Gunnersaurus has been the club mascot of Arsenal for 27 years. (Source: Reuters)Arsenal’s beloved dinosaur mascot Gunnersaurus has been let go from the club amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as part of cost-cutting measures.
The dinosaur, played by Jerry Quy since its introduction in 1993, has been let go as the role is deemed no longer necessary. The mascot had been a permanent fixture at home games for 27 years.
Arsenal have let go of mascot Gunnersaurus, Jerry Quy, who has played the role since its inception in 1993, as part of the club’s ongoing streamlining process. [@TheAthleticUK] #afc pic.twitter.com/pFUqz8T4qC
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) October 5, 2020
Due to the lack of fans at home matches due to the several health protocols in place, Arsenal has seen a hit on their matchday revenues. As a result, Gunnersaurus has now joined 55 other redundancies in the north London club.
According to The Athletic, the club insist that Quy will be allowed to return to the role of mascot in future.
Gunnersaurus has been there through it all 🦖 pic.twitter.com/S08l6NaGg5
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 5, 2020
Earlier, Arsenal became the first Premier League team to agree a pay cut with their first-team squad — 12.5% over 12 months, although that was reduced by 7.5% later on.
Arsenal currently sit fourth in the league table with 9 points from four matches after beating Sheffield United 2-1 on Sunday with the help of Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe’s goals.
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