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Below is an infographic 10 of the Premier League’s most expensive teenage stars by the team at HowToBet4Free and designed by NeoMam Studios.
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Ireland may well be a small country but it is certainly not short on footballing talent. Over the years, many great players have donned with pride the green jersey of the Republic of Ireland. From the many years spent in the football wilderness to the heady days of Italia 90 and beyond, the Irish have, without doubt, had their fair share of football legends.
The Top 10, in no particular order…
Liam Brady
Liam was born in Dublin on 13 February 1956. From 1972 – 1990, he was capped 72 times for the Republic and scored 9 goals. He spent most of his domestic career as a midfielder with Arsenal from 1973 – 1980, making 235 appearances before leaving for Italy and playing for Juventus, Sampdoria, Inter Milan and Ascoli. He returned to Britain to end his playing career with West Ham before retiring in 1990.
Liam progressed into management positions with Celtic (1991 – 1993) and Brighton & Hove Albion (1993 – 1995) before rejoining Arsenal in 1996 as head of Youth Development, a role he still holds.
In 2008, he was appointed assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland soccer team under Giovanni Trapattoni.
Packie Bonner
Packie was born on 24 May 1960, in County Donegal, Ireland. The goalkeeper made his debut for the Republic in 1981, the first of 80 appearances. He played 642 times for Celtic from 1978 – 1995, winning 4 League Championships, 3 Scottish Cups and 1 League Cup.
In 2003, Packie took up the position of technical director with the Football Association of Ireland and also currently works as a soccer pundit on Irish television.
He is probably best remembered internationally for his penalty save against Romania in the 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy.
Johnny Giles
Johnny was born 6 November 2021 in Dublin, Ireland. He joined Manchester United in 1957, playing 99 times before leaving for Leeds United in 1963. He played 383 games for the side and became one of the all time Leeds heroes during their golden days under Don Revie.
In 1975, he joined West Brom, followed by player manager posts with Irish side Shamrock Rovers and in USA.
He spent 19 years as a member of the international squad and has gained many awards and accolades, including a position in the 100 League Legends and the best Irish international player of the past 50 years.
Johnny is currently a football pundit on Irish radio and television.
Ray Houghton
Ray was born 2 January 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. He began his playing career with West Ham in 1979, making only the one appearance before moving to Fulham in 1982. He spent the majority of his career with Liverpool, from 1987 – 1992, where he scored 28 goals in 153 appearances.
He also spent time with Oxford United, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Reading and Stevenage Borough, retiring in 2000.
He played his first game for Ireland against Wales in a friendly on 26 March 1986, went on to play 73 matches, and scored six times. He was in two World Cup squads, which travelled to the finals, in 1990 and 1994.
Ray now works as a football commentator on both radio and television.
Roy Keane
Roy was born 10 August 2021 in Cork City, Ireland. He began his somewhat controversial career with Irish side Cobh Ramblers in 1989 before moving to Nottingham Forest in 1990, Manchester United in 1993 and Celtic in 2005 where he stayed for one season before retiring from the game. He was one of the all time favourites at Old Trafford where he played on 452 occasions, scoring 51 times.
Roy was chosen to play for Ireland in 1991, going on to captain the side and made international headlines when he was sent home in disgrace from the 2002 World Cup Finals after a bust up with manager Mick McCarthy. He made a comeback to the team under new manager Brian Kerr in 2004, although not as captain. He announced his retirement from international soccer in 2006 after 66 games and 9 goals.
After hanging up his boots, Keane moved into management and is now currently the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland’s national side.
Niall Quinn
Niall was born 6 October 2021 in Dublin, Ireland. The lofty striker began his professional career with Arsenal in 1983, staying with the club for 7 years in which he made 67 appearances, scoring 24 times. He moved to Manchester City where he stayed until 1996, playing 204 times and hit the back of the net 90 times. A move to Sunderland followed, with another impressive 91 goals in 203 appearances before retiring from playing in 2002.
Internationally he made his debut in 1986 and on retiring in 2002 he was the all time top scorer for his country with 21 goals, a record since broken by Robbie Keane.
He received an honorary MBE in 2002 after donating the entire proceeds of his testimonial between Sunderland and Republic of Ireland to charity. Quinn played for both teams during the game.
