Sportsmania

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say a MASSIVE thankyou to everyone who crewed at Sportsmania! You were all absolutely fantastic! It's been a while since I have been involved in the shows and I had forgotten what a great bunch of people you all are. There really is no other events crew like you anywhere! I've had lots of members of the public also tell me how friendly, professional and helpful you all were too. The guests were also very impressed and they asked me to pass on their gratitude for making their weekend so enjoyable! I hope you all enjoyed the show and are going to be able to get some well earned rest! I'm looking forward to being able to work with you all again very soon. Thanks Mark

Hi there, Just to let you know that the online shop will close at 1pm on Wednesday for Sportsmania. Therefore, anyone wanting photo session tickets needs to either purchase them from the shop before that time, or alternatively they will be available from the organisers booth, which will be outside NEXT, at the show. Thanks Mark

It's actually a nice idea but I don't have anything that has them both on. I will definitely look into it if we have them both for a future event though, as would probably mean doing a photo with them both in advance and getting that printed. As I said though, nice idea! Mark

Rose and Barry are indeed going to be at Sportsmania! Mark

Hi there, Unfortunately Sir Henry Cooper OBE will now only be able to join us on Saturday, due to a personal commitment on Sunday. We are, however, delighted that he can still make the Saturday of the show. Mark

Just to let everyone know that Sir Henry Cooper OBE will only now be able to make Sportsmania on Saturday. Mark

Do we have to get the autographs before we do the exercises, as I may die halfway through Also, if we survive do we get a free autograph of our choice? Sorry just walking round the centre is too much, have been looking for one of these electric chairs for years. Lol! I tell you what, if you die halfway through the workout then you can have a free autograph!!!! If you survive then you have the satisfaction of knowing you have attended a sports event and not only got autographs, but also been sporting in the process!!!!!! I just have this image now of people dragging themselves away from The David Lloyd stand half dead from exhaustion! Mark

That sounds energetic, scary and yet strangely fun all at the same time Think they are planning on having some instructors there to demo some of their classes and get people involved! :-) Sounds like fun, so bring some energy! Mark

We are pleased to announce that Milton Keynes' very own football team, The MK Dons, will be exhibiting at Sportsmania! They will be showcasing their new Denbigh stadium, and promoting various other activities that they are getting up to! Indeed, there may even be the odd player or two hanging around to say hi!

We are pleased to announce that countries top chain of leisure clubs, David Lloyd Leisure will be exhibiting at Sportsmania! They are hoping to have some interactive activities which I'm sure will be fun for everyone to try! We are delighted to have agreed an ongoing relationship with David Lloyd Leisure, and are proud to count them amongst our partner companies on the event. David Lloyd Leisure

Everyone will have their own queue. Will they all be sitting next to each other? Just being lazy really, and also I don't want to wander round the centre with other half, as she will want to spend my autograph fund I don't know the exact hall layout but I would be very surprised if they're not sat next to each other. Hi there, Too Tall is right that they will all have seperate queues. We haven't finalised the floor layout yet, but I certainly envisage that all the 66 guys will be sitting next to each other in the same area. Mark

Hi there, Signing Corinthian figures will be the same price as photos. I'm afraid that Matt Le Tissier is only with us on Saturday. Mark Hi there, No problem about the prices. I know it's always helpful to be able to budget a bit! The virtual tickets basically mean that you dont have to stand around all day in queues, and you can be queueing virtually in multiple queues all at the same time! That means that you can meet more people than you usually would be able to and be able to enjoy the other aspects of the show because you are not just standing in lines all day! Basically the way it works is that if there are more than about 15 people waiting to meet a guest then rather than more people just joining the back of the queue and standing around waiting for ages, you take a ticket number, a little bit like at the deli counter in a supermarket. You can then go off and do something else, whether it be look round the rest of the show, or meet another guest, until your ticket number is called. Once your ticket number is called then you go back to where the guest is and join the actual queue that will be no more than about 15 people. This effectively means that you never actually stand in a line of more than 15 people. For example, you might have virtual ticket number 695, which means that there are 694 people in the queue in front of you. Imagine standing in a line with that many people in front! It would be no fun at all. However, when you don't actually have to stand there you can go and have lots of fun doing other stuff until your turn comes. We have used this system at all our other events we run, and it works really really well, both in terms of peoples enjoyment of the event, and also enabling them to meet more guests than there would otherwise be time for! Hope that explains it a bit. If you have any other queries about it please do come back to me. Mark

Hi there, Programmes and books will be the same price as photos! Mark

Hi Les, Yes, if you want yourself and your wife in the photo then you will need to purchase 2 photo opportunities. You will, however, receive 2 pictures aswell. Mark

As far as I'm aware there will be Credit card machines the same as at Collectormania events. So no need for organs to be removed. Glad about that as I was thinking that I wasn't going to have enough organs anyway Hi ya! Yes, you will indeed be able to pay by credit card. Just go to the organisers desk where you can use your credit card to purchase vouchers which you can redeem against autographs. There should be some sort of joke there about organisers and organs but I'll leave that to your imagination! Mark

