About a month ago, Arsenal decided to part ways with their long-serving mascot, Gunnersaurus due to cost-cutting after finances were heavily impacted by COVID-19.
Jerry Quy was the man behind the Gunnersaurus costume and appeared in character for about 27 years before being relieved of his services in October.
Mesut Ozil, despite not being included in the Premier League squad this season, is the highest-paid Arsenal player as of now. The German offered to pay Gunnersaurus from a part of his wages, but the plan did not work.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help Gunnersaurus out with the finances, but it too was to no avail. Jerry Quy’s son Daniel Quy has posted a statement on Twitter, praising the fans for their immense support and calling the club out on their ‘lack of class’.
As revealed by Daniel on Twitter, Jerry Quy voluntarily played the Gunnersaurus character for the first 14 years before he was on Arsenal’s payroll. The family’s sentiment attached with the character and the club was not reciprocated, according to Quy, and there was also no chance given to Jerry to hand his legacy down to somebody else.
Although sufficient funds were raised to carry on the legacy of the iconic Gunnersaurus, Daniel’s statement clearly states that money was never an issue. It was the emotional association with the club that was not reciprocated by the management, and that ultimately left the family feeling bitter.
The statement said that the money that was raised through the GoFundMe page, started by George Allen, would be donated to charities that were close to Jerry Quy’s heart.
While cost-cutting is an understandable part of the current scenario, a memorable exit was the very least the club could do to thank the mascot for over two decades of commitment. However, one can only hope the club does something in the future to acknowledge Gunnersaurus’ departure. Hopefully, when the crowds are back…
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