Brechin City will step up their bid to return to the SPFL on Saturday – cheered on at Glebe Park by legendary club mascot Dolly the cat.
Dolly, who lives ‘just over the hedge’, has been a regular at Brechin games for over a decade, often sitting with fans in the main stand.
When opposing teams wear blue, Dolly will often take her seat in the away dugout after once being fed ham sandwiches by late Rangers kitman Jimmy Bell.
Dolly has invaded the pitch several times over the years.
She also used to hop on the back of groundsman Neil Wood’s mower to help cut the Glebe Park turf.
And she’s so popular with Brechin fans that the club shop used to stock Dolly mugs.
“Dolly lives over the hedge but she first started coming at a Rangers game 11 years ago,” said Neil, ahead of Saturday’s pyramid play-off clash with Spartans.
“I walked into the away dressing room and the Gers’ late kitman Jimmy Bell was feeding her ham sandwiches.
“There was a time where, if we were ever playing a team in blue, then she’d be in the dugout beside them.
“I also remember one of the Rangers games here where she sat up the back of the main stand with the supporters.
“She stayed with them and didn’t flinch a bit.
“Why does she like teams that play in blue so much? It’s probably the ham sandwiches!”
Dolly has continued to support Brechin through thick and thin.
Neil added: “Dolly comes to most games and doesn’t seem bothered by people.
“She’s down by the park most days and she used to jump on the back of my lawnmower while I cut the grass.
“She’s had two or three pitch invasions and been captured by the BBC Alba cameras.
Dolly is a ‘local hero’ with Brechin City fans
“We were against East Fife one Friday night in front of the cameras. Dolly ran from the boardroom, past the dugouts and on the side of the park, all on camera.
“She now has a couple of pals, Smokey and Jose, who come in during the week.
“But they are a bit more shy and won’t come to games.
“Dolly is well known to our fans. She was in the shop on Saturday before the Spartans game looking at the kits.
“My colleague Dean told her it was for paying customers only!”
Wood has been involved with Brechin for over four decades. He joined them as a ball boy when he was eight.
He even got married to wife Debbie on Glebe Park turf in 1996 and was nominated for a Specsavers local legend award last year.
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