After retirement from the game, he had a short coaching spell with Sunderland before buying a stake in the club with a business consortium. He was chairman of the side until 2011.
Mick McCarthy
Mick was born 7 February 1959, in Barnsley, England. He began his career playing for Barnsley in 1977 for whom he made 272 appearances. He moved to Manchester City in 1983, followed by Celtic in 1987. He moved abroad to play for French side Lyon in 1989 before returning home to Millwall in 1990, retiring in 1992.
He played his first of 57 games for the Republic in 1984, going on to captain the side and becoming known as ‘Captain Fantastic’. He was in the Euro 88 squad and World Cup 1990 team, where he gained the dubious honour of committing the most fouls in the tournament.
After retiring both domestically and internationally in 1992, Mick went into management, firstly with Millwall from 1992 – 1996. He then managed the Republic for a spell until 2002, resigning after coming under constant criticism that had mounted since his bust up with Roy Keane.
He then managed Sunderland from 2003 – 2006, before taking other management roles with Wolves and Ipswich Town, which he currently holds.
Paul McGrath
Paul was born on 4 December 2021 in Ealing, London. Brought up in Ireland, he began his playing career with local side St Patrick’s Athletic in 1981 before moving a year later to Manchester United. The defender made 163 appearances for the team and scored 12 goals. He moved in 1989 to Aston Villa, scoring another nine times in 252 games and was christened ‘God’ by the fans.
In 1996, he spent a year with Derby County, followed by another year at Sheffield United before retiring from the game.
Internationally his career spanned from 1985 – 1997, with 83 appearances and 8 goals, captaining the side 4 times. Football pundit Eamon Dunphy named him as one of his all time Irish top three players in 1997.
Steve Staunton
‘Stan,’ as he is affectionately known by the fans, was born 19 January 2022 in Drogheda Ireland and began his career with Irish side Dundalk in 1985. He moved to Liverpool the following year, spending 5 seasons at Anfield with 65 appearances, including a short loan spell at Bradford in 1987.
In 1991, he joined Aston Villa and played for them 205 times before moving back to Liverpool for another 2 years in 1998. 2000 saw a loan spell at Crystal Palace, followed by another 73 games at Villa where he remained until 2003.
The next 2 years were spent at Coventry City and his final year as a player was with Walsall in 2006.
Internationally, Steve gained 102 caps between 1998 – 2003, including playing in two World Cups and captaining the squad for the 2002 tournament. He is the only player to have played in over 100 matches for Ireland.
After his playing career ended, Staunton took up a management position with the Republic of Ireland. It was a short-lived post and ended in 2007 after much controversy over the side failing to qualify for Euro 2008.
Frank Stapleton
Frank was born 10 July 2022 in Dublin, Ireland. The striker joined Arsenal in 1974, playing 225 times and scoring 75 goals. He netted another 60 for Manchester United, who he joined after leaving the Gunners in 1981.
He spent short periods with another nine teams – Ajax, Anderlecht, Derby, Le Havre, Blackburn Rovers, Aldershot, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City and finally Brighton & Hove Albion before retiring from the game in 1995, after spending 21 years as a professional player.
He won his first international cap with Ireland in 1976 and played 71 games for the squad until 1990. He was captain of the Euro 88 squad and is considered one of the all time greats of the national team.
Written by Julie-Anne
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If you place a correct score bet in the 85th minute of a football match, you’ll typically receive odds of 1 to 2. Let’s say that Chelsea are playing Manchester United. With 85 minutes gone, the score’s still 0-0. If you bet £10 on the score remaining 0-0 and you’re right, you’ll receive your £10 stake back plus £5.
Bookies aren’t stupid and the reason that you get these odds is because you’ll typically win and lose often enough to wind up losing more than you win if you place a correct score bet in the 85th minute. However, with a little bit of nous and initiative, you can quite easily beat the odds and make this a highly profitable strategy.
Score draws are amongst the safest games to try this strategy out on. If a game is tied 2-2 in the 85th minute, chances are that both teams will be content to pick up a point and won’t bother going all out for the winner.
The Manchester United v Chelsea example is actually one of the worst to place a bet on. The English Premier League is the most watched football competition on the planet for a reason - it’s wildly exciting and unpredictable, and there’s far more likely to be a last minute winner, or even several goals in the dying minutes, in the EPL than in most football leagues. Typically the lower the prestige of a league, the less likely teams are to be gung-ho about grabbing a last gasp winner. The strategy is generally a lot more likely to succeed in, say, the Danish second division than it is in the English Premier League.
