So every week one of my blog posts is going to be a list of 10 things,
this week I’ve started on something straightforward. These are the 10 things I
like about, or in, football.
West Ham
Yep! I’m a West Ham fan, I currently live in East London but have only
done so since October of last year. I spent the first 30 years and eleven
months of my life living round the corner in Enfield (North East London to those
of you not in the know) the stomping ground of many a Tottenham fan. As a
result I cannot stand “that lot” but I won’t go into all that seen as this is
post is all about the things I like about Football. Despite them being utterly useless
at home this season; them not winning a major trophy since 5 months before I
was born; them messing up their FA Cup Final ticket allocation in 2006 (I only
got a ticket because I wrote a letter of complaint); despite all the disappointment
I like them, that’s probably an understatement but like a child of a single
mother whose deadbeat dad keeps failing to deliver on his promise of taking him
for a day out, I forgive them every time and hope that this time I’m wrong!
That this time the person opening the gate at the end of drive is my dad with a
football in his hand! Come on dad! Win the playoffs and get back into the
Premier League!
NB I mean no offence to single
mothers or fathers or to their children. I also don’t really know where that
metaphor came from as neither of my parents were a single parent. Please don’t
hate me.
Everton
I like Everton, I know I’m not allowed to support another English team and
I can guarantee I do not support Everton (although up until last year I had a
membership and would go to their games in London if West Ham weren’t at home).
It basically all started when I met my ex-wife many years ago, I can remember
one of the very first conversations we had went something along the lines of, “I
don’t really watch football, I suppose I’d have to say I support Everton as my
dad does. He’s from Liverpool…” Fast forward a few years and she was a fully
fledged fan who’d drag me to Everton games and was pretty knowledgeable,
barring one occasion where upon seeing “DR Congo 2 - 0 Zaire” flash up on the
screen during an African Nations Cup game she turned to me and asked, “What the
hell is Doctor Congo?” Despite being mocked and vilified by my friends I still
have a soft spot for Everton; for anyone who’s not big on Geography, to clear
things up, it’s The Democratic Republic of Congo.
Athletic Bilbao
Can I just point out I liked Athletic Bilbao before they smashed Man
United in the Europa League this year and everyone else jumped on the bandwagon,
if anything the bandwagon jumped on me! Yeah! Is that even possible? I’m not
sure how it all started? I think I used to just choose them on an old version
of Pro Evo or something like that, but my feelings have developed to the point
that I probably see more of Bilbao than I do of most English teams. For me
there’s a romanticism/honesty about a team that only plays players from the
region in which they’re based.
Foreign Football
 |
| I can't see! |
Don’t get me wrong I love a good FA Cup tie on a muddy non-league pitch
on a windy Saturday afternoon in January but I do like a bit of foreign
football. I like how when teams score the crowd makes a different noise because
they don’t say, “Yeah!” I like flares and big banners that cover half a stand but
always think to myself, “what if you’re stuck in the middle of all that and
want nothing to do with being under the banner?”, I’d probably be that person.
I like when teams score a last minute winner and they jump over the advertising
hoardings onto a running track to celebrate with the fans (maybe West Ham
moving to the Olympic stadium won’t be so bad?). The Italian league isn’t
boring and defensive. The Spanish league isn’t full of diving cheats (there are
some), The French league isn’t… ok I don’t watch the French league, not even
since Joe Cole’s been there, it’s just boring. Oh and the Scottish league, I
reckon my Sunday team could compete in that!
The World Cup
The World Cup is the greatest concept in the history of mankind. You know when you we’re at school and the
teacher said you we’re going to play a game instead of having a normal lesson
and everybody made that, “Yesssssssss!” sound. Well that feeling was nothing. That
Christmas when you got that toy you wanted but had no idea that you were going
to get so it was a total surprise… well it’s half the feeling I have when it
hits about a month before a World Cup. The world is a different place every
time a World Cup comes along, fashion changes, jobs change and football changes.
Well I say that, some things don’t change. England turn up talking about
winning it an emulating “The boys of 66” regardless of whether we scraped past
FYI Macedonia in qualifying (I’m aware it’s “FYR”). Italy will be branded as
negative even if they win every game by at least 3 goals and playing 3 up
front. Brazil games will feature shots of random decent looking tanned girls in
the stands and be described as having a “carnival atmosphere” and Argentina
will play a game where somebody gets sent off. Love a good World Cup me!
European Championships
The European Championships are like Easter is to Christmas (although I
actually prefer Easter, the weather is normally nicer) or like finding out that
the game you are going to play in your lesson at school is going to be “educational”.
They’re good, very good but it’s not quite the same. No “carnival atmosphere”
for a start.
The Randomness of the African
Cup of Nations
This had to get a mention, I’ve seen “Doctor Congo”, goats grazing at
the side of the pitch, sending offs galore, penalty shoot-outs that last about
20 kicks… I’ve seen a game stopped after about 20 minutes because the referee
realised a goalie was wearing the same colour top as the opposition but only
after he caught the ball in a melee following a corner. Amazing competition.
Underdogs
I always root for the little guy; it’s what football is all about. I
think it’s one of the reasons I like Everton and Bilbao. There’s nothing sweeter
than pulling a victory out when you weren’t fancied at all. Let me say this
though, I DO NOT like underdogs when West Ham are playing them! Aldershot!
Sheffield Wednesday! Know your place and roll over!
Ronaldo (The real one)
That’s right, not the cocky, arrogant Portuguese dude that plays for
Real Madrid, I mean he’s good but he’s not a living legend like THE Ronaldo.
Can I just clear things up; Ronaldo must never be referred to as fat! Buck
toothed maybe but not fat! I think it isn’t appreciated how good he was
nowadays because a lot of people remember him being that chubby dude that struggled
his way through the 2006 World Cup. Even then he still managed a trademark break away from the last man and do somestep-overs to go round the keeper goal against Ghana but his performances
in that tournament were a far cry from those that tore both the 1998 and 2002
World Cups to shreds. And let’s not forget the “Carnival Atmosphere” whenever
he played (and the Nike adverts).
Alessandro Del Piero
I’d just like to say, love this man! He is an absolute legend second
only to Ronaldo in my eyes. I’d also like to say I’m not gay (nothing wrong
with being gay but I’m not) however if I had to choose a man to be married to (we
would NOT sleep together just live in matrimonial bliss) it’d be Alex D! He’s
the man!
Notable other mentions that didn’t
make the list
Spurs’ inconsistent form EVERY season
Arsenal
Watching Uruguay
Diego Forlan (see above)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Carlos Tevez
Romario
Strikers that barely move but always score
Manchester City despite the money
No comments:
Post a Comment