‘My sister will be City’s mascot... with my dad and me cheering her on’

Mar 28 2008 by Katie Norman, South Wales Echo

SPORTS-MAD Madison Churcher has won the chance to be a mascot for Cardiff City’s Wembley semi-final – but was thousands of feet in the air when we rang with the good news.

Nine-year-old City fan Madison was on a plane to Spain when we broke the good news to her family at 7am today.

Madison, nine, will join the Bluebirds on the pitch at Wembley before their FA Cup semi-final clash against Barnsley on April 6.

The youngster left Cardiff today to jet off to Spain for an Easter break with her mum Joanne.

But dad Michael, 44, said Madison would be overjoyed to win.

After we rang, Michael, a mechanical fitter of Cedar Grove, Fairwater, texted wife Joanne with the news.

He said: “She’ll be absolutely over the moon. We go to see Cardiff City play a couple of times a season and Maddie’s sports mad. She plays rugby for Fairwater under-nines and she does karate and all sorts.

“This will mean the world to her.”

Madison and Joanne are in Benidorm with a family friend until Monday while Michael and Madison’s brother Mason, 12, are preparing to embark on a rugby tour in North Wales.

Madison’s win has come just two weeks after the death of Joanne’s 71-year-old mother Sheila Bury.

Michael said the prize was much-needed good news and Cardiff-born Sheila would have been delighted for the family. He and Mason already have hopes of securing tickets for the game and, since Madison’s prize includes two tickets to the match, the whole family should soon be on their way to Wembley.

Michael said his daughter is likely to lap up the opportunity to be in the spotlight. “We call her Maddie because she’s mad,” he said.

“She’ll be doing cartwheels as she walks out with the team. She’ll absolutely love it.”

Madison won after her family entered the competition supported by leading energy supplier E.ON in yesterday’s Echo.

We asked entrants to name Cardiff City’s official mascot and she gave the correct answer as Bartley.

E.ON is calling on football fans to help reduce the FA Cup’s carbon “footyprint”, by enjoying the match together, by watching it in the pub with friends or travelling to the game as a group.

To find out more visit www.carbonfootyprint.com.

katie.norman@mediawales.co.uk