Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace took on a much greater significance in the Walsh household. More so than usual. Not only were we travelling to London to watch the game but our son, Xavier, had been selected to be the official club mascot.
Victory would secure a lifetime of happy memories and defeat would inevitably mean merciless ribbing from the red half of his class and instant rejection from his blue cousins for being “unlucky”.
We travelled down the night before so we could manage any unforeseen traffic delays and force majeur events. We therefore arrived promptly at Selhurst Park at 1 pm. We were greeted by Matt, Palace’s ‘Mascot Coach’, who explained how the day would run. Xavier stood proud as punch in his new kit and training top surrounded by the eleven Palace mascots who had massed together in a show of unity as their proud parents also watched on in the hospitality lounge.
First item on the agenda was for him to greet the Everton players off the coach so we were brought to the tunnel entrance by the Mascot Chaperone, Christiana. There he stood arms out wide shivering with a combination of the cold and nerves ready to meet his heroes.
Xavier is very shy so he was never going to chew the ear of the players. Earlier, we had tried to coach him in advance to say “Hello” and “Good luck today, boys”. All our advice fell on deaf ears once he was stood there alone, arms out wide inviting a “high five”. Then the team started to arrive led by Sean Dyche.
In they filed one by one… All began to ferry past him high-fiving him on the way into the dressing room, absolutely focused on the game ahead but unfortunately with little more interaction. The gathered press and my wife and I willing him on to say something, anything that might mean one of the players engaging with him to give him a story to tell all his friends and a golden memory to take home. Then it happened… in walked Amadou Onana… last off the coach, listening to his music on his headset.
He stopped, took his headset off and knelt down to speak to him. The smile on his face mirrored by Xavier’s now beaming nervous grin. We then turned away to talk to Christiana, looked back and in a heartbeat Xavier was gone!
Where was our son? What had happened? Christiana began radioing through to her colleagues nervously. He should have been on the spot until he was collected. Then news came through on her radio and we could relax… she got notification not to worry because Amadou had taken him by the hand into the changing room to meet the rest of the players and to get their autographs.
He then came back out to see us and have some photos taken and we handed him a shirt which we kindly asked him to sign. When we opened it up it had “Onana 8” on the back and he genuinely looked surprised and said “Hey that’s my shirt!”
I can’t begin to tell you what that brief moment and interaction meant to Xavier. Not only is Onana an exceptional footballer but he is a quality human being and an absolute credit to his parents. He was natural, genuine, and displayed maturity beyond his 22 years of age. Those moments meant the world to Xavier and to see the joy on his face, it meant the world to us too.
The rest of the team filtered out onto the pitch ready to warm up and we managed to get some more photos with Beto, Branthwaite, McNeil, Dobbin and Garner who were all very accommodating and friendly.
Then Matt called us over for the mascot training session on the pitch next to the Everton and Palace players warning up. Matt took Xavier and the Palace mascots through their paces and were joined on the pitch by Pete and Alice, the Eagles.
This was then followed by photos of us in the dugouts and on the pitch. It was then almost kick-off time and Xavier had to get ready to walk out with the team so he was escorted back to the tunnel whilst we stood pitchside to greet him when he came off.
All the players marched onto the pitch with Xavier last on with Dominic Calvert Lewin holding his hand. Sadly a mere split second too late for the Match of the Day editor. We could see Dom talking to him as they walked to the centre circle and then they gathered to shake hands with the Palace players before Xavier ran off over to us and into our arms having loved every moment of his day so far. “What did Dominic say to you son?”
“He asked where I was from”
“What did you say?”
Xavier then proceeded to tell us that he gave him our precise address including postcode!
We were then escorted away from the dugout and towards the away end via a tunnel where we missed the first goal but could hear the cheers. They were so loud my wife said “Oh no, we are getting beat already?” And I said “No, that’s coming from our end.” We arrived at our stand just in time to witness the Palace penalty as our first glimpse of action and I hoped it wasn’t going to be one of those days.
In our naivety we asked one of the stewards if he could help point out our seats. “Look up mate… nobody is sat in their seats… just walk in and good luck!”
The noise was deafening. I haven’t been to as many away games over the years as I would have liked. Sadly other commitments take over; I had forgotten how vociferous our away fans are. I knew we were good but, Wow! It was like being swept up by a wave of blue energy that was relentless and never stopped. We were the heartbeat of the team on Saturday (every Saturday in fact) and set the tone for the day. The singing never stopped and nor did the unique Scouse humour and banter.
Xavier learnt a lot of new words in the away end that day too. He asked if he could say “Shithouse” when he was a big boy, which seemed to be the word of the day particularly aimed at Eze of Palace and the referee.
My wife was also intrigued to know why a large section insisted on giving the finger to the Palace fans and I explained it was part of the banter for all away fans. We were so partisan in fact we even cheered when the 9-year-old Palace fan missed her half-time penalty shoot-out!!
Having led twice and being pinned back to 2-2, I was resigned to a draw. All I hoped for was not to lose it late on. How I longed for the referee to blow his whistle to avoid a defeat so Xavier could say he brought the team a modicum of luck on the day. And then it happened… Idrissa Gueye — you absolute beauty. That goal on 86 minutes was a work of art and boy did it take the roof off. The fans went crazy and I couldn’t stop throwing Xavier into the air. It was pure ecstasy and happiness.
You couldn’t hear the Palace fans at all throughout the game. You don’t need me to tell you but we have the best supporters in the land — of that there is no doubt. I was desperate for the shithouse to blow his whistle … sorry — referee to blow his whistle!
All of 97 nervous minutes later but there it was — a victory and in his own little way Xavier played a part with a story he can share with his friends for the rest of his life.
Seven hours it took us to drive home and manoeuvre London traffic but it mattered not as we relived every detail blasting out Spirit of the Blues on repeat on our way home!
If you managed to read this far, I want to conclude by saying the Palace officials were superb and made a real fuss of Xavier. Their hospitality and welcome was tremendous. We felt very privileged on Saturday to experience what we did. Everton made our little boy’s dream come true on Saturday. We will be forever grateful to the club and all the staff who made that happen. Thank you!