Hello my good football people, hope you’re still looking forward to your weekends and finding stuff to get excited about?
Like walking around a market, washing the car or spending time with your in-laws!
It’s crazy how football (for me anyway) makes life so much more interesting. Even if there ain’t much else going on, a weekend punctuated with games seems to make it all alright.
This, despite harbouring so much negativity towards the modern money game. It’s in the system right, whether your team is doing well in the Premier League, fighting relegation in the Championship or in a local amateur league. Well, that’s what it’s like for me and my mates anyway.
We’re the ancient, jaded, old farts who just can’t understand the new breed who would (as an example) simply switch to another club if relegated or even more weirdly, change teams to follow an individual player? How pathetic is that? I guess Al-Nassr have got a couple of million new “fans” since the arrival of Ronaldo!
𝐓![CDATA[]]>𝐡![CDATA[]]>𝐞 𝟏![CDATA[]]>𝐬![CDATA[]]>𝐭 𝐄![CDATA[]]>𝐯![CDATA[]]>𝐞![CDATA[]]>𝐫,📊
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) June 20, 2023
𝐓![CDATA[]]>𝐨 𝐩![CDATA[]]>𝐥![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐲 𝟐![CDATA[]]>𝟎![CDATA[]]>𝟎 𝐈![CDATA[]]>𝐧![CDATA[]]>𝐭![CDATA[]]>𝐞![CDATA[]]>𝐫![CDATA[]]>𝐧![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐭![CDATA[]]>𝐢![CDATA[]]>𝐨![CDATA[]]>𝐧![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐥 𝐂![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐩![CDATA[]]>𝐬! 🤩![CDATA[]]>🇵![CDATA[]]>🇹
𝐌![CDATA[]]>𝐨![CDATA[]]>𝐫![CDATA[]]>𝐞 𝐇![CDATA[]]>𝐢![CDATA[]]>𝐬![CDATA[]]>𝐭![CDATA[]]>𝐨![CDATA[]]>𝐫![CDATA[]]>𝐲 🐐![CDATA[]]>💛 pic.twitter.com/vrMQtv4ir0
And yes I am judging. It’s similar to guys I’ve often spoke to here in Cape Town, when I ask: “Who do you support?”
And they say: “United, Barcelona and Inter, oh and the All Blacks.” Huh? What the f**k is that?
And what happens if the teams meet in the Champions League? I just can’t understand the concept of “supporting” a football team without it having any depth of meaning. Hard to explain that to a non-believer!
I do understand, though, it’s not all or nothing for your average person, it really just applies to those of us who were brought up on the game, grazed knees and all.
Naaah, it’s nothing like it was, illustrated so neatly by the pathetic ‘half and half’ scarf. I mean WTF is that? ok, I understand the bucket list mob who live around the world, save up for a couple of years and buy a package to watch Liverpool v United and need a souvenir, and there ain’t really anything wrong with that, right?
But it’s the advent of football ‘tourism experiences’ that’s actually helped take the real football experience away. Last time I was at Old Trafford there were tons of them. You can spot them in little fan packs.
Head to toe in club merchandise, hat, scarf, shirt, jacket, track pants, watch, shoes and possibly even red-and-white willy warmers to complete the fancy-dress-fan look. Walking around with cellphones in the air capturing every corner of the stadium, shuffling in and out of the club museum in what looks like some sort of cult trance… it’s f*****g horrible.
But, of course, these days a person needs to be careful how they approach these topics. Careful of saying the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s were better because that’s when Saturday afternoons were about ‘proper’ supporters.
You have to be inclusive today, all welcome at football, from Ukrainian refugees to non-binary hamsters. How can you possibly justify 5 000 (mainly) men going to Liverpool to create a bit of anarchy as a ‘good’ thing?
I mean a slip of the tongue today will have you cancelled and boxed in the same group as Andrew Tate.
Anyway, for that matter my pronouns are he, him, Chelsea, knobhead.
How I miss those ‘free’, ‘expressive’ days.
Ok… thanks, off-season I’m allowed a little rant every now and again. So transfer madness is on but nothing exceptional really going down as of yet in the Premier League (barring the few to Saudi).
Agents and clubs are working round the clock as personal terms and payment details are thrashed out. It’s all happening but, don’t get too excited until you see official club announcements.
Mind you, when Fabrizio Romano posts a “here we go” you know it’s pretty much gonna happen… Chat next week, bye byeee!
dailyvoice@inl.co.za