Fan recalls being Everton's Toffee Lady mascot in 2008

Siân Sawyer was six years old when she got the call to be Everton's Toffee Lady mascot at Goodison Park in December 2008 — stepping in after the originally selected mascot fell ill.

Sawyer, who grew up near Manchester but was raised as an Evertonian by her father, aunt and grandfather, had enrolled in the junior Evertonian scheme for the chance to be drawn as matchday mascot. When the original Toffee Lady for a televised home fixture against Aston Villa withdrew through illness, Sawyer's name was next out of the hat.

There was one obstacle. "I had gone down with a heavy cold — but there was no way I was going to fail a late fitness test," Sawyer recalled. A dose of Calpol later, she arrived at Goodison with family in tow, wearing her father's late-1970s Everton home shirt.

In the Goodison foyer, the shirt drew a comment from former Everton forward Duncan McKenzie. Sawyer then met club legend Graeme Sharp and mascot elephant Changy before being taken to the first-team changing room, where she was introduced to manager David Moyes and players including Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta and Leighton Baines.

She walked the perimeter of the pitch distributing Everton mints to supporters and was photographed at the pre-match handshake between captains Phil Neville and Martin Laursen of Villa.

The afternoon ended early. The cold and fading medication meant her father took her home before the final whistle — just before Ashley Young scored a late winner for Aston Villa.

"A few days later, I received a lovely set of photos of me with David Moyes and some of the players," Sawyer wrote. She remains an Everton supporter. Her sister Ceri, who never received the Toffee Lady call-up, is still waiting.