Bobby Charlton Sports School - TSB Sports Holidays 1988

I find some unusual things amongst my boxed-up childhood. Some things I think, yeah I remember that, other things not so. This comes in to the latter category.

The leaflet refers to the a Sports School and a Soccer (football) School, so I guess Bobby was offering to teach more than just football. Now, for the record, I'm pretty sure I never attended the Bobby Charlton Soccer School, or indeed any other sport on offer. A certain Mr Beckham had done so a couple year earlier - of course with hindsight I would've nagged my parents to let me jump on the bus (probably would've had to get one in Stoke) to live the dream but, hey, hindsight is a wonderfully cruel thing isn't it?

I recall my brother and I going to a Bryan Robson footy school a few years earlier, but I have no proof of this (at least I've not found it yet) so that could just be fantasy.

Getting back to the leaflet/pamphlet/booklet/whatever, I guess it must've been sent out to all kids with a TSB Bank account. I think I had an account with pretty much every UK bank in the 1980s because of all the free stuff they gave on joining! Of course it's possible we got handed them at school. Not sure. It's even possible my Dad picked it up whilst working in the area and thought it would be something we fancied doing. I have no clue, and I guess ultimately it's not important. The important thing is my hoarding turned up something interesting. 😁⚽

So, here's a couple more photos of the leaflet. As you can see, I kept it in pretty good condition. 😊

 The photo of the booking form below is a bit blurry.

Did you attend a Bobby Charlton Soccer Camp, or perhaps a camp hosted by another footy legend?

As a footnote to this article,  this month it's 40 years since England's finest ever players died tragically in a car accident in Madrid, aged just 33.. Laurie Cunningham was fantastic and of course a pioneer too. Seriously, go on on Youtube and watch. Remember this was back in the 70s/80s when England wasn't exactly known for producing skilful footballers. Different Class.

Have you met Spikey? (Mistar PIGOG)

Ydych chi wedi cwrdd â Mistar PIGOG? 

No, I haven't got crumbs stuck in my keyboard again. That is the welsh language and it's from a pamphlet from the 70s/80s a distant time before this dying language was part of education in Welsh schools.

It looks like we paid 3p for this pamphlet (made by the Brecon Beacons National Park Committee and written by Meg Stevens). I guess as souvenirs go it was a bit different, and the money goes to a good cause. 

I cared for Mistar Pigog by the end of the story, litter-collecting Hedgehog with a lust for life. To this day I'm not sure why PIGOG is in capitals on the cover, though SPIKEY is too, so I guess there's a connection.

I haven't photographed the story pages as I don't want to spoil the ending for you!
Fact: This pamphlet was first published in 1978 and continued to be available until 1993. I got my copy in the mid 1980s.