Hi everyone, Just to let you know that the professional photo sessions taking place at Sportsmania are now on sale! A list of them can be found below. Please note that the number of photo opportunities for each person is limited so if you would like to book tickets for any of them you can do so in advance by clicking Here or alternatively any remaining tickets will be sold at the show. Thanks Mark SATURDAY 23rd JUNE 2007 : 10am - 10.10 : Geoff Capes - £10 10.20 - 10.50 : The Gladiators (All 4 Gladiators in one shot) - £15 11.00 - 11.30 : The 2003 Rugby World Cup Squad - £45 (Ben Cohen MBE, Steve Thompson MBE, Matt Dawson MBE, Kyran Bracken MBE) 11.30 - 11.45 : Matt Dawson MBE - £15 11.45 - 12.00 : Kyran Bracken MBE - £15 12.10 - 12.40 : Frank Bruno - £15 12.50 - 1.20 : Henry Cooper - £15 1.30 - 2.00 : Jimmy Greaves - £15 2.10 - 2.30 : Matt Le Tissier - £10 3.00 - 4.00 : The England 1966 World Cup Winning Team - £75 (Gordon Banks OBE, George Cohen MBE, Jack Charlton OBE, Ray Wilson MBE, Nobby Stiles MBE, Roger Hunt MBE, Martin Peters MBE & Sir Geoff Hurst MBE. Plus a replica of the World Cup) A portion of the income this photo shoot will be donated to one of Alan Ball's favourite charities. 4.10 - 4.30 : The FA Cup - A chance to hold aloft a perfect replica of The FA Cup - £10 SUNDAY 24th JUNE 2007 : 11.00 - 11.20 : Norman Whiteside - £10 11.30 - 12.10 : Steve Davis - £15 12.20 - 12.40 : Virginia Wade - £15 12.50 - 1.20 : The England 1966 World Cup Winning Team - £75 (Gordon Banks OBE, George Cohen MBE, Jack Charlton OBE, Ray Wilson MBE, Nobby Stiles MBE, Roger Hunt MBE, Martin Peters MBE & Sir Geoff Hurst MBE. Plus a replica of The World Cup) A portion of the income this photo shoot will be donated to one of Alan Ball's favourite charities. 1.30 - 1.50 : Henry Cooper - £15 2.00 - 2.20 : Ossie Ardiles & Ricky Villa - £20 2.30 - 3.00 : Frank Bruno - £15 3.10 - 3.25 : Jimmy Greaves - £15 3.30 - 3.50 : The FA Cup - A chance to hold aloft a perfect replica of The FA Cup - £10

Hi there, I do have news on this and have already announced it in the photo shoot thread, but I forgot to post here in this thread too. The 1966 World Cup team will be doing a photo shoot at the show and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to one of Alan's favourite charities in his memory. As Alan was originally to attend the event and the photo shoot I felt it would be nice to remember him in this way. Mark

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience at another event. We're anxious to make everyones experience at Sportsmania as pleasant and exciting as it can be! We are keen to allow photos at the table where possible as not only is it a great memento from the show, it also acts as added authenticity for the autograph you are getting, which as a collector myself I know is often important. Equally I think the photo shoots are a fantastic memento in their own right, and the sort of thing that looks great on the wall! I know that I will definitely be getting a photo with the 1966 World Cup Team myself! Mark

Hi there, We certainly wont be stopping the guests doing photos at the table unless they are so busy that we have to due to time constraints. Sometimes the guests themselves, for whatever reason, don't want to do photos at the table, in which case we would obviously respect their wishes. The professional photoshoots are an additional attraction that we make available to people who would like a properly posed and more personal picture with the guests. They are not intended to replace being able to grab a quick shot over the table, as I don't really feel they are the same thing at all. Mark

Not sure yet! I will try and get some though as I know they would be popular! Mark

Lol! Kayla, I knew that would make you happy!!!!!!!!!! Mark

ooops!!! Sorry about that. Fixed it now. Kyran's photo shoot is £15. You can pay by all major credit cards through the online store, or if tickets are still left on the day then you can buy tickets at the organisers booth either by card or cash. Mark

