A Year On | UltraStickersFC

Since our inception on the 24th of August of 2024, we have amassed something we had never thought would be possible. From our self admittedly bad first post on TikTok, we have now built a following of over 4,000 with a respectively smaller following on our Instagram page. However, this is not what our debut blog post is about - this is about our story.

Our first ever order was made through a connection on our TikTok page to a Millwall fan - if I remember correctly, it was about 300 stickers. I can remember the thrill. The frantic designing of the first design. Ordering the first ever batch of supplies. Even seeing the wonderful, crisp stickers coming off the print for the first time seemed to be the best thing in the world to me at the time. And so it commenced.

In our earliest days, we had operated without a website with a storefront, and instead everything was done through messaging on our instagram. In some aspects, and for some odd reason, I miss the days when I would be scrambling through my inboxes looking for who wanted what and who was ready to pay and all of the other courtesies of the whole business. I still vividly remember the customer who had changed it all. In a way to respect his privacy, I will not name him. However, I will precede to tell the story.

It was late into the afternoon of a dark winters day when a Mansfield Town fan had asked for a design fit for purpose for their upcoming away game against Wrexham. The whole precedent of the sticker was based off the hubbub of noise that surrounded one of their players, and probably the fact that Wrexham were buying the league. Anyways, I had made the stickers for the man and my usual TikTok post that followed had become my first 'viral' - I call it viral now but in reality it never was actually viral - post. The entire day, my phone had buzzed relentlessly and every single notification that pinged on my phone seemed to be another Mansfield fan wanting the same sticker. It was on this day where I knew I had to upgrade - so we did.

Cash in hand and proud, I had upgraded my kit so I could start producing vinyl stickers instead of the SplashProof paper stickers we had been making before. Once again, a key memory of my story involves Mansfield Town as they had once again been responsible for my first ever vinyl stickers.

In the next stage of our makeover, we sorted out our online identity. In the Christmas Holidays of the year gone, it was constant coding, photoshopping and cutting as I approached the busiest time of year. Days after my birthday, the website was up and running, ready to take orders. I have just taken a look back at my first orders, and it all pieces together so familiarly and a wave of nostalgia has just hit me - the Shrewsbury to the West Ham to the Birmingham city. From the beginning up until February, we were flying.

In all honesty, the period following February was probably the busiest time of my life. Orders were slowing down mainly owed to the fact I was posting less and less online. I found my business in a hard position where the demand was there, but I found it impossible to supply so much. Alongside this, I had some painstakingly issues with our shipping partners, which caused delays much longer than it should have done.

However, despite this rut, the business has moved forwards and we implemented our spin on custom stickers. There was a point in August where I had a few trips back to back with very small lay overs between the travelling. However, and maybe not so wisely, I still worked to push our business venture of our new custom stickers out there while I was on my first trip, and it was fair to say that the new idea took off. That night between coming back home, and needing to leave again at 4am was completely manic. The constant whirring of stickers being made probably drove me insane.

Fast forward to now, we are still operating as one of the largest football sticker suppliers in the country and I am proud of what we have built, and what we continue to build. To commemorate some of my favourite stickers ever, I have written up a sort of 'UltraStickersFC Hall of Fame'. Here it is...

Troop 22 Never Forget, Never Forgive - A true hooligan style classic and our first ever sticker.

Sinclair Armstrong Offside - Great banter during their Playoff push. Fair to say that Bristol City fans loved it too.

James McCleans a W*nker - Mansfield fans seemed to love this one, and I loved its success.

The Lewes FC collection - Although never available for purchase, these were scary to see about. A sign of the CAP Firm and a sign of danger. Funny enough, these have been replicated by others.

Sheffieldl Wednesday Skull 1867 - A true piece of illustrative art inspired by European stickers found along the south bank.