On Monday I shall be introducing a childhood hobby to my three-year-old daughter Amelia. It might cost a quid or two but I know for sure it’ll be worth it.
It’s the second edition of the Norwich City sticker book.
At certain times of the year I look back with fondness at the memories I have of growing up as a child. The majority of them are football related, and one of them is the New Year.
On returning to school after the Christmas break, my school would sell FA Cup posters. The posters would have little stickers of each of the 92 clubs, plus blank ones so you could write non league teams’ names on them. You would fill the scores in round by round.
I would get poster and when I returned home later that day it would be straight up on my bedroom wall. I would then start filling in the scores, hoping I would be using all the six Norwich City stickers – which meant they would have reached the FA Cup Final. Sadly, it was never to happen.
I’ve never forgiven Paul Jewell for scoring the winning goal for Wigan to knock us out of the FA Cup in 1987. At least I feel we got revenge on him when we beat his Ipswich side 5-1 in 2011.
Within a couple of weeks of the excitement of the FA Cup poster, it got even better, with the release of the Panini sticker album, the ultimate off-the-pitch buzz for a young football fan.
The first album I remember getting was in 1982, so I would’ve been six years old. I can’t remember if I had to share the album with any of my three older brothers, but I know for sure they would have shown me what to do with it. I always enjoyed the buzz of getting any Canaries stickers, especially when I got the foil Norwich City badge sticker.
Revealed: The players on the 25 all-important shinies in the new Norwich City sticker booksThen there are memories of going to see my nanny on a Saturday morning. First I’d have a banana sandwich before being given enough money to go to the shop to buy 10 packets of stickers. Then I would walk to Carrow Road to spend the rest of the money on a programme, entrance fee to stand on the Barclay terracing and the bus fare home.
If Norwich won, life would just be perfect. Norwich win, a banana sandwich, match programme and a few packets of Panini football stickers. As a youngster, life was just so simple.
Another memory is of spending school lunch breaks with fellow stickers collectors checking our doubles saying “got, got, not got!” as we searched to complete the album. However, there was always that elusive one, the one you would never find. I clearly remember in 1987 that player was one George Shipley of Charlton.
Not only did Charlton upset me in 1987 when they knocked us out of the Full Members Cup at the semi-final stage, when we were seconds away from Wembley, it would be the Charlton who would be the player to haunt me as he was the last player needed to finish the album.
But, once completed there was a sense of achievement and respect from fellow collectors at school.
So, as from Monday, myself and Amelia will be getting the album with and stickers. A lot of thanks goes to Archant for producing the sticker album. If it’s half as successful as last season, it will be great, with a lot of enjoyment not just in the Spud household but many other Canary households.
I’m sure social media will be active amongst fellow Norwich fans who are also collecting the stickers, with a lot of #GotGotNotGot as we use a more modern way of negotiating and planning swaps.
Despite Amelia already loving a sticker or two, I’m sure I will have to guide her on the importance of a proper sticker album and keeping to the lines. Hopefully, in years to come, we can share another childhood memory together.
Happy hunting.
The books and sticker packs are available now to pre-order at PinkUnShop.co.uk before landing on shelves at independent newsagents from Monday
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