Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson warned Watford mascot Harry the Hornet ahead of the game

More bizarre news coming from Selhurst Park starring Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson. Ahead of away clash against Watford coming up on Saturday, 71-year-old specialist forewarned the hosts’ team mascot Harry the Hornet over disgraceful mocking. Indeed, Hodgson referred to two-season-ago incident when mascot mocked Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha for diving. During that game Harry the Hornet plucked himself on the ground ‘in pain’ short after Zaha picked up a yellow for simulation in penalty area. Here’s the full statement by Eagles’ manager:

If you’re asking me whether Harry the Hornet, who I presume is the mascot, should dive in that way, I think it’s disgraceful. Because that’s not what football matches are about. If it’s provoking the crowd into looking for something that’s not there, it should be stopped.
Wilf Zaha does not dive for penalties. He gets knocked over sometimes – sometimes he gets knocked over or unbalanced without it being a penalty or a foul – because he runs at such speed and has such agility with the ball. But he certainly doesn’t dive.
But of course teams try to take every advantage they can. I would be very disappointed if the Palace mascot was doing something like that to provoke the crowd against an opponent.
And if I found out about it, I would stop it.

God, can you believe this is really happening? Veteran manager talking to the 2-meter dummy for misbehaving. Man, this is really something.

(img src: Goal.com)