The FA Cup first round got off to a flyer on Friday night, but the star wasn’t a player on the pitch – or even two-legged.
Non-league Haringey Borough fan Bertie the dog was in attendance at their game against League One’s AFC Wimbledon and the little fan caught the eye of the TV cameras.
? @nonleaguedogs#FACup #bbcfacup pic.twitter.com/E1vDmdXq7d
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) November 9, 2018
Haringey are 18th in the the Isthmian League Premier Division, English football’s seventh tier.
Although more than 2,700 were crammed into Coles Park on Friday evening, Haringey’s average league attendance so far this season is 262.
According to tweets from one of those rare attendees, the doggie superfan appears to be a Borough regular called Bertie.
Bertie from the Borough – Steve Finn’s dog wearing the colours of Haringey Borough @HaringeyBoroFC @mickymoore71 @uncleroy38 @ralgabriel9 pic.twitter.com/02OnwMEwGL
— Lee McFadden (@Leefact25) April 21, 2018
Bertie, if that is his real name, proved a hit with fans watching on BBC Two.
Watching FA Cup match on telly ( not my choice). There’s a dog sitting watching. In a scarf.
— Mary Wombat ? (@little_mavis) November 9, 2018
The dog in the Haringey scarf my highlight so far #FACup
— Tyler House (@tyler_house6) November 9, 2018
And the little die hard supporter also made his way onto Twitter account and bastion of dogs that watch non-league football, @nonleaguedogs.
Everyone meet Bertie, He’s enjoying his 5 minutes of fame with @HaringeyBoroFC https://t.co/1p0JBAcA9d
— nonleaguedogs (@nonleaguedogs) November 9, 2018
Unfortunately for Haringey, Bertie didn’t prove to be the good luck charm they might have hoped.
Haringey had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half before the game finished 1-0 to Wimbledon, as Mitchell Pinnock cruelly snatched a winner in the 90th minute.
