MX23RW : Thursday, January 2 09:17:07| >> :600:135190624:135190624:

Play stopped during match after alpaca runs onto pitch

Ilkley are now considering enlisting an alpaca mascot, after winning the game 2-0.

Play had to be stopped for 20 minutes during a football match in North Yorkshire after an alpaca ran onto the pitch.

Footage of the elusive Oscar has gone viral after he galloped into the game between Carlton Athletic and Ilkley Town on Saturday from a nearby farm.

The alpaca appeared five minutes before half-time and evaded attempts to usher it off the pitch for so long players were left feeling cold by the time play restarted.

“I’ve been watching football and playing football 40 years and never seen anything like this,” Ilkley club chairman Richard Giles told the PA news agency.

Despite the delay, Ilkley, who play in the seventh tier of English football, went on to win the game 2-0 with goals from Tom Fleming and Joe Chilaka.

Ilkley hope to achieve promotion to semi-professional status this season after narrowly missing out on a step up last year.

Oscar the alpaca lives in a farm next to Carlton’s ground (@FurloughedGav/Twitter)

With Oscar proving a lucky charm for the club, the chairman said they are now considering recruiting an alpaca as a mascot to spur the team on.

“There’s a farm closer to where we are that we plan to get in touch with,” added Mr Giles.

However, according to Carlton fan Gavin Shoesmith, the allegiances of Oscar himself lie elsewhere.

“Oscar the alpaca is an avid Carlton fan and often is spotted engrossed in the games on a Saturday,” the 46-year-old, who was at the game, told PA.

Oscar reportedly disrupted play for 20 minutes (@FurloughedGav/Twitter)

“This week he’d had enough after a shocking first half by the referee and decided he was having none of it and vaulted the fence.”

The video of Oscar was filmed by Claire Armstrong, Ilkley’s Covid officer and wife to the first-team coach, on her phone.

“Claire was on a call with someone and said ‘I’m so sorry, I’ve got to put the phone down, there’s an alpaca on the pitch,'” added Mr Giles.

ID:415169: cacheID:415169:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5127:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Read more about Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Arsenal19116238172139
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
4Chelsea19105438231535
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1995532211132
6Manchester CityMan City199463226631
7Bournemouth198652923630
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa198562831-329
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton196942928127
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford197393335-224
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd196492126-522
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
20Southampton1913151239-276


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!