Norpig.

Andy Waller · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 7:40 am

Just quickly, could anyone back me up on this one? During the days of the inflatable Norpig, I had one the club did. I'm sure it was called a "Happy Wanderer". My mate just think there was just Norpig. I think he's talking shite.

ratbert · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:50 am

Norpig was the unofficial inflatable. Happy Wanderer was the official club one, which was basically a smiley football head on a cartoon body. It was shite.

Andy Waller · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:42 am

It was shite. But I was happy with it. Thanks mate!

Barr Hill · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:23 am

[quote="Andy Waller"]Just quickly, could anyone back me up on this one? During the days of the inflatable Norpig, I had one the club did. I'm sure it was called a "Happy Wanderer". My mate just think there was just Norpig. I think he's talking shite.[/quote

Any relation to Moonpig.com....

ohjimmyjimmy · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:33 am

It was a simpler time, before Lofty and before t'internet.

TKIZ! · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:02 pm

Norpig was definitely separate from 'Happy Wanderer' as I had the Norpig and was gutted when I left it behind at Wembley in '89

Turkish Trotter · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:23 pm

There was the happy wanderer, but I can't recall the club doing an inflatable of this, they put the thing on various merchandise, it was a mans body with a football as its head.
Norpig was an inflatable pig in a wanderers kit, and I remember taking one to Wembley when we beat Torquay 4 1. I think these were sold in the old club shop, but could be wrong they may have been unofficial.

CAPSLOCK · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:20 pm

The Norpig was a Joe Smith (RIP) brainchild

His was the sports shop at Tong Fold

I don't think you could buy them anywhere else, though something in the back of my mond is saying there was a stall on the market - s'pose it may have been Joes

TKIZ! · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:29 pm

CAPSLOCK wrote:

The Norpig was a Joe Smith (RIP) brainchild

His was the sports shop at Tong Fold

I don't think you could buy them anywhere else, though something in the back of my mond is saying there was a stall on the market - s'pose it may have been Joes

Joe Smith's on Bury Rd? I'd forgotten about that, got my first Bolton kit there

He did have a stall on Bolton Market as well.

Turkish Trotter · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:53 pm

TKIZ! wrote:

CAPSLOCK wrote:

The Norpig was a Joe Smith (RIP) brainchild

His was the sports shop at Tong Fold

I don't think you could buy them anywhere else, though something in the back of my mond is saying there was a stall on the market - s'pose it may have been Joes

Joe Smith's on Bury Rd? I'd forgotten about that, got my first Bolton kit there

He did have a stall on Bolton Market as well.

Yes, you're correct again sir, I remember getting it there.

CAPSLOCK · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:26 pm

TKIZ! wrote:

CAPSLOCK wrote:

The Norpig was a Joe Smith (RIP) brainchild

His was the sports shop at Tong Fold

I don't think you could buy them anywhere else, though something in the back of my mond is saying there was a stall on the market - s'pose it may have been Joes

Joe Smith's on Bury Rd? I'd forgotten about that, got my first Bolton kit there

He did have a stall on Bolton Market as well.

I really am quite good

Zulus Thousand of em · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:56 am

I knew Joe - didn't know he had died though. When did that happen? It's a bit of a bugger, moving away from Bolton.

Dave Sutton's barnet · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:39 am

Turkish Trotter wrote:

There was the happy wanderer, but I can't recall the club doing an inflatable of this, they put the thing on various merchandise, it was a mans body with a football as its head.
Norpig was an inflatable pig in a wanderers kit, and I remember taking one to Wembley when we beat Torquay 4 1. I think these were sold in the old club shop, but could be wrong they may have been unofficial.

Norpigs definitely unofficial. Happy Wanderer inflatables were the club's less popular response. I had one, took it to Wembley. '89 was big for inflatables, but you try telling kids that these days...

ohjimmyjimmy · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:47 am

I'm sure i took an inflatable banana to that one.
I'd probably get arrested for racism now.
Funny how times change !

CAPSLOCK · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 1:02 pm

Zulus Thousand of em wrote:

I knew Joe - didn't know he had died though. When did that happen? It's a bit of a bugger, moving away from Bolton.

Must be a good 10 years

His shop was forever getting done

Girl I knew asked him why he didn't have shutters

His reply was that he 'wanted folk to see stuff and come back and get it the next day'

She pointed out the flaw was that they didn't come back, they just opened up for themselves, there and then

Burnden Paddock · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 1:44 pm

CAPSLOCK wrote:

The Norpig was a Joe Smith (RIP) brainchild

His was the sports shop at Tong Fold

I don't think you could buy them anywhere else, though something in the back of my mond is saying there was a stall on the market - s'pose it may have been Joes

Indeed it was. I remember a few of us selling the Norpigs for Joe at the SVT Northern Final second leg at Blackpool. Good bloke!

Harry Genshaw · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:13 pm

There was a rumour at the time that the club didn't want to be associated with the Norpigs because they thought it may offend a Jewish bloke on the board, or Jews as a whole - I forget which - so they plumped for the happy wanderer inflatable instead. Am sure it was BS

CAPSLOCK · **Posted:** Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:57 pm

Brian Scowcroft isn't Jewish

ohjimmyjimmy · **Posted:** Wed Jun 27, 2012 12:07 pm

Andy Waller · **Posted:** Wed Jun 27, 2012 1:24 pm

Awesome.

Norpig.

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