In amongst our current troubles with the stuttering results and takeover uncertainty, I wanted to share a more lighthearted view of how us fans can be viewed as a bit mad in the head by those who have no interest in football.
To set the scene, I work in Wigan, live in Northampton and have a season ticket down at Charlton. One of the guys I sit with at work despises sport, football in particular and today he finally vented his frustration at me when I was bemoaning last nights results as well as the general issues at the club presently. He said that he simply could not get his head round how someone could work away from their wife all week and then proceed to do a 150 mile round trip on the Saturday to watch a game of football. His argument was that my life must be pretty empty if I was prepared to sacrifice so much of my leisure time following a football team that never wins (not strictly the but not far off at the moment!) and how if my wife had any sense she would divorce me. My argument was that my life would be a damn site emptier without them and that my wife would be more likely to divorce me if I stopped going!! It just made me smile how he could not get his head round the whole ethos of being a football fan at all.
He left for a meeting muttering about how ridiculous the farce of supporting a club like Charlton is (although he might have a point sometimes!!). Maybe we all are a bit barmy??!!
2
Comments
Why would you want to work in Wigan?
They're missing so much.
where else would you find the passion, the ecstasy, the emotion, the awesome highs and the incredible lows??
maybe in a relationship, but I doubt you could share those same feelings with a few thousand other people so openly.
Doubt he would be after my misses as she likes footie too although she is a huddersfield fan I am afraid!
On that cheerful note......... See you at Yeovil!
Your colleague is right!! You are mad!!
Being 'part of a football club' is not just a viewing pleasure, its an emotional attachment. The 'never wins' bit is testament to people that don't get it. its like saying you'll only spend time with your kid if your kid is gifted.
Things always do need to be put into perspective, and having children no doubt changes that. Speaking for myself, it has certainly had a huge impact on me. I can't afford to do aways at this moment in time, but that's not the driver, because if i could i still would not because that time at a weekend with my kids at the moment is crucial. Doesn't mean i don't desperately want to be at Yeovil this Saturday though, because its more than just 'going to a football match'.
Others who don't have so much of an emotional pull to it can easily drift away, as i'm sure we've all seen with friends over the years.
Also going to football is, for me at least, a family and social thing. I take my son and see my brothers, nephews and when he was alive my dad. I also see my friends. It's how I choose to spend my time and money and others are free to do or not do the same.