How Leeds United fan made Gordon Strachan do a triple take and had Vinnie Jones and Lee Chapman in stitches

Standing in the Vicarage Road tunnel before leading Leeds United out to face Watford, Gordon Strachan did a triple take.
BIG MOMENT: Jono Hughes finally got the chance to be Leeds United's mascot and more than matched Gordon Strachan for size. Picture: Martin Wolmark.BIG MOMENT: Jono Hughes finally got the chance to be Leeds United's mascot and more than matched Gordon Strachan for size. Picture: Martin Wolmark.
BIG MOMENT: Jono Hughes finally got the chance to be Leeds United's mascot and more than matched Gordon Strachan for size. Picture: Martin Wolmark.

Directly behind him, Vinnie Jones and Lee Chapman began giggling uncontrollably.

The source of Strachan’s bewilderment and his team-mates’ mirth was their mascot for the Division Two game, on March 3, 1990. Thirteen-year-old Jono Hughes had waited almost four years for this moment.

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He was decked out in the classic white shirt, white socks with shinpads underneath and a pair of somewhat snug shorts.

He stood the same height as Strachan and, in his own words, “almost twice as wide”.

When the pair joined the match officials, Watford captain Glenn Roeder and the home mascots – a pair of tiny children – in the centre circle, it was an undeniably comical sight.

Photographer Martin Wolmark took a pair of shots that captured the scene brilliantly.

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In the group shot, Jono, bigger than both Hornets mascots put together, smiles the smile of a youngster enjoying his big moment, blissfully unaware of the hilarity that is clearly tickling Roeder and two of the match officials.

JOKER: The linesman making light of the situation with Jono Hughes before Leeds United's match at Watford. Picture: Martin Wolmark.JOKER: The linesman making light of the situation with Jono Hughes before Leeds United's match at Watford. Picture: Martin Wolmark.
JOKER: The linesman making light of the situation with Jono Hughes before Leeds United's match at Watford. Picture: Martin Wolmark.

Another photo shows one of the linesmen, a fairly diminutive chap by the name of Hodgett, shaking hands with Jono and exaggeratedly looking skyward.

The Watford fans were delighted by Jono’s presence, but crueller in the expression of their amusement.

It was all a terrific joke, for everyone else. Thirty years on, Jono sees the funny side as he explains how it all came about.

The Hughes family were Leeds through and through.

LEEDS FAMILY: Jono Hughes' great granddad with Leeds United great John CharlesLEEDS FAMILY: Jono Hughes' great granddad with Leeds United great John Charles
LEEDS FAMILY: Jono Hughes' great granddad with Leeds United great John Charles
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His great granddad, Jim, worked at Leeds United when John Charles first arrived and took the teenage sensation under his wing, having him round for tea and helping him to settle in.

Jono’s dad, Mike, was in Paris for the 1975 European Cup final against Bayern Munich and took his son to Elland Road as soon as he was old enough.

“In the mid-80s the club opened up part of the North West corner of the ground for a ‘Family Club’ which we joined and gradually we filled most of the top section,” said Jono. “My dad got friendly with the commercial manager at the time, Alan Roberts, and offered to help so was appointed, or self-appointed, chairman of the Family Club.”

Mike got in touch with other teams who had ‘Family Clubs’ and arranged for 50 reciprocal tickets for games, so Leeds United supporting families could all get on a coach together and travel to away grounds.

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The trips would include a game of football between the Leeds kids and their host-club counterparts and then a meal together before the main event of the day.

“The coach trips became legendary, me and my friend would do bingo with a machine he had, using the coach drivers microphone; six and two M62, you get the idea,” said Jono.

“A couple of mums would provide sandwiches. I’m still friends with a fair few of the kids now and see them at the games when I take my dad and my kids.

“After a while my dad persuaded Alan and the club to let one of the Family Club members be mascot for away games.

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“We played a game before the matches anyway so we all had our Leeds kits and, obviously, there were no away mascots then, so it was perfect.”

After the on-coach bingo game, a raffle took place and the lucky winner was named mascot for the day, before their name was removed from following raffles in order to give every child a chance to experience the special treatment.

Because his dad was chairman, Jono had to wait until everyone else had taken their turn.

“I think when it started I was 10 and by the time everyone had a go I was nearly 14,” he said.

His turn eventually arrived on that fateful day at Watford.

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“After the game against their Family Club team I didn’t get changed, hence the shinpads, and my shorts were filthy so I had to borrow someone else’s, as you can see in the photo.

“I remember being in the tunnel and Gordon Strachan looking at me, looking at me again, then again before realising that I was indeed the mascot, despite being the same height and almost twice as wide as him.

“Obviously not being very self aware at 13 none of that crossed my mind until I noticed some of my other heroes, particularly Lee Chapman and Vinnie Jones laughing almost uncontrollably at the situation. I remember making our way onto the pitch and knocking a few passes around with Strachan and then, I’m pretty sure it was Chris Kamara, who suggested I take a shot at Mervyn Day.

“Obviously I was a big lad so instead of the usual mascot walk-the-ball-into-the-net job, him and Vinnie Jones plonked the ball 20 yards out and told me to have a shot.

“I duly did and I think Merv probably let it in.

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“Jones then jumped on my back like I’d scored the winner and then chased after me like the was going to slide tackle me, which I avoided.

“When we got to the centre circle, Glenn Roeder found the whole thing very amusing and I think it was when I saw the size of the other two mascots from Watford that it dawned on me it was possibly a little unusual.”

Coin toss, handshakes and photos done, the home mascots sprinted off to their parents on the touchline and Jono jogged off to a cruel chorus of ‘you fat mascot’ from the taunting Hornets fans.

“When I got to the tunnel where my dad was I was in tears, I remember he asked if I’d enjoyed it, the best bits had been forgotten and I just said no,” he laughs.

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Now 43, Jono still attends Elland Road, accompanied by his dad, his sons George and Adam, and, occasionally, his daughter Polly. He said: “The kids are all Leeds fans, the boys especially. “It’s great to see the Family Stand is so big today with so many families at the game.

“I’d like to think my dad had a small part to play in that and, even though we don’t always sit in there every game, he still has a smile when he looks over and sees all the young kids enjoying themselves.

The coronavirus pandemic has, temporarily, put paid to the Hughes family trips to the famous stadium.

But the lack of football and subsequent cascade of nostalgic posts on social media prompted Jono to unearth the photo of his special day in 1990.

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Unsurprisingly, it went down a treat with Leeds fans on Twitter.

And, for Jono’s friends and his kids alike, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

“I don’t remember the match much,” he said.

“My mates say it’s their favourite-ever picture – and my kids think it’s hilarious.”

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