• On Being a Fan 1 and 2
    A disorder That gives a supporter Order In a disordered world. “What’s the difference”, They muse, “Between a fan And a fanatic?” “Is it 2 syllables Or 4 pints?”
  • On Being a Football Pundit
    Some clubs are big. Some clubs are not big. Some clubs are really big. They are really big clubs. They are bigger than big clubs. Big clubs are bigger than small clubs. Being small is not being big. That is shameful. Players can be big too. Some are bigger than others. They are really big […]
  • From the Pools to a Sea of Debt
    Once it was, Sitting by the fireside, Specs on the end of the nose, Pencil poised, Glancing at the form guide, X’s carefully marked, A hopeful moment, In a humdrum week, A studied departure From the usual thrift. Now it is Cheap booze and bookies On every loudmouth street; Drinking all through the night, Betting […]
  • Another Year
    So, Here We Go, again, then. Packing up our troubles in our old kit bag, Railway cuttings, Robins and old programmes, Photos of mum and dad and Fliss and Keith and me, All tied up in a bag on the end of a stick. There’s me. Kicking a football and dropping my books, Walking into […]
  • Why do we go even though we know it’s Rubbish?
    Compulsion. Learned compulsion. Peer-group imitation. Addiction. Superstition. Repetition. Identification. Inheritance through family. Sense of community. Unity Past, Present and Future as an epiphany. The team is an extension of Your-self. Forget your troubles. Mental health. You’re not alone. Lose your-self. You’re only really alive when you’re there. It helps you accept that life’s unfair. If […]