Gunnersaurus laid off as Arsenal cost cutting measures continue

The mascot has been a fixture at the club since 1993

Arsenal's cost-cutting measures have continued, with the man who plays the role of mascot Gunnersaurus on a part-time basis the latest staff member to be made redundant by the club. According to The Athletic, Jerry Quy - who has assumed the role of Arsenal's dinosaur mascot since its creation in 1993 - has been informed that his services are no longer required by the club. The decision will likely anger supporters, especially given reports of Quy's dedication to the club, which included missing his own brother's wedding to attend a home match. In August Arsenal made 55 staff redundant due to the financial squeeze on the club brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and the enormous drop in matchday income. At the time they explained the decision, saying: "Our aim has been to protect the jobs and base salaries of our people for as long as we possibly can. Unfortunately, we have now come to the point where we are proposing 55 redundancies. "We do not make these proposals lightly and have looked at every aspect of the club and our expenditure before reaching this point. We are now entering the required 30-day consultation period on these proposals." Despite today's decision, Arsenal have said that Gunnersaurus will return in future.