Recently, a group of Stacey West Patreons chipped in to sponsor a player’s kit, home and away.
We were given a list of players, and chose Erik Ring, and as a result, we were invited to meet with him yesterday. It is no secret I’ve tipped Erik to land in a major way this season, and that did help steer our decision a little. Anyhow, with over 30 in the Patreon sponsor group, only three could go, so I had the pleasure of accompanying Blake Hutchinson (no relation) and Lee Curtis to Sincil Bank.
Usually, this event is in the 100 Club (or whatever it might be called now) and while fun, it has been a little awkward. Usually, it’s sponsors at one end, players at the other, and you mingle as much as possible. Often, the ice is broken by the captain, Paudie O’Connor and Tom Hopper in previous years. It’s always fun, and it must be challenging for some of the players to be paraded to fans, as many are just young lads. It reminded me of when we met Joe Gardner before the Huddersfield game, it felt like I was asking my nephew how school was – he looked terrified.
This year, the club mixed it up, utilising the excellent Legend’s Lounge, and having dedicated tables, so your player came and sat with you. Many of the players didn’t have sponsors there, so they got much of the afternoon off, but poor Erik was one of the first in, and one of the last to leave!
We met early, had a drink in the Shakey, and I got soaked. We parked at the ground, but got out of the car just as a hailstorm hit. Blake had a coat, Lee met us in the pub in a coat but me, I thought it was still summer, so I turned up in a half zip top, which was unwearable from 1:15 onwards. My jean shorts were still wet when I got home at 5 pm and as for my top, it’s still not dry.
We headed up for 2 pm, but the invite apparently said 2:30. That’s on me – Emma Crellin organised the whole thing as I’ve had quite a bit on lately, and I was a little shady on details. I didn’t even realise it was the Legend’s Lounge. That’s how we turned up half an hour early, soaked to the bone, and still got let in.
A word on club staff at present. In days gone by, we probably wouldn’t have been able to get into the bar early, and we wouldn’t have been served half an hour before it opened, but everyone was superb. I have to say the same about the ticket staff. Last week, Thea and Lousie (wasn’t that a film?) were absolutely amazing in dealing with my Dad’s season ticket. As you may know, my Dad is terminally ill, and they helped transfer his ticket to my nephew, sort a refund and even save a Chelsea ticket, just in case. They did it all with real sensitivity, given the situation, and my immense gratitude goes out to them.
It turns out we don’t just have good people on the pitch. Let me tell you, having met Erik properly, we do have a really good person on the pitch.
I’m not going to divulge most of the things he said; this was an off-the-record chat between a player and his sponsors, and there was no agreement that I’d publish anything.
I’ve been pretty open about the fact I’ve not had a problem with any players over the years, bar one. I didn’t like Chris Maguire, and he didn’t like it here at all; that came across strongly at one of these events. While some people think Danny Mandroiu and Ethan Erhahon were bad eggs, that was never my experience; both were lively, but not Maguire-esque levels of aloof. Others have been standoffish – Hakeeb Adelakun was Stacey West sponsored (thanks S and R) for a couple of seasons, but barely said a word, while Ted Bishop could be quite introverted as well. If I didn’t like Erik, I would happily word it in a constructive manner, and if he was a bit of a nob, I’d not hang him out to dry, but I wouldn’t have written an article.
Good news – he’s a cracking person. He was one of the first few in, and he came straight to us, no hesitation. For a good hour and a half, he talked to us about everything from his recent experiences to his life back in Sweden. It helped that Lee and Blake were quite chatty, but Erik answered everything, and by the end, I was thoroughly impressed.
This wasn’t a paint-by-numbers chat where he said words like ‘no brainer’ and ‘buzzing to get going’. He was really down to earth, and one thing I’m sure he won’t mind me sharing was his love of AIK, the team he left to sign for us. They were his boyhood team, the club where he came through the ranks and leaving was clearly a massive decision for him. He showed us videos on his phone of the ultra culture there, and spoke about missing that in the UK.
That’s not a slur on the 617, by the way, it’s a reflection on some of the continental culture. We were talking about fireworks and fervent support at the AIK and Djurgården, the Tvillingderbyt or ‘twin derby’. You have to realise that Erik coming here from AIK was a big wrench, but as an intelligent and well-spoken player, he’s made a decision he is 100% behind. I just liked seeing a footballer who had a passion for his hometown club, a supporter as well as a player. I find they tend to ‘get it’ a little more, like Rheady and his love for Stoke City. Being a fan makes it easier to identify with fans.
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He also spoke a little about his recent injury, and explained (again, I’m sure this isn’t overstepping the mark) how he’s only recently pain free. The Plymouth game, where I was a little critical of his performance, is a day he describes as ‘one of the worst of his life’ as he came on and struggled. He watches every game back, by his own choice, at home, and he said that watching it, he was shocked by how poor he looked. It clearly played on his mind, and he seemed genuinely excited to finally be in a place where he could go and win a spot in the starting XI.
He’s a cracking lad, and I’d love to do a proper podcast with him one day as a sponsor, because I’m sure some of his conversations would help fans see the person behind the name.
Later, we were joined by Jez, who talked up four-year deals and how we sign players to develop, often with them making a minor initial impact. Erik stayed with us as the other players filtered away and spoke passionately about his aim to get into the first team and kick on this season. It got to 4 pm, and I think only him, Oscar Thorn and Ben House were left. Ben, sponsored by our friends the Richardsons, is always one of the last to leave these events, but Erik’s commitment to staying really stood out.
I think that to end the piece, the best moment came when we talked about yellow cards. We were sitting at a table of four, and to my left, another table of four joined onto us, with Ben House and the Richardsons. We asked Erik about yellow cards and how much you get fined, and with a very wry smile, he said, ‘I don’t know, I haven’t had one.’ There was a brief pause before he turned towards Ben. ‘It’s probably best to ask Housey. ‘
Yep, no argument there.