FOOTBALL fever is back and today the 72 Football League clubs, including Birmingham City and Walsall, begin their new seasons.

Next week later sees the launch of the 20th Premier League season with Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers in action.

For thousands of fans, players, coaches, officials and club staff it will be a case of getting back into the familiar, old Saturday routine.

And that includes the mascots, including those at our big five clubs, Aston Villa’s Hercules Lion, Blues’ Beau Brummie, Albion’s Baggie Bird, Wolfie, at Wolves and Swifty, at Walsall.

These furry ambassadors gee up the crowd at every home match, and in some cases away games too, they meet with the junior match day mascots and game officials and pose for countless pictures.

And when everyone is enjoying the early and late season sunshine, they are the ones cooped up in boiling hot costumes.

Sometimes, of course, things can go wrong and the antics of some of those elsewhere in the country have aroused eyebrows and attention.

Tracey Chandler, who commands the alter-ego of Donny Dog when she’s not dressing hair, would certainly sit in that category.

The Doncaster Rovers mascot was said to have “disgraced the team” and was then fired after she was pictured wearing provocative lingerie in a Sunday newspaper.

But chairman John Ryan later reinstated the 40-year-old stunner who had taken part in the photo-shoot in a bid to raise money for charity.

Burnley mascot Bertie Bee also shot into the public’s gaze when he tackled a streaker during a game against Preston North End in February 2008.

A short video of the incident was watched online by more than 250,000 viewers around the world and Bertie, who is Michael Bradshaw, later told how the tackle had been the “biggest moment of his career”.

But generally, little is known of those inside the costumes, and some our clubs are reluctant to share the secrets of the fans behind the masks.

Birmingham City

LURVE is in the air for Blues mascot Andy Burness.

His club may have had an uncomfortable close season following relegation, but Andy is raring to go.

Not least because of his burning desire to continue as Beau Brummie after 14 years loyal service (a further three as Bluenose).

But also because Beau is set to start the new season with a cuddly new
companion in tow.

And it just so happens that the person expected to fill the costume, which is yet to be decided following a
public vote, is his real-life fiancée, Shelley Warmington.

“I think we would make a great team,” he said.

But it’s not just Shelley whose hoping to get in on
the family act.

Andy explained: “My boys have said they want to take over when I retire.

“I’ve no problem with that but I still enjoy it so they might have to wait a bit longer.”

The father-of-three, from Redditch, became a mascot after he was spotted by club officials dressed as Mr
Blobby before a match at Tranmere Rovers.

Andy has not looked back since and has even developed a pre-match dance, or run, as Beau Brummie to the beat of The Tamperer’s Feel It which he describes as his “signature tune”.

He counts this year’s Carling Cup success against Arsenal as one of his finest moments as a Blues supporter and relegation, predictably, as one of his all-time lows.