Standing well over 6ft tall, with a long black beak and feathers, Poe the Raven is usually stirring up the crowd 3,500 miles away in Baltimore, USA.
Though Poe is the sole official mascot of the Baltimore Ravens since ‘hatching’ on the pitch in 1998 with his brothers Edgar and Allan, Edgar dropped in to the Toughsheet Stadium, wearing Bolton's away kit, on what was also the opening weekend of the new NFL season.
But, why? You might ask.
Officially, the appearance was a PR move designed to promote some interest in the new season on Sky Sports. And with no Premier League or Championship games being played on international weekend, Bolton had the biggest attendance in the UK, their 20,157-strong crowd beating Huddersfield Town v Peterborough United (16,383) and Plymouth Argyle v Stockport County (15,719) into second and third place, respectively.
Away from the PR side, Wanderers boss – like many of his peers - Steven Schumacher is thought to be a big fan of NFL.
The club had also welcomed back former loan player, US defender Marlon Fossey, who did not have a game on the international break for his current side in Belgium, Standard Liege.
Last month, Wanderers welcomed another American ex-player back in Stu Holden, who came to his old stomping ground with his family, recording a podcast with the club and meeting supporters in hospitality.
Bolton wouldn’t turn down some good PR Stateside. And with the Ravens set to post some Wanderers-themed content on their channels this week, there could be scope for an unlikely cross-Atlantic friendship to build.
Poe the Raven and Lofty the Lion pose for the camerasPoe the Raven and Lofty the Lion pose for the cameras (Image: BWFC)
For while Baltimore may have produced Edgar Allan Poe, Bolton had Hovis Presley.
Abercrombie and Fitch may have originated in Baltimore, but Bolton made Reebok.
Yes, Baltimore had Mama Cass, Ogden Nash, Billie Holliday and Babe Ruth but over here we’ve got Dianne Morgan, Maxine Peake, Nat Lofthouse and another self-confessed NFL nut, Vernon Kay!
Sadly, Edgar did not take any of the winning luck back home to Poe, with the Ravens beaten by a late field goal against Buffalo Bills, the score finishing 41-40 in their first game of the season.