Hi everyone, We will be having several professional photoshoots over the course of the weekend. These are an amazing opportunity to get a photograph of yourself with a guest, taken by a professional photographer and back to you in about an hour! The photos come back as a 6x9 and have you properly posed with the guest in question! (None of this quick lean over a table lark)! To give you an idea of what it looks like below is a picture taken of our good friend Davey with Robert Englund, aka Freddy Krueger! (Although hopefully our guests will be a little less scary)!! Tickets for the photo sessions will be sold in advance in the online store on the Sportmsnia website, www.sportsmaniaevents.com. These should be available from this Friday, and I will post an announcement here on the forum as soon as they are on sale. Below is a list of the photo shoots that we have available and their prices. There is only a limited time available for each shoot, and so advance booking is advisable, although if any tickets remain they will be available on the day at the show from the organisers booth. The 1966 England World Cup team group shot is an incredibly rare opportunity to get a picture with these 8 legends. Before the sad death of Alan Ball he too was going to be in attendance, and as a mark of respect we will be donating a portion of the proceeds from this photoshoot to one of Alan's favourite charities. If you have any queries about the photo sessions please post them in this thread and I will answer anything that I can. Thanks Mark SATURDAY 23rd JUNE 2007 : 10am - 10.10 : Geoff Capes - £10 10.20 - 10.50 : The Gladiators (All 4 Gladiators in one shot) - £15 11.00 - 11.30 : The 2003 Rugby World Cup Squad - £45 (Ben Cohen MBE, Steve Thompson MBE, Matt Dawson MBE, Kyran Bracken MBE) 11.30 - 11.45 : Matt Dawson MBE - £15 11.45 - 12.00 : Kyran Bracken MBE - £15 12.10 - 12.40 : Frank Bruno - £15 12.50 - 1.20 : Henry Cooper - £15 1.30 - 2.00 : Jimmy Greaves - £15 2.10 - 2.30 : Matt Le Tissier - £10 3.00 - 4.00 : The England 1966 World Cup Winning Team - £75 (Gordon Banks OBE, George Cohen MBE, Jack Charlton OBE, Ray Wilson MBE, Nobby Stiles MBE, Roger Hunt MBE, Martin Peters MBE & Sir Geoff Hurst MBE. Plus a replica of the World Cup) A portion of the income this photo shoot will be donated to one of Alan Ball's favourite charities. 4.10 - 4.30 : The FA Cup - A chance to hold aloft a perfect replica of The FA Cup - £10 SUNDAY 24th JUNE 2007 : 11.00 - 11.20 : Norman Whiteside - £10 11.30 - 12.10 : Steve Davis - £15 12.20 - 12.40 : Virginia Wade - £15 12.50 - 1.20 : The England 1966 World Cup Winning Team - £75 (Gordon Banks OBE, George Cohen MBE, Jack Charlton OBE, Ray Wilson MBE, Nobby Stiles MBE, Roger Hunt MBE, Martin Peters MBE & Sir Geoff Hurst MBE. Plus a replica of The World Cup) A portion of the income this photo shoot will be donated to one of Alan Ball's favourite charities. 1.30 - 1.50 : Henry Cooper - £15 2.00 - 2.20 : Ossie Ardiles & Ricky Villa - £20 2.30 - 3.00 : Frank Bruno - £15 3.10 - 3.25 : Jimmy Greaves - £15 3.30 - 3.50 : The FA Cup - A chance to hold aloft a perfect replica of The FA Cup - £10

Hi, Yes, virtual tickets for all guests, including those arriving late, will be given out at 9am when the show opens. Mark

Hi everyone, Please find below a list of the prices and appearance days for the guests at Sportsmania. All prices listed are for signatures on photos. These can either be your own picture, or a photo that we provide free of charge. Signatures on sportswear such as shirts, shorts, balls or boxing gloves will be charged at £10 more than the photo price listed. Gordon Banks and Roger Hunt will not be arriving until 2pm on the Saturday, and Geoff Hurst will be arriving around 2.45pm on the Saturday and 12.30 on Sunday, due to prior work commitments. However, all of them have agreed that they will, if need be, stay late to get through anyone who is waiting to see them. If you have any queries on any of this please post in this thread and I will answer anything that I can. Mark Gordon Banks OBE £15 Appearing Both Days ( Saturday from 2pm ) Jack Charlton OBE £10 Appearing Both Days George Cohen MBE £10 Appearing Both Days Ray Wilson MBE £10 Appearing Both Days Nobby Stiles MBE £10 Appearing Both Days Roger Hunt MBE £10 Appearing Both Days ( Saturday from 2pm ) Martin Peters MBE £15 Appearing Both Days Sir Geoff Hurst MBE £15 Appearing Both Days ( Sat from 2.45pm & Sun from 12.30 ) Ben Cohen MBE £15 Appearing Both Days Steve Thompson MBE £15 Appearing Both Days Matt Dawson MBE £15 Appearing Both Days Kyran Bracken £15 Appearing Both Days Jimmy Greaves £15 Appearing Both Days Frank Bruno £15 Appearing Both Days Henry Cooper £15 Appearing Saturday Only Virginia Wade £15 Appearing Sunday Only Steve Davis £15 Appearing Sunday Only Dean Holdsworth £10 Appearing Both Days Matt Le Tissier £10 Appearing Saturday Only Steve Perryman £10 Appearing Both Days Ron 'Chopper' Harris £10 Appearing Both Days Pat Jennings £10 Appearing Both Days Norman Whiteside £10 Appearing Sunday Only Geoff Capes £10 Appearing Saturday Only John Conteh £10 Appearing Both Days Bob Champion £10 Appearing Both Days John H Stracey £10 Appearing Both Days Derek Redmond £10 Appearing Both Days Ossie Ardiles £10 Appearing Both Days Ricardo Villa £10 Appearing Both Days Hunter £10 Appearing Saturday Only Rhino £10 Appearing Saturday Only Panther £10 Appearing Saturday Only Scorpio £10 Appearing Saturday Only