QPR's Jude the Cat mascot sacked for 'trying it on' with fans at Loftus Road, will he return for future games?

The cartoonish mascots of football clubs can be a highlight of match days, particularly for youngsters who get to interact with friendly, symbolic representations of the clubs they support.

But Jude the Cat - seen stalking the touchline at QPR’s Loftus Road ground during the club’s home games - has reportedly been sacked after “trying it on with the ladies”.

A source at QPR told The Sun: “Everyone at the club loved Jude. He had the smoothest moves in the league but, unfortunately, he was a bit of a smooth talker, too.”

Jude has apparently been given the boot after “several people complained that he was trying it on with the ladies more than cheering on the lads on the pitch.”

Jude can be seen posing pitchside with the mums of Loftus Roads in fan photos shared on social media from the stadium.

“He would always be dancing with them and then trying to get them to give him their number,” the source said. "Jude was warned but he couldn’t help himself and the club had no choice.”

A QPR representative declined to comment to the paper, but a club-run Twitter/X account dedicated to the feline mascot reportedly hasn't posted in over a month.

Many Hoops fans were incensed to hear that their cherished talisman - renowned for his smooth pitchside dance moves - had been fired, with some demanding the club "bring back the cat” because he was the only thing worth watching at the West London ground.

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But it appears as if the red card has been given to just the person portraying Jude within the suit, and not the mascot themselves, as Jude is currently scheduled to still make an appearance at QPR’s Championship game against Sheffield Wednesday today (6 April).

A win for QPR could see them jump up a place mid-table in the Championship, though a game Sheffield Wednesday will likely bring the fight to The Hoops - a win for them could drag them out of the league’s relegation zone.

It’s not the first time the mascot - an homage to a black cat who lived on Loftus Road and was regarded by fans as a lucky charm - has found himself with an uncertain future.

Then-owner Flavio Briatore almost threw him out in 2007 because, in his native Italy, black cats were considered symbols of evil.