Keeping or collecting stubs is a great way to remember the games you’ve been to a those momentous occasions, whether it be your first game, a cup final or your first time at a particular ground. Or, as a collectible to keep as a badge of honour following your team across the UK and abroad. In this series Stories Behind The Stubs we will speak to a selection of fans about their stories following their teams.
Jacob and his dad, Colin, were one of my first customers to ask for designs for travelling abroad in Europe, which was my first foray into branching out to other leagues outside of the Premier League.
Their journey starts with a trip to Wigan in 2005, Sibierski scored for City in the first minute but they eventually got beat 4-3. Not the best start for Jacob’s City career, and the team that was fielded that day was worlds apart from what the Citizens have become used to watching over the last few years.
“A lot of fans were fed up at the time and especially under Stuart Pearce the football was dire. Dad might have given up his season ticket if he hadn’t seen how much I’d taken to it as a kid” Jacob describes of his earliest memories watching City.
Part of ‘taking to it’ from my own memories is feeling part of something and doing things, going places you don’t really go and are “adult things”. Going in the bookies, going in the pub (and dodging lit cigarettes at head height - which shows my age!), and the odd naughty word getting learnt/used.
Jacob had his own recollections of his ‘coming of age’ at the footy: “My first ever away win and first time I ever swore in front of my Dad was Sheffield United on Boxing Day, Stephen Ireland, 1-0. Fans always respond to shouts of “United” with “shit” and it slipped out once, he let me off with that one!”
I asked if his dad was still on his case about his language: “He’s a lot more liberal now I’m 24!”
Those who do follow regularly likely go from the odd game here and there, before becoming regulars both home and away. “I got my season ticket when we moved into the new ground so I was like 4. I started going Aways when I was 5 but first 3 years were the local, no trouble ones; Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton & Villa.”
So at 8 years old you were allowed to go and throw some punches at the bigger games then? I joked.
“Not quite, at 8 I was allowed to go the sort of places where I still needed to hold his hand leaving the ground!” Came the jovial retort.
Thinking about when he started becoming more and more regular. “Going everywhere away started when I was 10. My first London game was Spurs, first game of season which was 0-0, it properly took off from there.”
Four years old is pretty young for a season ticket! Colin “was either a time traveller, and knew what was to come or he was desperate to get his lad going to the footy with him” I suggested.
“Just a sad bastard and needed an accomplice to justify it” Jacob laughed.
From a dad’s perspective, it's a common interest you can both share and spend time together, like a lot of dads and lads.
“That’s exactly what it is for us.”
Do you have any memorabilia from the early days of following City? Programmes, ticket stubs etc?
It turns out they have quite the collection: “Dad used to collect all the programmes which I took over but it started getting ridiculous so we give up on that one.
“For every new European ground we get a pin badge and they’re all in a frame together, I’ve kept the first away ticket of every ground I’ve been in a photo album.
“We also have every season ticket in a frame up until 2020 when they stopped doing physical cards.” More on that to come.
“Dads also got programmes framed from famous city games good and bad, from when Luton relegated us to when city won the Champions League.”
Physical cards are depleting across the football pyramid as the turn to digital picks up pace. From the 2019/20 season onwards Jacob has his season ticket done by us, as well as plenty of other games too.
“Whenever I’ve been to a ground for the first time I’ve always gone to you to fill the gaps”.
Those new grounds will have taken somewhat of a more glamourous turn over the years. Going from Bolton and Blackburn to Athens, Munich, Istanbul and Saudi Arabia among others?
“I wouldn’t say no to all them Lancashire teams back in the Prem to be fair! The stadiums are obviously amazing but I love it more for the places I get to go that I’d never do if it wasn’t for City.
“For example, I don’t think I’d do Istanbul or Saudi off my own back but I loved the experience!”
That's the beauty of football, not many Villa and West Ham fans would've gone to some of the depths of European countries if it wasn't for their team playing there I'm sure!
How are them 'big' experiences for you and your dad? How did it feel to see City playing in those games where the biggest prizes in football are on offer? I asked, noting the stark contrast between his first game at Wigan.
“It’s more emotionally draining now than it was when we were crap! Spurs in the Champions League Quarter Final and a couple against Real Madrid killed me!
“For Champions League Finals the buildup for both Porto and Istanbul were something else, that’s when it sinks in, everything are seeing. When we won it though, if you saw me you wouldn’t have thought I was drained!”
And looking ahead, we can't talk about City, without talking about the pending charges - that wont change anything from your perspective I guess, you've had the experiences you've had and nothing can change that?
“Honestly whatever will be will be, I’m not remotely concerned about it, I think my mates who support United and Liverpool are more arsed than me! I don’t think anything will happen and I’d rather carry on going all these places in Europe, but if I end up getting to tick most the 92 off instead so be it!”
Selfishly Jacob saw right through me, baring in mind he wants a stub from every new ground he goes to. “You’ll be getting more custom from me if we do go down to League 2 anyway!”
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