Baby born outside Watford FC football ground has Harry the Hornet to thank for name (From Watford Observer)

Baby born outside Watford FC football ground has Harry the Hornet to thank for name

2:19pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

Vicarage Road Stadium has played host to some extraordinary events over the years.

Childbirth, however, was something the famous old football ground had rarely experienced – until an expectant couple from Abbots Langley paid a surprise visit this month.

Susannah and Carl Mitchell, of Summer House Way, Abbots Langley, explained how a quiet evening at home descended into a desperate – ultimately unsuccessful – dash to Watford General Hospital and why baby Charlie "Harry" Mitchell will forever remember his early visit to the home of Watford FC.

Unable to wait any longer, the inpatient new-born was delivered on the front seat of his parents’ car, just yards from the hospital entrance, at 11.25pm on Thursday, March 4.

Proud mum Susannah explained: “It was a perfectly normal evening. I went to bed at about 9pm. A few minutes later I started having contractions and was told to go to the hospital.

“As you can imagine, my husband was driving like a maniac but Charlie wouldn’t wait. We stopped outside the stadium and I said: ‘He’s coming out on the front seat.’ I don’t think he really believed it until he actually arrived.

“The midwives arrived a few minutes later and took care of things from there. I hadn’t really noticed at the time but it was minus three degrees outside.”

Baby Charlie, weighing in at 8lb 9oz, suffered no ill effects from his ordeal but will forever remember his unusual birthplace, courtesy of Watford FC mascot Harry the Hornet.

She added: “Some friends said we should give him a middle name related to the club and suggested Harry, after Harry the Hornet. It’s a lovely name so we went with it.

“It’s certainly a lot better than the ‘Meriva’, which he would have been called if we named him after the make of car he was born in.”

All, however, is not entirely well in the Mitchell household, thanks to a pending clash of football loyalties.

Mrs Mitchell added: “His dad is a big Tottenham supporter but I think Charlie will have to support Watford from now on. Carl said that if he had known what was going to happen we would have driven to White Hart Lane instead.”