‘You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’ sang Joni Mitchell. Well following recent events, lots of us are starting to find out.
Of course, in a global crisis like the Coronavirus pandemic, sport is of minor importance compared with what’s at stake for some people. Believe me, I know. I live with my 87-year-old father who has one lung and is recovering from pneumonia.
He’s a prime candidate for a statistic on a government chart and I’m desperately worried whether he is going to come through this. I’d already pre-empted the football authorities and decided to fall on my sword as far as Saturday’s match went. In the end, the decision was taken away from me as the awful reality of what lies ahead became clear.
As Jurgen Klopp said, ‘If it’s a choice between football and the good of the wider society, it’s no contest. ‘Really, it isn’t. (What a well-rounded individual that bloke is. However much you might dislike Liverpool Football Club, it’s hard not to like him. The only surprise is that he is a football manager).
Taking all that as read though, didn’t Saturday seem odd. For me, it wasn’t just the game itself. There are so many parts of my life revolve around football that I felt like I’d had a limb amputated.
As a member of the Canary Trust board, it was tough as we lost two important events this week, but it’s also the little things. The live games on the telly, listening to Jeff Stelling on Gillette Soccer special, doing the Super6 and trying to beat my mates, meeting my friends before the game for drinks and food, Snakepit banter, watching the flags and getting a lump in my throat (still!), joining in with fellow posters on the Pinkun message board to try to raise money for the admirable CSF, watching my accumulator fail usually by one game (when the fun stops, stop folks), MOTD (no BBC, Mrs. Brown’s Boys is not a viable alternative).
I’ve heard one or two people say well it’s no different from the summer. Well, it is for me. As a huge cricket fan, I have replacement therapy on hand, and indeed occasionally there are overlap conflicts (never used to happen in Dennis Compton’s days). And every two years there’s either the Euros or the World Cup.
So, what do we all do then? I know lots of us have other hobbies and interests – I do myself – but they are supposed to be as well as, not instead of. Some of my friends have bought boxed sets to plough through. I even saw a noughts and crosses match between NCFC and Southampton on Twitter yesterday.
Some have been frantically searching the sports channels looking for some obscure live sport with little success. Some of us even decided to write an MFW article for the first time this season. lol!
None of us knows how long this will go on, but it looks as if it will be for a while. I’m not going to venture into the territory of what should happen and when. Whatever is decided someone’s going to be unhappy. It’s a no-win situation. If the title is awarded to Liverpool (which I wouldn’t have a problem with) it’s going to be a hollow victory and nowhere near as satisfying as the real thing.
And what about Norwich? From the moment Jamal Lewis bowled Kasper Schmeichel round his legs, I genuinely believed we had a chance. As long as it’s mathematically possible, those six points we are adrift would be meaningless in the hands of any lawyer worth his salt.
But one, very small, blessing has come out of this. It’s reminded me that I still love football. I had been having my doubts if I’m honest.
I can’t remember when the first symptoms of this malaise first started to appear. I suspect it may have been when Robert Chase began to dismantle our only real chance of ever competing at the very top level.
I remember driving to work the morning after beating Bayern Munich in the Olympic Stadium on a cloud of euphoria, but with the nagging doubt it may never get this good again. I think it was round about then.
The loss in stature of the FA Cup, the obscene amounts of money, the cheating, VAR, body searches, had all contributed to these doubts. The fact that I wasn’t too bothered if we got relegated or not simply compounded this.
But this tiny piece of RNA with its lipid envelope (which ironically in some pictures looks like a football) has put all this to bed.
Every cloud.
Hi Kathy
The article might be the first of the season’s but it’s a good one:-)
Mrs Brown’s Boys – oh the Good Lord help us. I didn’t know that.
Cricket? Ben and the boys were apparently relieved to get off the pitch and onto the plane home and who can blame them.
Your Chase observation is spot on, in my view anyway.
And yes that biological image can indeed resemble a football – and one of those squeaky plastic toys our dogs used to play with when they were pups. Or a sea mine, of course.
Sure you’ll be concerned about dad – best wishes to both of you.
Happy Paddy’s Day to one and all.
Mrs. Brown’s Boys is an absolute abomination – one of the worst things to come out of Scotland since the Krankies!
Thanks Martin. I wrote that a couple of days back and the situation has deteriorated considerably since then, and I was concerned that it might now seem a bit flippant in such serious times. It certainly wasnt intended to be.
Look after yourself and your own -K
Love the Jodi Mitchell ref great song.
At the moment all the Cov-19 news is very depressing and with so called experts saying 20/25k deaths it would be accepted I say this is an unacceptable comment.
It was reported yesterday that staff in supermarkets are getting abused for slow service and that is due to people panic buying, and how much of this will be sold on ebay or amazon for big profits.
Anyway football a scouse git on sky Warnock said if the season is resumed clubs like City and Spurs could benefit as the large amount of injuries could have cleared and they will much stronger for a run in.
I hope all MFW and commenters stay healthy over this unprecedented times
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Kathy, hope your dad (and you) remain safe.
I remember the Joni Mitchel song – it was the one that went “they paved Portman Road, and put up a parking lot” wasn’t it?
I found Saturday very strange too. I even went into the City to the shops with my wife, instead of both of us making the trek from the Adam and Eve to the ground, and I couldn’t agree more about the 1950s humour (?) of Mrs Brown. Even Gary Biglugs is a better bet than that.
Very worrying times for everyone, not least the players and supporters of the lower league clubs, who must be wondering if there will be a club left. In that vein, one Marcus Evans must be looking at some severe losses in his hospitality companies.
OTBC
I don’t see many people moaning about lack of spending now . That makes a change . Possibly supporters will realise that a strong financial base is at the root of our club . Can we imagine the situation if we had spent big gone into debt . The financial pressure o clubs will be massive, but at least we are in a strong position. Oh and of course if the big money foreign investor had come in promising the earth, where do you think they would be now.
Glad you got the basics right Delia . Thankyou
Kathy: as I’ve said before, you should write more.
All best wishes to you and your near & dear.
Good words Kath. You sure it’s your first time? Difficult to believe it’s only been one week. Your dad has been in our thoughts a lot during this time. Can’t be easy for either of you. Stay strong and stay safe
First time this season. Been lazy!