Pete the Eagle and Kyla

Pete the Eagle and Kyla

A mascot is a symbolic figure representing a human being, animal or an object that brings luck or a thing to a group of people or an identical crowd. For instance Crystal Palace, a Football club from the English Premier League is represented by two great mascots known as Pete the Eagle and Kyla real life Eagle. 

Kyla always will fly around at Selhurst Park stadium Before all home games of Crystal Palace, this is a phenomenon that all fans enjoy and good to watch. Pete on the other hand will get the community, fans and dance with the cheerleaders to bring the mood of the game.

With the personality of an eagle as the Crystal Palace nickname is “The Eagles” since the 1970s the mascot Eagles outfit fits in well.  Allison's motivation for the club's new nickname was mainly from the Lisbon-based outfit being “The Eagles”. The team's success was clearly a motivating spectrum to the team, community and the fans since the 1970s. To emulate that spirit as Crystal Palace hence embracing it on their current badge where an eagle is patching on top of the glass palace. 

After Crystal Palace became a professional club in 1905 they were nicknamed “The Glaziers” from the glazing Crystals manufactured around Crystal. 

In 1973 a new coach known as Malcolm Allison brought a revolutionary mangemened and renamed the club nickname to “The Eagles” following the likes of Benfica from Portugal due to the dominance they had in belief of the same luck will be at Crystal Palace.

The characteristics of the mascot's wear of Crystal Palace includes a psychotic bald eagle resembling a white head, yellow beak and the Crystal Palace home jersey shades.

As Crystal Palace glides as an Eagle, Kyla also glides Before their home games to bring luck to the club.

In the remembrance of the great Kyla the Eagle, the club introduced a female version of Pete The Eagle known as Alice the Eagle. She has proven to bring the Kyla effect to the fans and community.

Passing away of Kayla

As a bird Kyla has his own share of challenges as nature allows,  because football is a competitive sport mascots are not also loved by their competitors to be specific Millwall as their main rivals.

In 2015 among his meseries a Charlton Athletic fan Daniel Boylet Had an encounter with a beautiful bird of prey but he survived the incident. If he'd hit him in the skull he could have killed him," says Mr Ames, Kyla’s handler.

He was referred to as a pigeon not an eagle by rival fans severally,  but Kyla once responded by snatching a pie from a Millwal fan. But as far as Crystal Palace fans are concerned they know he is  their eagle.

Due to Natural Selection came 2020 when Kyla succumbed tragically to a heart disease causing the fans to mourn. As a Bald Eagle kit is estimated to have a lifespan of 60 years but Kyla managed on 28 years. On the club official announcement Selhurst Park was never the same again, this was embraced with the following tributes:

‘It is saddening and painful that we inform our great community of Crystal Palace and fans, Kayla, our awesome Bald Eagle, has rested after tragically suffering a heart attack,’ Eagle Heights sanctuary.

Beyond grief we are it's unthinkable in our lives without her, we have to comfort ourselves knowing we are strong and not in pain and keep the hope of above us, finally she has been reunited with her sister. Kayla we will always love you' Crystal Palace fan.

The Crystal Palace fans had set a GoFundMe to raise 3000 for her medical expensenses despite that the sanctuary said Kyla rested. The fund was redirected for conservation of Bald Eagle across the world.

 The good gesture was from the spirit of a club mascot, despite that Pete the eagle glides around as a mascot for The Eagles.

2010 brink to extinction

Crystal Palace was brink to Extinction due to bad performance in 2010,  but due to introduction of a new coach; George Burley, new players like Wilfried Zaha, Calvin Andrews, Danny Burtterfield among others and Pete the eagle and Kyla Crystal Palace's back to Oblivion and good performance over the years.

Kyla was mistreated with her sister and stolen from a net in Canada in unfortunate circumstances the sister died, years later the Bald Eagle was rehabilitated in England near Crystal Palace where she stayed in quarantine for 30 days. 

A Crystal Palace janitor lived near the sanctuaries where Kyla was held and requested to train her as a Mascot for the club bearing in mind “The Eagles” is the club's nickname. Where he would appear in flying exhibitions before becoming Crystal Palace’s mascot in 2015 officially.

The club spirits and performances like a family. The emotions and morale brought by the mascots to the fans was more than a spirit in 3 years after 2010 the club was untouchable.

The ultimate underdog stories were forgotten, the finances were recovered, the sales were achieved and the mascot kept the morale. The line was known as “When Eagles Dare”.

Kayla the Eagle got the fame to the skies he featured in movies like Clash of the Titans, covered on the Kings of Leon album photo shoot and  saved his own sanctuary's financial issues. The Crystal Palace fans managed to raise £15,000 for the sanctuary due to Kyla the Eagle presence.

The spirit of the club was on the peak; they dared to dream again to play in Wembley FA finals 2022. In the semifinals Pete the eagle couldn't fly to Wembley but gave way to Chelsea and Liverpool for the finals. Crystal Palace “The Eagles” were furious opponents but the only Fury who got to Wembley was Fury the heavyweight boxer.

Pete, Kyla and Alice the Eagles impact the community and fans.

Over the years the presence of mascots at crystal has caused events that brought unity, emotions to the players, fans and community. The 10 years presence of Kyla in the club resulted in various views as well on animal sanctuaries and conservation.

• Kyla used to fly around and outside the stadium, this brought the community together and built a conservation culture to animals and the environment.
• During a home game between Crystal Palace and Watford, due to the heated rivalry crystal coach Roy Hudson attacked a watford mascot while giving morralles to the fans. He went ahead and commented that Crystal Palace are the Eagles.
• Wilfred Zaha continued the Mascot beef with Harry the Hornet, Watford's mascot leading to a mis-concentration to Watford team members hence they won the match.
• The incident of Charlton Athletic Fc fan punching Kyla the Eagle, brought the attention to animal welfare and they placed a suit on the fan on violence against animals. 
• The sales of mascots and toys in crystal united stores rose by 35% since the introduction of Pete, Kyla and Alice toys and Mascot wear. 

Pete and Alice Charity

Since the introduction of Alice the Eagle to the mascot community, Crystal Palace foundation official charity has been working with the Women's Team to set regular community, schools and colleges visits to encourage girls. Young women and girls have regularly been invited for matches at the women's Team home ground meeting players and taught about mascots appearances.

The foundation through this charity has also donated kits for training and awareness teaching as well as match training exercises.

Pete the Eagle has also been working with Fulham's Mascot Billy the Badger to raise money for UNICEF through a bike Cycling challenge. The money raised is going to disadvantaged children across the world. 

Conclusion

Crystal Palace might have enjoyed their form when they were daring to fly, which they did for a couple of years. The medal pursuit is still a dream but the moral pursuit was brought about by the mascot's ability to cheer up the crowd and the community around it. 

The incredible and impeccable stuns and slow landing that Kyla had embraced a Bald Eagle will always be in the memories of millions of football, English premier league and bird watching fans around the world. The impact of a real life mascot will never be forgotten by the club and the community around and most importantly with the world.  

With less than 10 games to play to end the season Crystal Palace needs the momentum built to win all home matches to run away from relegation. For this to be achieved the fans, community and the team members should be in their game, hence this is one of the main key responsibilities of the mascots. Will Pete and Alice the Eagles meet the task. 

One of the most English decorated football trophies is the FA Cup But the Eagle’s lost it in the semifinals of the 2022 season. Will Pete and Alice The Eagles try again to fly to Wembley next season? The challenge remains despite the furious Kyla did make it happen the remaining mascots will embrace the spirit.