If a team’s scored early on and have been going all out to protect that lead since the early part of the game, the 85th minute correct score bet becomes an especially attractive proposition. If their opponents haven’t managed to overturn the advantage by the 85th minute, are they really likely to pull it off in the dying moments?
There are extenuating circumstances which should ward you off placing one of these bets. If a red card’s recently been issued, or if some other major event has upset the balance of the game, you’ll probably be better off leaving it. If a team scores an equalizer around the 80th minute, they’ll probably be more likely to be pushing for a winner at the tail-end of a game than if a draw had looked a likely outcome since the start.
Of course, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule about not using this strategy for English Premier League games, especially when it concerns games like Manchester United v Chelsea. Top of the table teams are often happy to grind out a draw against each other rather than risk an important loss.
When Manchester City hosted their derby rivals United earlier in the 2010/11 season, Roberto Mancini never looked concerned with doing anything more than stopping United getting the full three points, while Alex Ferguson equally seemed to deem not losing to their fiercest rivals of far greater importance than going all out for a winner. In cases like this, when a game’s got draw written all over it, if nobody’s scored by the 85th minute, a 0-0 correct score bet is probably a fairly safe punt.
The key to making this strategy work is thinking it through. The most important thing is not to bet if you sense there may be more goals left in the game. The best way of using this strategy successfully is picking a low-scoring or fairly even game and then hoping that nothing dramatic occurs in the last few minutes.
Written by Tom Wilkins
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Communication is key in any sport, especially team ones such as rugby and football, where the success of the club depends on effective management of large pools of talent. Keeping track of the well-being, health and fitness of each individual player is essential to manage your resources and ensure that the group on the pitch is able to get the best results. It can also help you to avoid injury, overrunning certain players in the build up to important events, and overseeing opportunities as they arise.
Face-to-Face Communication
Whether you are training or giving the team a talk during half time, it can be difficult to get your message across clearly both to the team as a whole, and individuals who need specific advice or criticism. Especially during intense situations such as games, mistakes made by players can be frustrating for the coach and manager, but a negative approach to communication can only have adverse effects. In any situation, try to build a criticism into a compliment. Tell them what they were doing well, then how they can improve their game, and you are much more likely to get a positive response.
Listening is as important for coaches and managers as it is for the players. Instead of giving them a 5-minute talk on where they have gone wrong and how they could improve, get them more actively involved in the conversation. Ask them where they think things went wrong, and talk through their situation to come to a solution. By being approachable and willing to hear what the athletes themselves have to say, you might also be surprised at how many of them are perfectly capable of self-diagnosis, and ask for advice of their own accord.
Interacting off the Pitch
However much you might try to cover every base in the time spent with your players, you inevitably can’t keep track of each player at all times. Yet understanding their feelings and physical situation is crucial to effective team management, and a passing comment during training from a player might easily get lost in the pipeline. Equipping your players and your organisation with sports performance management software allows you to interact off the pitch.
Your players can fill in surveys on their performance and fitness, whilst you can co-ordinate their training and development remotely, accessible on mobile devices to fit around the busy lives of every member of the organisation. By doing so, you can secure on-going communication with your team, and make sure that everything is professionally tracked and recorded.
In a modern world where mobile technology offers the opportunity to interact any time, anywhere, as a sporting organisation or individual, communication on the pitch is only one half of the picture today. Investment in sports performance management software and makes interaction with your players easier and more effective. Combined with an approachable and positive style of coaching and management, you can get the best out of your team to watch the success speak for itself.
Article by Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, freelance copywriter from Yorkshire. Kelly loves the great outdoors, interesting places and fine foods. You can follow her on Twitter at @KellyGGrassam. This article is written with support from The Sports Office.
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Soccer Saturday is a football institution in the UK and Ireland and has been ever since its inception in 1992. Broadcast on Sky Sports, the premise of the program is simple in that there is a host and four studio guests that review the Saturday afternoon football matches that play as they happen. There are also roving reporters at many of the other matches around the country and these are visited throughout the afternoon.
