Pannini Stickers and Match Attax

If you're a man that was brought up in the 70s and 80s following football, then there's a better than fair chance that you will have, at one stage of your childhood, known the excitement that comes with a fresh packet of football stickers.

I vividly remember a time of my life being dominated by the Pannini Football stickers.  I learnt the 12 times table based on the fact that a packet cost 12p.  50 pence pocket money was fine, but that extra 10p meant five packets of stickers and no two-penny-chew.  I remember the anticipation of that first tear, the excitiement of the glimmer of a foil badge and the disappointment of half a dozen 'commons'.  There was nothing to beat the playtime pastime of standing flicking through a pile of swapsies with your mate monotonously repeating "got...got...got...got...got" before being interspersed by the raised excitement of a "neeeeed, neeeed, I neeeed that one, I'll swap you...".

Quarter of a century later, and Angus is on his second season of the latest incarnation - Match Attax.  It's early days and therefore he needs just about every one he gets.  Doublers - the modern day swapsie - are few and far between.  As I stand next to him and watch his face as he opens the packet, I see everything that I felt at that age.  There's a sparkle in his eye and a grin on his face.  And last Thursday he got Wayne Rooney.  The pleasure and excitement he showed was matched only by my recollection of finding Kenny Dalglish in 1985.  He was overjoyed.  He took the time to explain to me exactly how he opened the packet, and exactly how he flicked through the first two or three.  And then he told me exactly how he found Wayne Rooney - all this despite the fact that I was right next to him and saw it all.  He also told me how it was just The Best Thing Ever.  And I know what he means.

Think of the EuroChampsChallenge Medallion Men as Match Attax, and my email inbox as the packet.  On Friday morning an email from Celtic legend Jim Craig was my Wayne Rooney.  And it was: Just The Best Thing Ever.