• Former Uefa president Lennart Johansson led the way on to pitch • Idea was part of campaign to promote discounts for older people

The Swedish club AIK tried a new initiative at the weekend, when the oldest living members of the club entered the pitch as mascots for their league match against Gefle IF.

The senior citizens replaced the regular mascots with the former Uefa president and honorary club president, Lennart Johansson, leading the way. The idea was part of a campaign to promote ticket discounts and free shuttle buses to and from retirement homes.

Johansson, who came on to the field to a rapturous reception with his fellow mascots, said: “There are a lot of us who have lived with AIK all of our lives but who can’t, for various reasons, get to the stadium these days. That doesn’t mean that we care less about the club. Maybe just that we have a little bit more difficulty travelling and moving around.”

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The AIK chairman, Mikael Ahlerup, commented: “Our family section has for a long time been the biggest in Sweden and it is very important for us to get children and teenagers to the club but we can never forget about the generation that made this club to what it is. That’s why this initiative felt like an obvious thing to do.

“A family should consist of both young and old and today we completed our family by inviting and celebrating the elders. I’m proud to be a part of such an inclusive club,” he added.

AIK came out on top in the match, their 1-0 win taking them to third place in the table.