A Sense of Perspective

Bill Shankly is reputed to have made the famous statement that "Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that". As a totally committed football supporter to a lower division club, for most of my life, I can recognise what Bill meant. However, in recent times, I have perhaps become a bit disenchanted and disillusioned with football and mainly with the hype around the Premier League.

I still want to see Bradford City win and am passionate about their fortunes, which remain fairly uncertain after another defeat on Saturday. If we cannot beat a pub team like Hereford United, one wonders what the future holds? Football remains a roller coaster ride for most football supporters with the occassional, ephemeral smell of success usually snatched away before it can be fully enjoyed. A few wins and then normal service is resumed and back to doom and gloom and depression. If you win you watch Match of the Day and read the football columns in the Sunday paper avidly. If you lose you don't watch Match of the Day and don't buy a paper. I cannot remember when I last watched Match of the Day!

However back to Bill. On Saturday my second grandson was born and, as with the first one, it gave me a huge feeling of well being and hope and optimism for the future. I was very emotional at 6.15 a.m. on Saturday morning when I got the text bringing me the good news and could hardly get the words out to tell my good lady wife. Saturday's defeat at Hereford was largely irrelevant as we went to the hospital to see our new grandson.

You were right in principle Bill, but you also need to maintain a sense of perspective. Looking forward to playing football and feeding the ducks with my grandson on a Sunday afternoon rather than watching those overpaid, play acting, pretentious wallies in the Premier League.