A childhood dream to become reality? #19

A childhood dream to become reality? #19

For as long as I can remember football has been a huge part of who I am.



My first sticker album

Collecting Panini (and later Merlin) sticker albums were some of the best memories I have about growing up. Buying packs of 5 stickers for 25p from the newsagents at the bottom of Hollybush Lane on a Friday afternoon after school, was the highlight of my week. Taking them home, opening them carefully (too eager and you rip the stickers inside) then dividing them into 'gots' and 'needs'. And the sheer excitement when you got a 'shiny' sticker. I'm sure that one shiny alone could command a trade of at least ten normal stickers in the market place that was Springdale Junior school's playground. And, of course there we always one or two 'swops' you had about twenty of - in my case, Gary Penrice of QPR and Ian Bishop of West Ham.

I literally spent hours studying the albums - in fact, when I was struck down with whooping cough at Junior school I spent weeks convalescing doing nothing but studying the information in those albums. It's why I now know the name of practically every football league ground. Sad, I know, but when you're whooping up a lung at the age of 8 there's little else to do to pass the time.

Still, I digress. I can't be certain what my first game at Molineux was...it seems such a long time ago. I think we played Blackburn Rovers...or Bristol Rovers. Similar names, similar kits - and I was about six at the time. I think we lost.

The ground looked an awful lot different - awful being the operartive word here. Only two sides of the ground were open - I sat in the Family Enclosure in the then John Ireland Stand with my dad, and my two brothers, Ian and Alex. The seats were faded red and the whole place looked dreadful. I loved it.

The fact it was so bad also meant that community teams like Windsor Boys could book the ground at the end of the season for their 'end of season football festival'. My brothers both got to play on the pitch (Alex scored some screamers in the much anticipated penalty shoot out competition - he still has the video footage somewhere at home).

I remember watching from the stands thinking, next year - that'll be me. It wasn't.

Jack Hayward rebuilt Molineux and clubs like Windsor were priced out of hiring the ground. Instead, I got to grace the hallowed turf at Bilston Town (right - clearly so annoyed with being at Bilston Town I did not want to be photographed) or, in a good year, Noose Lane - home of the mighty Willenhall Town FC. Somehow it was never quite the same.

Over the years I have come to accept that I will never run out at Molineux. I will never score that winning goal and get to kiss the badge...or will I?

Number 19 on my list reads... "Score a goal on the pitch at Molineux".

So, on 6th May, Ian, Alex and I are taking part in an end of season match at Molineux. Unbeknown to me at the time or writing my list, the club have introduced a new scheme which allow fans to buy a place in a team and play a match at Molineux at the end of the season. Well, this week I heard that we've made the team. We might be £99 worse off for the privilege - but can you put a price on fulfilling a childhood dream?

"While we're living, the dreams we have as children fade away". These lyrics have, over recent years, really struck a chord with me  - but, as I hope this '30 Things before 30' challenge will prove, maybe they don't have to fade away at all - maybe you just have to really want to do it?