Sky News journalist Rob Kirk is a life-long Norwich City football fan, and he's just had an experience to test his devotion to his team.

"As presents go, it's every football fan’s dream: two tickets to a home match, a tour of the ground, and a chance to go on the pitch before the kick-off to lead the crowd singing the team anthem.

To be honest, it scared the living daylights out of me.

I appreciated the tickets, and relished the chance to explore the inside of the stadium at Carrow Road, but the thought of going into the centre circle and singing ‘On The Ball, City’ in front of 25,000 people made me quake.

This anthem is famous (well, it’s famous in East Anglia), and I’ve sung it in all sorts of places including Wembley and the Millennium Stadium for the best part of a half century.

But what if I have stage-fright? What if I ‘corpse’, and forget the words? Consequently I didn’t sleep well the night before, and could focus on little else on match-day.

It’s Norwich City v Sheffield United. A big match. Norwich need a win to haul themselves out of the relegation zone in the Championship.

So will my efforts help? I feel a heavy responsibility. Will I get the blame if they lose?

At ten minutes to three, I’m led pitch-side, and brush shoulders with a stern-looking Brian Kidd, Sheffield’s assistant manager.

"We’re going to blow you away, mate," I think.

The music on the public address system is cranked up. Men with ear-pieces look worryingly towards the tunnel. The teams run out. The crowd roars. It’s pouring with rain.

I’m led on to the pitch as the players kick-around. I wanted to ‘do a Delia’, and shout: "Where are you? Let’s be ‘aving you," but the man with the microphone told me: "I’ll count 3-2-1, then you start singing."

And then? Well, I start singing on cue – but I can’t hear a thing except the roar of ‘On The Ball, City’ from most of the other 24,492 other people in the crowd.

It’s deafening. Two nephews in the crowd tell me later that they couldn’t hear me at all.

"Well done," I’m told by the man with mic. I’m led off the pitch. It's over. It’s still raining, and the match starts.

I notice that I only stop shaking when I take my seat to watch the game. The result? A 1-0 win for Norwich.

It doesn’t say so in the newspaper reports of the match, but I’m convinced the quality of the pre-match singing drove them to victory.

Oh: and did I see Delia? Yes: she was on the next table as I stuck into my pre-match steak and onion with Woodforde Norfolk Ale pie."

:: So what is the strangest birthday present you've ever been bought? Let us know by adding your comment to this blog.

Comments

[Emily Stewart 30 Jan 2008 17:00:28]

my weirdest pressie was a blank cd. Yes you guessed from my boyfriend who is now my ex. it wasnt a joke. he thought I could make my own cd.

[Hazel Hawthorne 30 Jan 2008 13:39:14]

On my birthday my husband rang me at work to tell me he had a surprise for me but wouldn't tell me what it was. All day I was really excited and raced to get home to find out what he had brought me. It turned out to be a bloody lawnmower. Im now divorced!!!

[Liam Croad, UK 24 Jan 2008 12:05:31]

I once got a pink venus shaver as a christmas present. I was four. This waswhen my parents were in a mental hospital and I thought that I was a girl!

[stephen O Mahony Cork 24 Jan 2008 11:08:28]

My weirdest birthday I got was a pair of wooly underpants my nan knitted for me I still wear them sometimes

[Iona Dickins-Pandex, West Virgina 23 Jan 2008 11:02:56]

Pack of White paper, for no apparent reason and from no-one i no!!!

[Simon Warry, Isle Of Wight 23 Jan 2008 10:56:40]

I got a power rangers dressing gown when i was 19 years old from my mummy

[Latham Smith France 21 Jan 2008 18:43:32]

The weirdest birthday present I ever received was on 18th July 1984, my 35th birthday. When my wife whom I loved dearly, announced after dinner that she was divorcing me and then with state assisted thugery gave herself, my two lovely daughters, my home and everything I had worked all my life for up until that point, to her lover, a mutual friend!

[Laura in Spain 21 Jan 2008 13:58:13]

The weirdest present i ever recieved was a pair of kitchen scissors all wrapped up nicely. The person who bought itfor me...you guessed it my then boyfriend, i thought it was a joke but enevitably not!

[Jenny Bentley Northampton UK 2 Jan 2008 13:09:03]

My daughter got a packet of Value Custard Creams wrapped in a carrier bag for her 7th birthday.

[Siera london 20 Dec 2007 21:23:24]

my wierdest birthday present was a washing machine, our washing machine broke down a day before my birthday so i was complaining alot about my pile of clothes which i did not have time to drag to the laundry so then for my birthday my uncle went and brought me a really expensieve modern washing machine.Its wierd but i love it.

[Sue b Sheffield 11 Dec 2007 13:32:53]

I think the weirdest Birthday present I got, was from my then boyfriend (now my husband and father of my three lovely daughters) back in 1986. It wasnt the actual present that was so weird,in fact it was a beautiful handcrafted leather belt, but the circumstances that I was given them.

I agreed to do a couple of parachute jumps for an Hospital charity (even though I am petrified of heights and 2000 feet sounded a long way down!) and the first one went well apart from a rough landing in a cow pat!!. The second one was done a few weeks later and happened to be the day before my Birthday. My husband (then my boyfriend), decided to give me my presents on the morning prior to the jump, just in case I didnt make it to my Birthday!!! Needless to say, the second jump was far more nerve racking than the first.

[Daniel Essex 10 Dec 2007 15:52:48]

being an ipswich town football club supporter i cant think of a worse present....come on the super blues!

[Khalid 10 Dec 2007 10:56:13]

And what a "Super Trooper" Sky sent to ensure a divine victory, where not so long ago hearts had sunken.
As indeed the days go by I'm sure the experience will be as historical as the very complimentary tickets, albeit in a Newcastle of football delights. You see, that was a dream, now time to make it a reality. So, dont be scared "Abba" as you will always be number 1. Any way Rob, isnt Norfolk famous for turkeys or am I off tangent slightly? All the Best!