A Sticky Situation

I’m not ashamed to say it, I’m a football sticker collector. Whenever a World or Euro cup comes around, I can’t wait to get myself a sticker book, and spend far too much money purchasing packs upon packs of stickers. Normally my quest to finish these books ends with uncompleted pages, and copious amounts of swaps’ that I ultimately find I have no use for, in fact, this year was absolutely no different, plenty of money spent, over a hundred stickers remain unfound. A result which no doubt will only encourage me to spend even more money in two years time, and all for what?!

Anyway, when putting my latest unfinished work away with the others, I seemed to remember one that I did complete! I dived into my cupboards and searched vigorously for Japan/Korea 2002... My potential masterpiece. Ten minutes later, I held in my hands that exact sticker book. It was dustier and more worn than I remembered, but it was beautiful. I began turning the pages, happily looking at the faces staring back at me. But it wasn’t long before my happiness had turned to desperation, and the word ‘unfinished’ came straight back to me. Sticker number 203, the Turkish striker and legend Arif Erdem still remained to be found, and subsequently meant like the rest, this sticker book was not completed, and I feel that has to be resolved.

Without his sticker in my possession, I feel like his career now amounts to nothing. Over 400 club appearances with 121 goals, and 11 goals in 60 international matches. It seemed like it never happened, all because he was missing from that sticker book, and I feel that needs to change. So, if any reader of this could help me in any way to source this sticker, or even source the man himself just to get some closure on the whole situation, would be a massive help! Until then, this issue will continue to sit with the rest of the unfinished books.

Thom