Paul Marsh, assistant manager for Basingstoke Colts Under-7s and director of THEMPC came up with the idea for the memorabilia after reminiscing about his own love of Panini World Cup sticker books.

“Collecting and trading football cards is timeless fun,” Marsh explains, adding that the children “absolutely loved” receiving their very own cards.

THEMPC, which sponsors the 22-strong football team, presented each player with a sticker book printed using a Canon imagePRESS C810, laminated on a Vivid Matrix 370 Metallic Pneumatic, and finished with a Duplo DBM150T bookletmaker. This book featured photos of the team, coaches, and supporters.

The children were also given stickers for the book including each being given one gold-foiled shiny sticker of themselves to keep. These were printed using the same Canon press, foiled on the same Vivid press, and finished using a Duplo DC 618 Pro Multifinisher. The stickers can be arranged in whichever format the children chose on a dedicated centre page.

The players also received several copies of their own personal football card with a serious photo on one side and a silly photo on the other. The cards were printed using the Canon press and finished using the Duplo Multifinisher.

The idea is that the players can now trade these cards with team mates to collect the whole team, and also share with friends and family as a memento.

Marsh adds: “Who knows, maybe some of our players will join the England squad in future and these cards will become highly sought after. For now, we’re just happy they’ve brought some extra fun to the end of a fantastic first season.”

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