ALEX Bedingham will roar his team on as Yorkie the Lion for the very last time this afternoon.

The staunch City supporter has decided to hang up the mane after a decade entertaining children and fans with his antics as the Bootham Crescent club’s mischievous mascot.

Bedingham will call it a day following this afternoon’s home clash with top-of-the-table Oxford due to family commitments now he is a father of a young daughter.

He also feels that banning Yorkie from pitch-side during matches has marginalised the tamed lion to a bit-part role on match days.

Explaining his decision, Bedingham told the Diary: “Ten years is an exceptional length of time to be doing a position like that. When I started, I was 16 and had no real responsibilities.

“Now I’ve got a partner and a baby girl and there comes a time when you have to grow up and, as mascots, we don’t get away with half as much as we used to do.

“I used to get away with murder but it’s all right to plead your innocence once. When it gets to a fourth or fifth time, they don’t believe you.

“When I was behind the goal, I felt more a part of things. The action was just a foot or two away from your face, which was fantastic, and piling on the lads after a goal is something I won’t forget.

“But officials clamped down on all that and it’s not as much fun when you can’t be out there during the games. I will miss it though.

“It’s been a big chunk of my life but it’s the biggest game of the season today against another former League club who are top of the table so, if we can turn them over, it would be a great way to bow out.”

Understandably, one of Bedingham’s highlights in the furry costume was running out at Wembley with the team at May’s FA Trophy final.

He will probably be best remembered, however, for one of the more surreal scenes witnessed at Bootham Crescent in recent years when he decided to cycle up the touchline during the home match with Dagenham and Redbridge in April 2005, almost mowing over then City manager Billy McEwan in the process. About the inspiration behind that idea, he said: “It wasn’t planned. I was just bored and it was completely off the cuff.

“It was a boiling hot day and an absolutely dreadful game so, at half-time, I decided I needed to liven things up. At the time, it looked like I might get into trouble but we got off quite lightly in the end.”

Bedingham has already held a farewell party with mascot mates Moonchester (Manchester City), Billy Brewer (Burton), Captain Blade (Sheffield United) and Lennie the City Gent (Bradford City) all turning up for the Social Club soiree.

The camaraderie between fellow mascots is legendary and Bedingham admits he has loved being part of that fraternity, adding: “Some people doing this job are absolutely crackers and some of them will be friends for life.”

Originally, programme seller Bedingham acted as a matchday Yorkie stand-in for former Supporters’ Trust member Steve Ovenden.

But the club were keen Yorkie should have a greater presence in the community and Bedingham began visiting schools and attending functions, including an appearance alongside Ant and Dec and Kerry Katona on the Disney Channel.

He once estimated that Yorkie clocked up around 500 events in six years but, after Ovenden left to become rugby league mascot Norris the Knight in 2006, Bedingham has been operating alone.

“It was a lot more amusing when me and Steve were working together,” he admitted. “We bounced ideas off each other and learned each other’s mannerisms.

“I think he was the brains behind the operation really and I was the body.”

Until this season, Bedingham had missed just one City match since 1989 and still intends to be a regular supporter home and away, family duties permitting.

Yorkie’s days at Bootham Crescent, however, might be numbered.

“We’ve spoken to three lads who want to do it but it’s not been decided whether we’ll even keep Yorkie yet,” Bedingham revealed. “The Nestlé naming rights end in January so maybe there will be a new mascot.

“What that means for Yorkie I don’t know. Maybe he will go to Africa or be killed off like every great soap character.”

Brodie closes in on Player of Year leaders

TOP scorer Richard Brodie has moved to within a point of the Press Player of the Year’s leadership.

Ten-goal Brodie was our second-highest rated player during last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Salisbury, earning himself two points towards the standings to move within striking distance of joint leaders Andy Ferrell and Ben Purkiss.

Man-of-the-match David McGurk picked up a maximum three points on his return to the starting 11, with another recalled player, Alex Lawless, rewarded with a point as our third-highest rated performer.

Lawless also collected the two Player of the Month bonus points on offer to the player who received the most man-of-the-match votes from visitors to our website.

To be in with a chance of presenting the October Player of the Month with his prize on the pitch at a City home game, register your man-of-the-match vote by reading our online reports at www.yorkpress.co.uk The Press Player of the Year standings: Ferrell 12 points, Purkiss 12, Brodie 11, Sangare 11, Ingham 8, McGurk 7, Gash 6, Mackin 5, Lawless 4, Parslow 4, Rankine 4, Smith 4, Nelthorpe 2.

The Press October Player of the Month standings: Sangare 6, Brodie 4, Ferrell 3, Lawless 3, McGurk 3, Ingham 2, Smith 2, Purkiss 1.

Goals: Brodie 10, Gash 5, Sangare 2, Smith 2, Ferrell 1, Rankine 1, Pacquette 1.

Assists: Brodie 4, Ferrell 3, Smith 3, Lawless 2, Meredith 2, Purkiss 2, Sangare 2, Barrett 1, Nelthorpe 1, Parslow 1.

Bad boys: Ferrell 5 yellow cards; Brodie 4 yellow cards; Mackin, McGurk 2 yellow cards; Pacquette 1 red card; Barrett, Gash, Ingham, Lawless, Meredith, Nelthorpe, Sangare and Smith all 1 yellow.