Arsenal fires mascot as part of cost-cutting on same day they're reportedly trying to buy a player for $60M
The last remaining “Invincible” is gone.
Arsenal’s dinosaur mascot Gunnersaurus was fired by the Premier League team on Monday in a cost-cutting move that outraged Gunners fans — and for good reason.
Gunnersaurus, played since he was introduced in 1993 by Jerry Quy, was also the last member of Arsenal’s squad that won the Prem by going undefeated in the 2003-04 season still employed by the London club, which is owned by notoriously cheap American billionaire Stan Kroenke.
The news came the same day that the Gunners were reportedly on the verge of dropping nearly $60 million to bring Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey to Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal’s players agreed to take a pay cut in June, but the club’s brass still laid off almost 60 other staffers in August. In addition to his mascot gig, Quy apparently also lost his other role as a fan liaison — a job that won’t come back even when health officials declare the Emirates safe for supporters to return to the Emirates, according to multiple local reports.
Club legend Ian Wright, the club’s second all-time leading scorer after Thierry Henry, tweeted a pair pictures of himself with Gunnersaurus along with a caption: “Terrible news. Love you Jerry.”
Terrible news 😞 Love you Jerry ❤️ @Gunnersaurus pic.twitter.com/zL3G8c6MAw
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) October 5, 2020
Gary Lineker, a former star striker with Arsenal’s North London blood rival Tottenham Hotspur, called the move “sad.”
As it turns out, Gunnersaurus’ departure might not be permanent. Multiple outlets stated that Quy could potentially don his furry green outfit again whenever fans are allowed back into Premier League matches.
“Hope so,” Wright wrote in a subsequent tweet.
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