Manchester City led out by 102-year-old Jewish mascot!

Premier League champions Manchester City were led out of the tunnel on Saturday by surely the oldest mascots in Premier League history.

Vera Cohen, 102, and younger sister Olga Halon, 98, who have been season ticket holders at the club since 1930, walked out with the players at The Etihad stadium as they saw their side beat Fulham 3-0.

The pair, who attend every home game, together with Vera’s son Danny and son-in-law Roger, met manager Pep Guardiola in the dugout before kick-off, and spoke to him after the game.

Vera, who’s a member of the Shaare Hayim Sephardi community in Didsbury, said: “Pep said hello to me and I said thank you for all you’ve done for this team. Things used to be very different from how they are today. They didn’t have a scoreboard when I first came – a man used to come around with a blackboard with the score on it!

“Pep is amazing. What he’s done to this team. There’s something about him which brings the best out in the players. I hope he stays forever!”

Also joined on this occasion by Vera’s great grandsons Max Goldsmith, 10, and Sammy Goldsmith, 4, her grandson, David Goldsmith, said: “Basically, Grandma Vera is a legend, she’s raised over £23,000 for The Christie hospital in Manchester since 2001, through her baking.”

Vera isn’t though the oldest mascot to appear at a professional English football match. That accolade goes to Preston fan Bernard Jones, who at the age of 105, led his team out against Sheffield Wednesday on the opening weekend of last season.