Worth Every Penny… Almost: Our Honest Norwich City Mascot Experience Review!
When I was little, a man called Dick Cann lived on our road. He was responsible for organising the Norwich City ball boys and mascots and, whenever they were short of a child, he’d appear at someone’s front door asking if one of us could help out. Before long we’d all be piling into a minibus and heading off to Carrow Road much to my chagrin, it was not my thing, but my Mum always wanted to be helpful, along with the other Mums (I suspect it meant a night off, so who can blame them) and we would always be leant to do the job!
Fast forward a few decades and things couldn’t be more different for my footballing loving sons. Especially Raffie! He’d give his back teeth to be a regular ball boy and he has had his eye on the prize of being a mascot for ages too! However, becoming a mascot isn’t a case of being in the right place at the right time in today’s world. Places to be one sell out almost instantly and, for many families, the cost alone will put the experience completely out of reach.
When the mascot packages were released this season, we booked immediately for Raffie’s birthday. We had already been shocked at last season’s £250 price tag, but this year the cost had risen to a staggering £350. I’ll be honest, I winced but we knew we didn’t have long to decide as it would sell out, so we went for it! In a world where family budgets are already stretched, it feels increasingly elitist, something I am not comfortable with. For us, it meant a serious shuffling around of finances and putting my morals aside to make my son happy – I mean, we all do this sort of thing all the time. It’s hard to keep your morals when you love someone and just want to see them light up. And, Raffie had the time of his life so it was worth it! He had the experience instead of a birthday party and it became his main birthday present too, making it manageable for us, but only just. Where the extra £100 has come from in the cost is anyone’s guess? Yes, costs have increased everywhere, but from a customer perspective it’s difficult to see what tangible addition has caused such a dramatic jump.
And yet…
Like I said, the experience, well, it really is brilliant so it’s hard to argue about the cost any further!
The mascot receives a full Norwich City kit to wear on the day and keep afterwards. Their photograph appears in the matchday programme alongside a short piece about them. They are taken behind the scenes for an official club tour, complete with tea, coffee and biscuits, and given access that most supporters can only dream about.
For Raffie, meeting the players was the highlight.
The mascots have opportunities to collect autographs, chat with players and have professional (and personal) photographs taken. At every stage they are made to feel important. Not rushed. Not squeezed in. Just important. For a football-mad child, that’s priceless.The club staff were excellent throughout. Warm, organised and clearly experienced at dealing with excited children. Nothing felt like too much trouble.
Then comes the moment every young fan dreams about.
Walking out onto the pitch hand in hand with a Norwich City player, for Raffie this was Jose Cordoba which he was thrilled about. The picture I took is from very far away so very fuzzy but I could still tell he was just buzzing with it all!
That said, there were a couple of areas where the experience could be improved.
The advertised meal wasn’t really what most people would describe as a meal. There was a small portion of chips intended to be shared between child and accompanying adult, plus a burger in a bun. By all accounts the burger itself was tasty, but it was literally just that. No cheese, no salad, no extras and no real substance around it.
Refreshments were also lacking, with no additional hot drinks available and just a single bottle of ketchup being shared among around twenty two people. It felt a little underwhelming when you’ve paid £350. The other issue was the seating allocation. The mascot package includes four match tickets, but the seats are situated on the opposite side of the stadium from where many of the mascot photographs and introductions take place. We could still see Raffie (just) but almost every photograph on the pitch was facing away from us.
Even more oddly, the seats were positioned next to the away supporters. It seemed an unusual choice given that every mascot is a child. By the time the mascots are escorted around the stadium and brought to their seats, they also miss the opening minutes of the match.
These are small frustrations rather than major criticisms, but they do feel like simple things which could be improved.
The only sour note of the day wasn’t actually anything to do with Norwich City at all. On our way to the stadium I had an unpleasant encounter with some away supporters who had wandered into the private car park I was using and made what should have been an exciting morning rather stressful.
Thankfully Raffie knew absolutely nothing about it. And that’s what matters. Because for him, this wasn’t just a football match. It wasn’t even just a birthday present. It was quite simply the best day of his life.
Despite my reservations about the rising cost, despite the rather meagre meal and despite a few logistical quirks, I can’t deny that Norwich City created memories that will stay with our family forever.
Could it be cheaper? Absolutely.
Should it be more accessible? I think so.
Would I recommend it if you can somehow juggle the finances?
Without hesitation.
Because sometimes childhood memories are worth every penny, and watching your little boy walk out at Carrow Road like he owns the place is one of those moments you’ll treasure long after the final whistle has blown.
