The man behind Watford’s controversial Harry the Hornet mascot has stood down

The Watford mascot was most famous for diving in front of Wilfried Zaha after a game in 2016.

The man who has entertained Watford fans in a giant hornet outfit for a decade has stepped away from his duties.

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Gareth Evans, who has been performing as Harry the Hornet since 2008, tweeted his decision ahead of Watford’s game against Manchester United on Saturday.

In the tweet, Evans mentioned that it was his own decision, and that he was: “Proud of what I have achieved, the memories made and the experiences I’ve had.”

But not all of those experiences have been to everyone’s taste.

On Boxing Day 2016, after a 1-1 draw between Watford and Crystal Palace, Harry the Hornet dived on the pitch in a move that hyped up diving claims around Palace forward Zaha, who sent Evans this tweet the next day.

“The mascot is out of order, isn’t he? If someone is diving, they don’t get that angry,” then-manager Sam Allardyce said after the game. “There’s contact. It wasn’t given.”

Current manager Roy Hodgson also spoke on the incident ahead of a game between the two sides earlier this season, insisting he would never let a Palace mascot do anything like that, and also claiming that Zaha does not dive.

Watford's Nordin Amrabat (left) and Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha (right) battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Vicarage Road, Watford.

Watford fans took to Twitter to let Evans know he would be missed with his dance routines and drumming during games regularly keeping fans at Vicarage Road in high spirits.

And while some fans pointed out that Evans’ successor would have big shoes to fill, both figuratively and literally, the man himself tweeted: “Designed a new pair, they’ll have them to wear…. they’ll look mint.”

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MUNICH (AP) — Harry Kane is the quickest player to score 50 goals in the Bundesliga after scoring a hat trick on his 43rd appearance on Friday.

Kane’s three goals – including two penalties – gave Bayern a 3-0 win over Augsburg, stretching the Bavarian powerhouse’s lead to eight points ahead of the rest of the 11th round.

Kane scored 36 goals in 32 league appearances last season, his first for Bayern after joining from Tottenham. It was also the first season since 2012 that Bayern failed to win the title, as Bayer Leverkusen went undefeated to snap Bayern's winning run.

As well as 14 league goals this season, Kane has scored five in the Champions League and one in the German Cup.

Against Augsburg, he had to be patient as Augsburg goalkeeper Nediljko Labrović and his defenders stood firm.

“It was somehow typical Harry Kane,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. “It was close in the first half, close, close, close, and then it happens, I think three goals in 15 minutes. Of course, he can do that. But for such a player, I have to say, he had a lot of chances that he could maybe make more of. Then, in an instant, everything is perfect and he can score many goals.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Bayern's Harry Kane, second left, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal with the penalty kick during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane, third left, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal with the penalty kick during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring the opening goal with the penalty kick during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane, left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal with a penalty kick during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring the opening goal with the penalty kick during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring the opening goal with the penalty kick during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)