Cocker spaniel Buddy loved it whenever St Albans City FC scored a goal because there was a biscuit in it for him on every occasion.

But sadly, the long-time Saints supporter whose story made national newspapers eight years ago, has died at the age of 11.

At that time Buddy was seen as a lucky charm for the Saints who were in a downward spiral until his owner Malcolm Cottrell started to take him to games with a supporters’ scarf around his neck.

The losing spell ended when Buddy became a Saints supporter - and the loyal doggie fan, who was taken in by Malcolm as a rescue dog when he was only one, was rewarded with a biscuit after every goal, a treat he came to expect.

Since then Buddy was taken along to every Saints home game and would walk along the terraces, sitting at the feet of home or away supporters with a hotdog or hamburger waiting for a piece.

Malcolm said: “Often some young supporter would ask if they could make a fuss of him. This he loved and many times the parent would take a photo of them both together.”

Buddy was also a familar sight around Garden Fields JMI School in Townsend Drive, St Albans, where he lived. They loved to see him going for a walk with his teddy bear in the mornings and would point him out to their parents as the ‘teddy bear dog’.

Malcolm has been wearing Buddy’s scarf in his honour since his death.