A 10-year-old football supporter was banned from serving as a mascot in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final after telling a local newspaper website he wanted the opposing side to win.
Ryan Dearsley had been due to step on to Wembley Stadium’s hallowed turf with Reading FC’s players at Saturday’s semi-final against Arsenal.
But the youngster was stood down by the Football Association after a video appearance on the website of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner in which he revealed he wanted the North London side to win.
Ryan, pictured below, actually supports neither club and is a fan of his local team Huddersfield Town, but received the opportunity after winning a competition during his side’s Cup tie against Reading earlier this year.
His pro-Arsenal sympathies were picked up by the Examiner’s digital-only sister title GetReading, the online continuation of the now defunct Reading Post.
An ensuing poll on GetReading’s website saw 85pc of readers vote in favour of Ryan being sacked from his position.
Reading supporters complained to the English game’s governing body, The FA, which consequently pulled the plug on him receiving the honour.
Ryan’s grandfather and legal guardian Alan, who had been due to accompany him to London for the match, called the reaction of Reading fans “ridiculous.”
He told the Examiner: “I don’t blame the FA because they said they didn’t want Ryan to be upset on the day with any booing from the Reading fans.
“But for the football loudmouths to react in this way to a few harmless words from a 10-year-old is ridiculous.”
However, there will be a happy ending for Ryan, after The FA offered to make him a mascot for an England national team match in future instead.
An FA spokesman said: “Following Ryan’s interview in the local media, and with agreement from his family, it was decided to move his prize over to an England mascot place later this year.”
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Typical Reading.
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Cutting-edge reporting at its best. Young reporters take note, this is how you STOP (nay, PREVENT A POTENTIAL CATASOPHRE) dangerous 10-year-old boys from attending football matches. We all have learnt a lesson in this sorry episode….. Do not let it happen again….
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What are we coming to, political correctness gone mad! What happened to healthy debate in our great land? If I don’t like Jews because of their stance in Palestine or Chinese for having no democracy, or the Vatican for being truly anti-Christian I should be able to say so in a democratic country. Let’s stop all this let’s pretend. Ken Jackson, Stafford
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GetReading’s editorial team should be ashamed of themselves. Their cheap stunt ruined what would have been a wonderful occasion for this lad. But sadly, the new on line only version of the Reading Post is rapidly becoming little more than a series of cheap stunts.
Trinity Mirror, who own the website, should also be ashamed. It is hardly an example of great journalism.
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If they’re going to complain about everyone who doesn’t support Reading they’re going to be busy.
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Remarkable that I only watched Child 44 on Friday too, prescient.
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China is a country and has no democracy as such that’s a fact – Ken Jackson – you are quite right and I wouldn’t question it. Being Jewish is a religion, and you are generalising that we are all the same on the Palestinian question. You are quite wrong and showing your horrific ignorance in this case. You are free to say what you think – we all have opinions, but let’s please try to base our opinions on a modicum of fact – even while hiding behind the “If I” line which only adds insult to injury. Political correctness is an extreme. Hating an entire group of people because you presume to know what they all think is also extreme.
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