootout game on one of the training pitches.