Hereford FC have issued a statement in support of taking a Hereford Bull called Ronaldo to Wembley next Sunday.
'Ronaldo is a prize Hereford bull
and is regularly paraded at events all over the country in front of crowds
of tens of thousands of people. He has already appeared at Edgar
Street - our home ground - on two occasions ahead of matches and on each
occasion the respect he has been shown by supporters with polite applause has
been fantastic.
'A full risk assessment and method
statement has been completed ahead of Sunday and all the welfare requirements
he might need are in place to ensure his comfort. The Hereford Cattle Society
is fully sighted on all that is planned and the necessary licences have been
secured.
'An experienced vet - who has
endorsed our plans - will be on site throughout Ronaldo's appearance
around the pitch and he will have an acclimatisation period at Wembley once he
arrives at the stadium. The 3 hour journey to Wembley will also be nothing
unusual for him as he often travels country wide to be paraded at various
shows, before then returning back to Herefordshire.
'Ronaldo's safety has been at the
forefront of all our planning for his appearance at Wembley on Sunday and an
announcement will be made over the PA system at the stadium asking supporters
to respects the animal's dignity.
'We can reassure interested parties
that if there were any concerns for Ronaldo's welfare, we would
simply not have put forward the proposal for him to be 'shown' ahead of the
game.'