Frogmore the Frog could easily be a character from a low-budget Disney cartoon, the sort of uninspired creation that came out of the studio during its wilderness years. In fact, Frogmore was Portsmouth FC’s mascot for much of the 2000s. The goggle-eyed amphibian was eventually replaced by Nelson the Dog, which Pompey fans consider a more fitting talisman for their football team.

It is just as well Frogmore did get the axe, as the club’s prospective new owner would have given him short shrift. Michael Eisner, the American tycoon credited with restoring Disney to its former glory, is in exclusive talks to buy the League Two side.

Eisner, who ran Disney between 1984 and 2005 and churned out classics such as The Lion King, is