It might only be October, but if you have a football-mad child in the house, now is the moment to start thinking about Christmas. Personalised gifts are the ones that get remembered, and a trading card with your child's own photo, name, rating and stats on it is about as personal as a present gets. Here is our honest guide to choosing the right card, pairing it with a few extras, and ordering in good time so it is under the tree rather than stuck in the post.
Why a personalised football card makes a brilliant Christmas present
Most children who love football have a drawer full of trading cards already. What none of them have is a card of themselves. Seeing their own face on an FC-style card, with a big rating and a set of stats for pace, shooting, passing and the rest, is a proper "wow" moment on Christmas morning. It works for a six-year-old who has just started at a Saturday club, and it works for a teenager who would never admit to being excited about anything.
Our cards are designed and printed in our own factory in Lincoln, so everything is British made and checked by hand before it goes out. We are also the cheapest personalised football card makers in the UK, and we back that up with a price-beat promise. If you find the same thing cheaper elsewhere, tell us and we will beat it.
If you are buying for more than one child, or want a spare for Grandma's fridge, remember that when you buy one card you get a second one half price. Siblings, cousins and the whole five-a-side team can be sorted in a single order.
Gift ideas to pair with a card
A card on its own is a lovely stocking filler, but it also makes a great centrepiece for a bigger football-themed present. A few combinations that work well: a card with a new pair of boots or shin pads for a child moving up an age group; a card tucked inside a kit bag or water bottle for a club player; or a framed card for the bedroom wall, which turns it from a stocking filler into something that stays on display all year.
Football is not the only option either. If your child spends more time on a horse than a pitch, our horse cards work the same way, with their photo and a rating for jumping, speed and handling. For the gamer in the family, our gaming cards let you set the stats around their favourite games. There are also car and boxing cards, and presentation cards for a more formal "player of the year" style award. The same personalisation applies across the range, so you can mix and match within one order and still get the second card half price.
When to order for Christmas delivery
Because every card is made to order, timing matters more than it does with an off-the-shelf gift. All of our cards are made and dispatched within two working days of your order, and then Royal Mail takes over for delivery. In a normal week that means your card arrives quickly, but December is the busiest time of year for the postal service, so we would always suggest ordering earlier rather than later. If you can get your order in by the second week of December, you give yourself plenty of breathing room. Earlier still, and you can forget about it entirely and enjoy a stress-free run-up to Christmas.
Left it late? We have you covered. Next Day Delivery costs £10 and is available on orders placed by 12pm Monday to Friday, which is ideal for those last few days before the big day. Spend over £35 and standard UK delivery is free, which is easy to reach if you are buying for a couple of children or adding a frame.
Whatever you order, it is covered by the Kids Merch Promise. If you are not happy with your card for any reason, we will reprint it free of charge, and we reply to every message within one working day, so you are never left wondering where your order is.
Ready to make this Christmas a memorable one? Browse our range of personalised football cards, upload a photo, pick a rating and stats, and we will take care of the rest in Lincoln. Start your child's card today.