IT TOOK him a little extra time to do it but Angus man Lee Haxton has fulfilled every young football fan’s dream.
At the age of 30, Angus Council employee Lee was the toast of the terraces at Arbroath’s Gayfield Park as the mascot for his home side favourites in their New Year clash with East Fife.
Lifelong Lichties fan Lee, from Carnoustie, landed the honour after his mother-in-law approached the club with the mascot request as a surprise for his 30th birthday last month.
A new maroon Arbroath strip was also in Lee’s Christmas stocking from wife Gaynor for the community planning officer to take his bow in front of the Gayfield crowd and a family contingent which included a “homecoming” for dad Graham, who played for the Lichties in the 1970s.
“I wasn’t sure what to make of it when my mum-in-law said she had arranged for me to be mascot but then I though why not, it’s a bit of fun,” Lee said.
“One of my best pals was a Celtic supporter and when we were young he got to be the mascot there but at that time Arbroath didn’t have a match mascot so I’ve eventually managed to do the same for my team.”
And Paul Sheerin’s men capped the perfect start to 2013 for Lee with a second-half strike from the manager separating the two sides.