Random thing this week
So Tuesday morning at work and someone shouted out if anyone fancies being the Aviva Lemur furry mascot for that evening's cup match against Coventry. I said yes thinking why not. Following a brief email conversation with the sponsorship team it was a done deal which included meal and box seats.
I turned up at Carrow road at 6:30 and got my ticket from Matt and we had a quick look around the Aviva box where I bumped into Katrina who I used to work with who now works match days at Carrow road hosting.
After a bite to eat it was down to the directors entrance to collect my pass and out to meet Captain Canary who give me a pitch side tour of the ground and what I had to do, basically involved no speaking in costume and don't take your head off. Then its a case of high fiving the kids and posing for photos before the official photos with the team captains and mascots before heading off to enjoy the first half.
I managed to get a pic of the tunnel and the players going out to warm up. Not that this was needed considering how warm a day it was. Then it was into the changing room / doping control room to suit up. The suiting up process was legs then your shoes, socks over your shoes then body and arms. Then overshoes then shirt and finally the head. I was seriously sweating by then and the visibility was poor. A bit through the mouth and eyes and that was it.
Then it was out through the tunnel and past the Norwich bench where John Ruddy was going to be for the match as he was rested for this one. As it was a cup game there was loads of kids wanting high fives and pictures with the Lemur. Huge amount of fun and I really hammed it up for the kids blowing kisses and pretending their high fives hurt, doing silly dances and funny walks. Loved everything apart from the heat. Then once we had worked our way to the other side of the pitch it was off for the official photos and back to the changing room to strip off ready for the start.
Soooooo hot, was a relief to be out of the suit. Then we were taken up to watch the game behind the directors box.
Norwich got two goals in the first half against a weak looking Coventry. Just before the second half it was back down to change for the half time interval and then back out in costume to work the rest of the crowd. Captain Canary did say he would tap me on the shoulder when it was time to go back in. I never got a tap on the shoulder and when I heard the whistle go for the start of the second half I was the wrong side of the pitch and had to make my way slowly back to get out of costume. Was really hot in the suit as well. Nearly back to the dugout and someone in the crowd shouted out ,"Oi lemur do your job" and pointed to a sweet little girl desperate to meet the lemur and I'd missed her so I wandered back to where she was for a high five and hug before her mum got a photo. The weird thing about being in the suit is even though you have the head on I still beamed like an idiot for all the photos.
Finally I got back to the safety of the changing room and the relief of getting the suit off. Captain Canary was pleased with what I had done and said he hadn't realised the players were back out for the second half so he'd not had time to warn me.
Finally out of the suit and it was back up to the box to enjoy the second half and enjoy the 6-1 hammering.
Would I do this again? Like a shot !
I turned up at Carrow road at 6:30 and got my ticket from Matt and we had a quick look around the Aviva box where I bumped into Katrina who I used to work with who now works match days at Carrow road hosting.
After a bite to eat it was down to the directors entrance to collect my pass and out to meet Captain Canary who give me a pitch side tour of the ground and what I had to do, basically involved no speaking in costume and don't take your head off. Then its a case of high fiving the kids and posing for photos before the official photos with the team captains and mascots before heading off to enjoy the first half.
I managed to get a pic of the tunnel and the players going out to warm up. Not that this was needed considering how warm a day it was. Then it was into the changing room / doping control room to suit up. The suiting up process was legs then your shoes, socks over your shoes then body and arms. Then overshoes then shirt and finally the head. I was seriously sweating by then and the visibility was poor. A bit through the mouth and eyes and that was it.
Then it was out through the tunnel and past the Norwich bench where John Ruddy was going to be for the match as he was rested for this one. As it was a cup game there was loads of kids wanting high fives and pictures with the Lemur. Huge amount of fun and I really hammed it up for the kids blowing kisses and pretending their high fives hurt, doing silly dances and funny walks. Loved everything apart from the heat. Then once we had worked our way to the other side of the pitch it was off for the official photos and back to the changing room to strip off ready for the start.
Soooooo hot, was a relief to be out of the suit. Then we were taken up to watch the game behind the directors box.
Norwich got two goals in the first half against a weak looking Coventry. Just before the second half it was back down to change for the half time interval and then back out in costume to work the rest of the crowd. Captain Canary did say he would tap me on the shoulder when it was time to go back in. I never got a tap on the shoulder and when I heard the whistle go for the start of the second half I was the wrong side of the pitch and had to make my way slowly back to get out of costume. Was really hot in the suit as well. Nearly back to the dugout and someone in the crowd shouted out ,"Oi lemur do your job" and pointed to a sweet little girl desperate to meet the lemur and I'd missed her so I wandered back to where she was for a high five and hug before her mum got a photo. The weird thing about being in the suit is even though you have the head on I still beamed like an idiot for all the photos.
Finally I got back to the safety of the changing room and the relief of getting the suit off. Captain Canary was pleased with what I had done and said he hadn't realised the players were back out for the second half so he'd not had time to warn me.
Finally out of the suit and it was back up to the box to enjoy the second half and enjoy the 6-1 hammering.
Would I do this again? Like a shot !
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