Not Fully Invested
Football. There’s a lot of it about. Before you stop reading I will not be boring you silly about my lifelong passion for ‘the beautiful game’, childhood dreams of playing in the ‘top flight’ or the disappointment of being picked last for the school team (still too raw to probe that psychological wound). Neither will I rant at length about how much I despise the national pastime.
Growing up and living in England means you are surrounded by the game. It permeates the culture. Loving or hating it must be exhausting. It would be like loving or hating air. Or grass. Or the royal family.
The regular season lasts most of the year, then there are the domestic cups and trophies, rosettes, commemorative plates and invitationals. Much talk of silverware. There are the international leagues, friendlies and competitions. And then there’s the world stage. Did you know the World Cup is only a year and a half away? It’s a lot
To be fully invested, one way or another, is a job of work. I don’t have the energy. I already have a labour intensive, low reward ‘career’ that consumes much of my time.
I have only been to one football match in my life and it was in California. The San Jose Clash, now Earthquakes, (they don’t name clubs after days of the week in the states) circa 1996. I don’t remember a thing about the game but it was probably very warm at (checks Wiki) Spartan Stadium, San Jose State. I don’t recall who the opponents were. Was it the 2-1 win over the Kansas City Wiz at the end of May? I hope so because not only did my team win but I would have had the joy of knowing the opposing team were named after English slang for urinating. Obviously they were named after the children’s book but I prefer to believe the entire franchise was formed in order to allow me a juvenile snigger.
When we moved to our current home the local team literally played at the end of the street. Even then I couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to walk down the road and spend a bleak winter weekend watching a game. The occasional roar of the fans when the home team scored was sadly silenced after 108 years. The grounds were sold to developers and is now a housing estate.
It’s only a game. But it is much more than that. Football is about class, politics, national pride, race, gender, money, whichever lens you choose to see a country and its people through. All of which I find much more interesting than a 0-0 draw after ninety minutes.
I did watch the Euros though. And an occasional kick around in the park is fun. Just don’t expect me to do it everyday.
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Take care,
andi