3/10/10

Sammy the Tammy in sliding rap

From this article by STV: A mischievous club mascot has been asked to reign in his love of pranks, after he tried to slide down the stairs of a busy football stand using a child's plastic sledge.

Dunfermline Athletic's bear Sammy the Tammy slid down the Norrie McCathie stand at East End Park during the club's 1-0 loss at home to Ayr United a fortnight ago, despite being warned by the club announcer not to do so.

Sammy is believed to have been trying to pay tribute to Amy Williams, who had just won Olympic Gold in the skeleton bob. However, he was less successful than his icon, banging to a halt halfway down the stand after veering into fans seats.

The Bear is known for his love of topical pre-match gags. However, while his gold medal tribute went down well with fans, bosses were less keen. The bear was warned his behaviour could have endangered fans walking on the stairs and he has been warned not to pull similar stunts in future.

A club spokesman told STV News: "He has been warned about it and told not to do it again. Obviously, we were a wee bit worried, health and safety wise, in case he'd hit somebody on the way down. But he's not been given any official warning or anything."

Sammy the Tammy's love of topical displays has landed him in hot water before.

The week after Kris Boyd stopped playing for Scotland in October 2008, Sammy brought a pram onto the pitch and threw toy babies out of it in tribute to the player. Boyd stepped down from consideration for the national side, saying he would not play under then manager George Burley who had left him on the bench for a number of games.

Opposition fans have also complained that the bear loves to taunt them when Dunfermline score. However, on the Dunfermline website, Sammy dismisses his antics as merely those of a "boisterous prankster".

The club said Sammy's naughty nature had made him a hit with fans young and old. However, they admitted sometimes his behaviour can fray the nerves of his bosses.

The club's spokesman said: "I think he's a real icon for the club and for the kids. He's a fun character that the kids can relate to. Sledging down the stand is certainly not something that we try to promote, but the vast majority of his pre-match entertainment is innocent fun, which is what we enjoy."

He said Sammy's sledge would definitely not be making a return to East End Park. However, he confirmed the club had no intention of showing their popular mascot the red card.

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