“Ash the Tree” was inspired by Ashford’s name, meaning ash trees near a river, and will make his debut in front of the Homelands crowd when the Nuts and Bolts host Sevenoaks Town on Saturday, February 12.

Ash was created by aspiring fashion designer Phoebe Clark-Tate of Smeeth Community Primary School, who won the club’s competition to find a new character to entertain crowds on match days and represent them at community events.

Last autumn, hundreds of children from primary and secondary schools across Ashford entered the contest asking them to take inspiration from the history of the local area or the 140-year old club itself to create a mascot.

In her entry, Phoebe described Ash as an eco-friendly mascot who “loves sports and wants to get everybody moving” and the character already has his own Instagram and Facebook pages, under the name @AshTheTreeAUFC

Paul Bowden-Brown, Ashford United’s director of football, said: "As everybody knows, Nuts & Bolts is our main club mascot, but as part of our new initiative of reaching out to the community, we are delighted to introduce our Children’s community mascot, Ash the Tree, to accompany the club on match days."

“Our new family mascot will add a bit of extra excitement to match days at Homelands and we love Phoebe’s imaginative creation, who we’ll be using to take part in eco-friendly community activities like recycling schemes and litter picks.

“Families can have an entertaining and affordable afternoon out at our matches and Ash joins the club at a really thrilling time, with the team pushing for promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division.

“We would like to thank Quinn Estates for sponsoring the competition, along with an additional contribution from Greywood, plus Mimics Productions for making the wonderful costume.”

Other entries included “Nutty Bolt” the nut-guzzling squirrel, a phoenix representing the club’s rebirth under a new name a decade ago and a character with a train track halo, depicting Ashford’s historical connections with the railways.

Phoebe’s design was brought to life by puppeteer and costume-maker Sally Preisig, of Mimics Productions, who went to school in Ashford and helped form a panel of judges to find a winning entry.

She said: “There were five or six designs that we all really liked, but Phoebe’s tree design really stood out.

“In her drawing and accompanying description, Ash came across as a great character, who would be endearing to all who would meet him and a great ambassador for the club.

“Having a lifelong connection to Ashford made the job even more special to me, as I never usually know or get to meet my clients!”

It is hoped Ash will become a familiar face around Ashford at community events, as well providing entertainment for spectators at Homelands with his dance moves and high-fives on match days.

The contest is the latest in a number of initiatives the club is running to engage with the local community, including offering free tickets to groups of young people through local charities and community groups.

Tickets to watch Ash make his debut appearance at Homelands (and see the Nuts and Bolts in action against Sevenoaks) at 3pm on Saturday, February 12, are available online at https://ashfordunitedfc.ktckts.com/

Adult entry costs £10, concessions are £6 and under-16s are free with a paying adult (available online or at the turnstile), while families of two adults and up to three children can take advantage of discounted entry by buying £15 tickets in advance online.

Ash the Tree is pictured above with (left to right) Alastair Cracknell of Quinn Estates, competition winner Phoebe Clark-Tate and Ashford United captain Liam Friend.