It has been one week since my last update, and in that time I have watched not one single game of live football. Not a jot. Some football blogger I am, I know what you're thinking. It gets worse...
In the past week, I have watched not one but two live games of rugby. Rugby. The wrong shaped ball that doesn't bounce right. Yep, I've done it, I've cheated on football. And you know what the worst part is? I don't even feel guilty.
The opportunity came up to fly out to Auckland to be at Eden Park for England v Scotland, and despite the misfiring radar and sloppy handling, England prevailed with a late late try to give the Scots their standard 'glorious failure' tournament tale. A fantastic little trip, superb atmosphere and euphoric end to the match which made the early start totally worthwhile.
The second game came in the shape of the Rugby League grand final, since my local team the much-despised Manly Sea Eagles qualified to play New Zealand's Warriors. Manly won with some impressive, dominant play to give just reward for the high season long standards, sending the utterly packed pub that we watched it in wild. Not quite the personal impact for me but still good fun and nice to feel part of a winning team (not that I need that right now, Go Saints!).
It was a brilliant sporting weekend, with not a round ball in sight, and so my friends, I urge you to have an affair on football. Give some other sport a try, there is no telling what positives you might find that Old Faithful maybe can't quite deliver.
The camaraderie in the Eden Park crowd, sitting in my England shirt surrounded by Scots, everyone drinking, trading jokes and banter and yet not a hint of trouble - that is something that football could really benefit from; why do we have to be idiots and fight each other over the team we follow? The integral use of technology, to firstly ensure the correct decision is made, and secondly give the crowd an added bit of tension and drama awaiting the news on the big screen. The physical contact that is really, genuinely physical - don't pussy about and give it the 'what, what' whilst backing away...if you've got a problem with each other, have a proper fight and sort it out. Everyone loved a bit of Duncan Ferguson lunacy.
Despite my dalliances however - exciting and dramatic though they were - I still found myself thinking about football all the time. The things that are better about football, the things that mean no matter which sport seduces me from time to time, I know who I'll always come home to. I can't kid myself, I can't fight it, and I don't know why I even try...
I love football, I have done for as long as I can remember, and I always will.
.. 'the things that are better about football' - that's a very definitive statement to make without any elaboration, maybe a short bullet pointed list - not that it's a competition. Glad you enjoyed Eden Park and shocked to hear you were supporting Manly...
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