Jonathan Pollard (person)

Pollard briefly was the mascot for Bury FC, a second-division (though sinking) football/soccer team in England. As Robbie the Bobby, Pollard proved to be one of the most combative mascots ever; unsurprisingly, he was convinced to resign after just four months on the job.

It started in late July, 2001, when Colin Gettins quit as Bury's mascot. The next day, the club ran an advertisement on their web site: "Bury Football Club are on the lookout for someone who is extrovert, bubbly in character and extremely energetic."

Hmm ... an extrovert who's bubbly and energetic ... Pollard sure fit the bill there. In the autumn part of the English football season, here's what he accomplished:

• In a September match with Stoke City, he mooned the visitor's section of the crowd. I don't mean he jokingly showed a cartoonish felt butt; Pollard bared the real thing.

• October: Robbie the Bobby's first fight! In a scruffle with Peterborough United's rabbit named Peter-Burrow, Pollard ripped off the bunny's ears.

• November saw Pollard brawl with Bartley the Bluebird of Cardiff City, pulling off its foam head. In a match days later against Bristol City, Pollard got a red card for, as he put it, "being stupid" in his antics alongside the touchline. In the same game he was charged with verbally abusing a game official. (He may have also lowered his pants in the Bristol City game, I'm not sure.)

• Finally, in late November, the game referee reported Pollard for making an obscene comment. An exasperated Bury FC then told Pollard he'd better quit.

The ironic thing is, Robbie the Bobby is named after Sir Robert Peel, who founded the first modern police force.

Postscript: In December 2001, Bury hired a new Robbie the Bobby — teenager Anthony Bersz. In his words: "I’ve got a hard act to follow because I thought Jonathan was great. But I'll be keeping within the guidelines at least for the first few weeks. After all I have to live up to expectation."

Pollard, meanwhile, said he has been offered a three-year contract with an unnamed English Premier League team. As of now, the team is still unnamed (or is a figment of Pollard's imagination).

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Other instances of English soccer mascot violence which I discovered and just had to relate:

Swansea City mascot Cyril the Swan was once fined 1,000 pounds for invading the pitch. Also, in a fight with Zampa the Lion of Millwall, he drop-kicked the lion's head into the stands.

Too funny to make up: Woverhampton Wanderers mascot Wolfie took on three Bristol City pigs in a match.

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Sources:
http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/011129/21/cjwhc.html
http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/011213/21/clhau.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2001/12/08/mascots_england/
http://www.canoe.ca/Slam011123/soc_mas-ap.html
http://www.buryfc.co.uk/today/view/what_the_papers_say/0,1563,10422,00.html
http://www.rovers.co.uk/tabloid/view/tabloid_detail/0,1563,10303~133077,00.html
(Note: The last link has photos!)