Mesut Ozil saves Gunnersaurus from extinction! Arsenal’s £350k-a-week misfit offers to pay the sacked mascot’s wages out of his own pocket… but only if the Gunners don’t get rid of him too
Mesut Ozil has offered to pay the salary of the man inside Arsenal’s Gunnersaurus outfit to save the beloved mascot from extinction.
Jerry Quy, who had player the role of the furry dinosaur on matchdays for 27 years, was let go as part of Covid-19 cost-cutting.
But in a new twist, Ozil tweeted that he was happy to pay for Quy to continue in the role.
Mesut Ozil has offered to pay the salary of the man inside the Gunnersaurus costume after Arsenal axed the furry mascot as part of cost-cutting measures
Ozil has offered to pay the salary of Jerry Quy for as long as he remains at the club
Arsenal’s loveable mascot Gunnersaurus has been sacked after 27 years of service at the club
Jerry Quy, who has played the role since 1993, has been let go as part of a cost-cutting process
The mascot’s departure follows the 55 redundancies the club made in August due to Covid-19
Ozil, who earns £350,000-a-week, tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: ‘I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka out famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of out club was being made redundant after 27 years.
‘As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much. #JusticeForGunnersaurus #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa.’
In the absence of fans because of the pandemic, Arsenal felt the Gunnersaurus role on matchday was no longer essential.
The Gunnersaurus suit has been at Quy’s home since lockdown which led to a series of photos
The mascot ‘worked from home’ like the rest of the nation during the Covid-19 lockdown
Quy was a much loved figure with Arsenal fans and the decision is not likely to be popular
The mascot watched the Gunners’ games from home with fans unable to attend matches
The mascot has been a huge part of the club’s journey including all of Arsene Wenger’s reign
With the club feeling the pinch because of an absence of matchday revenue, the club announced they were making 55 redundancies back in August.
Yet at the same time, Ozil is being paid £350,000-a-week – the equivalent of £18million a year – and hasn’t played a single minute for Arsenal so far this season.
But criticism may soften if Arsenal take up the German’s offer to keep Gunnersaurus alive a little longer.
Celebrity Arsenal fan Piers Morgan responded to Ozil’s tweet in humorous fashion, saying: ‘BREAKING: Ozil finally puts a shift in.’
More to follow.
