For a child, walking out onto a Premier League pitch as a mascot can create a memory that lasts a lifetime. But at some clubs, this can only happen if parents have deep pockets.
Since the mid-1990s, top-flight teams have marched into battle hand in hand with child mascots. Kids aged mostly between six and 10, sometimes up to 14, get the opportunity to meet some of the game's biggest names and stand toe-to-toe with their idols in front of thousands.
An 11-year-old Wayne Rooney famously walked out during a 1996 Merseyside derby as an Everton mascot, before he'd go on to achieve footballing immortality with Manchester United. The practice was put on pause during the pandemic, but things are now back to normal and walkouts every weekend would look odd if radiant youthful smiles didn't accompany the players.
Clubs with free or low-cost ballots
However, whilst some clubs don't directly charge for the privilege, many do. Mirror Football looks at the cost of every team's mascot packages, including one auction that reached over £13,000.
Arsenal provide mascot opportunities to kids aged four to 11 free of charge, but they must be Junior Gunners members, which costs between £15 and £25. Once a child has been signed up, their name is entered into a draw for each match and mascots are randomly selected. Aston Villa also choose at random from their junior members pool, with membership costing £30 for the season. However, a caveat is that the child will need to wear the season's full official kit on the pitch and match tickets are not included.
Chelsea do not offer packages and instead, children must be aged between six and 12 during the season for which they are applying and be Junior Blue members, which costs £35 per season. Instead of a ballot, Chelsea have a waiting list, and all positions for the current season are filled.
Paid packages and charity auctions
Bournemouth offer both the chance to be named a mascot through membership or a commercial package. For Category A fixtures, the packages cost £360 and for Category B, they cost £316. This includes two match tickets, a voucher to redeem a full playing kit, pitchside access, a goodie bag and food vouchers. Junior Cherries members can also enter a draw for two free mascot places, with membership costing between £10 and £17.
Brighton run a ballot for their Junior MyAlbion+ members (registration costs £30) before every home game, but they also offer commercial packages starting at £260 for lesser games with the Standard Package, which includes two match tickets and a full home kit. Fans could pay £335 for this package in high-category games, while the Captain's Package ranges from £360 to £435 and includes an extra match ticket.
Everton's selection process is done via a random draw for junior members (£10 to £40 to join), but there is also a paid charity package costing £718 for a select few matches, with all proceeds going to Everton in the Community. Fulham handle their selection entirely through the Fulham FC Foundation, using a dual-lottery-ticket-and-auction hybrid. Lottery tickets cost £5, while matchday auctions can see bids reach £700 or more.
High-end costs and waiting lists
Liverpool use a standard ballot for regular home games, but also offer official LFC Foundation auctions for specific matches. When they faced Manchester United in October 2025, one experience sold for £13,249, with all proceeds going to charity. Manchester United offer almost the exact same options, with an experience before a clash against Nottingham Forest last season going for £10,783, regularly selling for between £4,000 and £5,000.
Nottingham Forest have come under fire over their mascot package pricing, offering a select number of spots for free via a membership ballot (junior membership costs £33), but also offering regular charitable ballots and raffles, as well as hospitality packages that can cost between £2,160 and £3,360. Sunderland have recently launched a free ballot system for junior members who pay £30 per year, but they also offer a paid package costing £185 per match, with a waiting list closed until at least the 2028/29 season.
Tottenham used to charge up to £405 for their mascot packages but now, everything is done via a free draw for One Hotspur Junior members, with membership costing between £20 and £25. Children must be aged between five and 14 and two match tickets are included.
