Man United section in the upstairs of "Birthdays" card shop in the 90s

Olly Gunnar Solskjær

Marxist bacon-hating kebab-dodging Tinder rascal
Scout
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
Messages
36,844
Location
dreams can't be buy
Did anyone ever go to any branches of the Birthdays card shop in the 1990s? I'm not sure if it was just the two near me, but the whole of the upstairs of them was one big Man United section selling all kinds of memorabilia. It was great fun to go there as a kid. I got my first United shirt from there.

I can't any mention of it online though, so I'm not sure how widespread it was. I'd love to find some pictures.
 
Yeah, there was one in Kingston where I used to get my shirt numbers pressed, and stock up on my large collection of Paul Parker bobble heads (unintentionally)
 
Last edited:
I've never heard of this but it sounds brill. The only United related stuff I ever got was from the megastore at OT when I went with my dad and older brother bar this one awesome easter egg I got as a kid.
 
I remember this clearly but haven't thought about it for 20 years. It was sort of mental. I remember it being suggested that Steve Bruce had some ownership link. I firmly believed that in my mid-teens. Seems like potential nonsense.
 
I also remember it having United merchandise but it was Bryan Robson who had the link with Birthdays.

Birthdays, which operates 500 stores and also includes the discount business Cards Direct and a string of Partyland franchise outlets, was founded by a Manchester businessman in the 1970s. At one point former England football captain Bryan Robson was a shareholder and director.

Taken from the Guardian Nov 2004
 
Off topic but it just reminded me of when I was about 13/14 and asked my mum to pick me up my copy of FourFourTwo magazine from the news agents. When she came back later that afternoon I had a bunch of mates over playing Goldeneye on the N64 (:drool:) and she threw my magazine to me. She'd picked up that fecking comic book Shoot! which had a poster of Owen, McAttear and Redknapp in it and some free stickers. I had the piss ripped out of me for weeks and weeks for it. :(
 
Christ you've just sent me on a nostalgia trip. I'd completely forgotten about that!

Yeah, the one nearest me at the time was a huge upstairs room full of United stuff. I remember being really down going back there years later and it was just a normal upstairs card shop, like my childhood had been stripped away
 
LisburnWhite said:
I also remember it having United merchandise but it was Bryan Robson who had the link with Birthdays.

Birthdays, which operates 500 stores and also includes the discount business Cards Direct and a string of Partyland franchise outlets, was founded by a Manchester businessman in the 1970s. At one point former England football captain Bryan Robson was a shareholder and director.

Taken from the Guardian Nov 2004
Click to expand...
Was going to say that, Robbo was part owner of Birthdays which was based in Bury as well as owning Benny's nightclub in Bury, met him there at a bonfire night party along with Sparky, Paul McGrath and Viv Anderson in the late 80s.
 
I really can't imagine getting a shirt printed in the 90s anywhere but JJB or the megastore.

That said my first shirt, I got printed from a shack in the car park outside OT. For whatever reason we didn't get it done in the superstore and I'm not sure the megastore was open yet. Anyone remember that?
 
Yeah i remember Birthdays had a United section though it was just a corner not upstairs. Once they opened a Man Utd superstore here though i think they stopped it.
 
I remember.

Also the United magazine with Choccys Diaries and vaguely a bit about some kid scoring a goal on a playing field with a coke can in the black and yellow kit.
 
I got my grey United top there when I was about 7 or 8. I wanted Cantona on the back but was too skinny and it wouldn't fit so I had to get Giggs instead.
 
I remember this! I used to question if I was making this up and I was just in a general sports store.

I remember having to get my purple keeper kit changed because it pulled way to easy :lol:
 
SkeppyRed said:
I remember.

Also the United magazine with Choccys Diaries and vaguely a bit about some kid scoring a goal on a playing field with a coke can in the black and yellow kit.
Click to expand...

OMG kid and the coke can who was going to make it big. I think in a later issue he gets spotted by players and gets a trial,then there's a pic of him with SAF
 
Day after Cole signed for us (Jan 95), me and my mate spent bare dolla' getting kits with 'Cole 17' on the back.

Upstairs in Birthday's was United heaven.

Cue Queen's 'These were the days of our lives' :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.