A Portadown schoolboy will never forget his first experience of a big football match as he walked out as a mascot at a recent European Championships game in Germany.
Eight-year-old football-mad Clark McCollum won the trip of a lifetime when he strolled out in front of 54,000 fans – and millions on TV – as a mascot for the Spain versus Albania game in Dusseldorf last week.
The Hart Memorial pupil was one of 11 children from Northern Ireland chosen to be mascots for the game – and it all came about thanks to grandad, Tony.
Speaking to Armagh I, Clark’s dad, Scott, explained: “My dad entered a Lidl competition to attend the Euros and be a mascot for a game.
“He had completely forgotten he had entered when he started to get phone calls from an unknown number, which he initially ignored. He thought it was some sort of scam.
“He then got an email to say he was a winner, so he decided to phone them back and it was Lidl who told him he was one of the winners.
“He then rang me and told me he won. I was like, ‘right’, I couldn’t believe it myself.”
Given that the mascots had to be aged between six and 11, Tony and Scott were out of the running – but third generation Clark was match ready!
So, off Scott and Clark went to the Euros.
Clark with his dad, Scott
“We flew out to Dusseldorf on the Sunday,” explained Scott. “Clark couldn’t sleep right on the Saturday. I would compare it to Christmas; it was that sort of excitement. Clark loves football – he loves playing it and watching it.
“And for me and him just to have that personal time by ourselves, it was great. And Clark managed to make a few wee friends on the trip too and he hopes to stay in contact with them; it was unbelievable for me to see that.”
Scott says Clark’s excitement was palpable as they flew out on the plane. When they landed on the Sunday they went straight to the hotel where dinner was laid on for them.
The next day the pair had some free time to see the sights and sounds of Dusseldorf.
At lunchtime Clark was whisked away with the rest of the 11 kids from Northern Ireland and the 11 Spanish mascots.
“The 22 kids then went to the stadium and they had a full day of activities,” said Scott. “I was kind of worried about leaving him but the whole experience and the way it was run was second to none. The adults even had a city tour of Dusseldorf organised while the kids were away at the stadium. It was brilliant.
“And I didn’t see Clark again after that until I spied him walking out onto the pitch with the teams.”
A surreal experience, no doubt, for father and son.
“You’ve no idea how that felt,” said a beaming Scott. “When he came back up to his seat beside me he couldn’t wait to tell me what he had done; it really was emotional. He sat down beside me and we started watching the game and a minute or two later Spain scored.
“This was Clark’s first experience of a proper football match but to do it that way will take some beating.
“It’s amazing and he’ll never forget it. He was even on the TV too and his school did a little write-up on it too. The school have been great.”
While two nations vied for a place in the knock-out rounds there was a seismic buzz around the game in that small pocket in Portadown.
“The amount of people around here who ended up watching the game was incredible. His school friends, family, neighbours from where we live and even people who I work with, there was such a buzz about it.”
Spain won the game 1-0 and Scott says he and Clark want to see the 2012 European champions add a fourth title to their trophy cabinet as a result of their experience.
Add to that the 29 degree sunshine and it was a trip neither will forget for a very long time.
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