Happy birthday Vera, a real team player!

Dominic Bareham

A LIFE-LONG Norwich City supporter was overjoyed when she met her heroes past and present for a surprise treat for her 89th birthday.

Vera Greenacre, of Station Road, Belton, was not expecting to meet her all-time favourite Canaries player Terry Allcock and current hero striker Jamie Cureton when she visited the club's Carrow Road ground for the home game against Colchester United on her birthday, Saturday, March 22.

Although she can no longer get to all the matches, she never misses a game involving her beloved Canaries even if that means catching it on the radio.

And to make her day complete Cureton had earlier bagged a hat-trick in a 5-1 victory before she got to meet him after the match.

She said she had no idea she was about to be presented with a birthday cake when she went for lunch at Delia's Restaurant before the game.

“It was a real shock. Nobody said a word - I had my dinner at Delia's Restaurant but I had no idea of what was to come. I never saw them coming until they got right to me. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. I said 'if you had done this for me when I am 89, what are you going to do when I reach 90?'” she said.

The surprise had been arranged by Mrs Greenacre's son Philip and daughter-in-law Christine because she has been a regular at Carrow Road, especially during the 1950s and 1960s when she lived at Mulbarton and Allcock played for the Canaries.

In fact, the mother-of-four has met Allcock, who is now a partner in a funeral business, on a number of occasions and she said: “We have a laugh and a joke. I keep telling him to keep his tape measure in his pocket because I am not ready yet!”

She added: “The Canaries did well that day, but not as good last weekend against Bristol City.

“I would rather have a football match on than a film.”

As well as Philip, Mrs Greenacre has three other sons - Trevor, 63, Colin, 67 and Michael, 58.