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Shellsuit Samaritans
 Volunteers in the various colour uniforms |
They were, of course, the Commonwealth Games' 10,000-strong legion of volunteers. This barmy bunch of helpers flocked to Manchester from far and wide to make sure the largest multi-sport event ever held in the UK ran as smoothly as possible.
"They came from all over the place," said Katie Brazier, marketing director for recruitment agency Adecco, which ran the volunteer programme.
"I met some people from Manchester, who live in Spain but who came back here just for the Games. Only the other day, I met a lady from Northern Ireland who's taking part. It is a motley assortment of young and old, male and female, all united in one thing - being part of the Games.
"I'm a big sports fan, and I just wanted to be involved," 27-year-old volunteer Kirstie Bleakley told BBC Sport Online. Essex-based Bleakley, like many others, slept on a friend's floor in Manchester in order to fulfil her dream. And despite the long hours and the lack of pay, she says she had the time of her life.
"It can be quite demanding sometimes," said Bleakley, who took time off from her job as a sports centre manager in Billericay, near Chelmsford. "But when you were not there, you felt you were missing out."
 My flat cap complete with pin collection |
Of course, there were tedious moments too, such as waiting for events to start or having no-one to help, but the volunteers still managed to keep themselves amused. Rumour has it the city guides had a pool running on who was asked the dumbest question. The top two were: "Can anyone enter the marathon or is it just for top athletes?" and "Have you seen my mate? I've lost him."
Certainly for most helpers, the Games have been a blast, but what about those dodgy shell suits? They were hailed as the fashion crime of all fashion crimes. But now critics of the Commonwealth Games volunteer uniforms are now being made to eat their words.
The purple shell suits with stereotypical northern flat cap were dismissed as "bland, boring and badly cut." Coronation Street paraded nerdy Norris Cole in the official gear. And former BBC presenter and M.E.N. columnist Heather Stott who signed up to help with the Games wrote: "I would rather be throttled by my own knickers than wear the Manchester 2002 uniform."
However, with the event now over it seems nostalgia has set in and collectors are bidding hundreds of pounds for the ridiculed outfit. It is understood that one volunteer has been offered £800 for his uniform and Games officials confirm they have had hundred of calls from all over the world from people wanting to get their hands on the limited design tracksuit and cap.
"There are some real hard core collectors who are willing to pay a lot of money for anything to do with the Games, particularly the pins and uniforms" says a spokesman for the event. "We have had calls from people as far away as Alaska asking where they can buy a uniform, but unfortunately we don't have any left." Each volunteer got two suits and any spare gear was quickly snapped up in a post Games sale for volunteers and event employees.
I personally was proud to wear the uniform and was one of the few VOC members to dutifully wear my flat cap every day. The MAUC , where the accreditation and uniforms were handed out was organised with military precision and reminded those of more advanced years of collecting theor uniforms when starting National Service.