HARRY the Hornet has blasted Crystal Palace for ‘compromising’ his safety after they screened a video of him not wearing his mask on the big screen at Selhurst Park.
There is a long-running feud between Watford’s mascot and the Eagles, dating back to 2016.
Harry the Hornet shown without his mask on Palace TV at Selhurst ParkCredit: Palace TV
Gareth Evans, who plays the role, accused Palace of ‘compromising his safety’Credit: Palace TV
Gareth Evans, who has played the role of Harry the Hornet since 2008, infamously dived in front of Palace winger Wilfried Zaha to mock’s the star’s reputation as a player who goes down easily.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson later called the stunt ‘disgraceful’.
And after footage of the man behind the mask was shown during Palace’s 1-0 victory over Watford on Saturday, Evans claims he fears for his safety.
He tweeted: “Back home, no thanks to the best efforts of a professional football club compromising my safety – even mates whom are supporters of that club said this and are embarrassed.”
“Onto the next game, You Horns.”
One wag replied: “Was it a sting operation?”
Evans face is clearly visible in his Twitter profile picture and his bio states that he plays Harry the Hornet.
He has spoken at length of his “love for the character” of Harry, one of the most recognisable mascots in the Premier League.
He even broke his arm after slipping while attempting to hit a penalty on a wet pitch and was in a cast for two months.
On the controversy over the Zaha incident, Evans told Football 365: “He’s gone past me as he’s walking down the tunnel, the fans are calling him a diver, so I’ve just dived on the ground.
“Nothing more, nothing less. I’ve walked away, and got a reaction from the Palace fans, so I did it again – why wouldn’t I?
“My life certainly changed a little bit after that: social media lockdown, Instagram private.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