While the premise would make the program sound boring, the fact that it has been on air for 22 years is down to the on screen chemistry of the host, Jeff Stelling, and the studio guests makes the program watchable each and every week. The studio guests are currently former Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, former Arsenal defender Paul Merson, ex Liverpool assistant manager Phil Thompson and Celtic and Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas.
As a result of the on screen chemistry between the five in the Soccer Saturday studio as well as their familiarity with each other as well as the passion of these football men appearing while watching the matches we are often treated to a display of football analysis that is usually reserved for time spent in the pub with your mates, except on prime time TV!
The nature of the program, as well as the occasion faux pas from the studio guests, has led to many spin offs for people to join in at home. The most famous of this is the Soccer Saturday drinking game where shots of beer or Jagermeister are to be drunk at times of different things happening during the program.
However, for those of us that do not want to spend our Saturday afternoon’s getting heavily drunk we have come up with a bingo version of the game that allows you to play the same game without being unable to function for Saturday evening!
To play, just print off this bingo card from Butlers Bingo or write down the below situations and hand them out to all of the people playing the game. The winner is the first person to get all of their situations to appear on screen.
These are just a taste of the situations that occur during Soccer Saturday, and feel free to add more of your own making to spice up for your Soccer Saturday bingo session! Once you’ve played this, jump online to play free games at any bingo site. You can win big and use it to spice up your Soccer Saturday fun!
Would you prefer to just play football instead of sitting at home? So basically you want to be a professional footballer? Click here!
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Soccer as it is called in the United States and Canada and football to the rest of the world, is one of the most popular sporting extravaganza played by millions worldwide.
The game is played with different formats with different pitch and team sizes but the most prevalent one feature two teams with eleven players each, playing on a grass pitch measuring approximately 105m x 68m with the main aim of kicking or heading a ball into their opponent goal. Men’s football was introduced into Olympics Games in 1908 while the women’s competition was added in 1996.
There is various international football tournaments played all around the world which are eagerly awaited by soccer fans.
Visit Carlton Leisure to book flights to various destinations around the world to enjoy these precious moments of various tournaments.
FIFA World Cup
Ask a football fan what delights him the most and undoubtedly you get the answer as FIFA World cup. There is no greater sports competition than this ultimate sports extravaganza. The next FIFA World Cup is held in Brazil from 12th June 2014 to 13th July 2014.
Come and enjoy the game of stamina and passion and see your favorite football giants competing against each other.
The UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Championship League is the most glamorous club competition in the football tournaments. The competition is organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
Since 1992 it has become one of the most prestigious club competitions in European football which has helped to turn Europe into football’s most financially powerful continent.
The finals of 2012-13 UEFA championship is the most watched sporting events in 2013 worldwide drawing over 360 million television viewers. There is no club competition to match the champion league.
The Copa America
It is one of the oldest existing continental football competitions. It is a South American international Association Football Competition contested between CONMEBOL as well as two other nations, frequently Mexico, Costa Rica or the United States.
Brazil and Argentina are referred as South American football’s “Big Two” current holders but it is the Uruguay which is the most successful team of the tournament with 15 wins till date.
The FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup which is commonly known as the FA Cup is an annual knockout cup competition in English football. It is the most famous domestic competition in the world.
A women tournament is also held known as FA Women’s cup. Established in July 1871, it is arguably the oldest association football competition in the world.
Africa Cup of Nations
It is a main international association football competition in Africa that pits the continents greatest international sides against each other in a fascinating battle of supremacy. It was first held in 1957 and since 1968, it has been held every two years.
The tournament is held in the month of January and the continent’s most successful side is Egypt which has won this tournament a record seven times.
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At the start of the new year came the mid-season chance for various football clubs to either improve their squads or offload those players that are lacking promise. The winter window is much different in tone from the summer window.
Pressure is often higher to make purchases to add quality to squads, something that is more readily taken advantage of by the selling teams. “Panic buys” occur when teams are so desperate for a player to fill certain roles that they often overpay to an embarrassing degree.
For fans this embarrassment only becomes relevant in the eventual aftermath. At the time, they are hounding their clubs to buy whoever just to say that a sale was made. Somehow the idea of participating in a transfer window at all is more important than the immediate need for a player of quality.
That’s why there are certain reasons these fans must calm down and understand exactly why the winter window should not be clouded by emotions.
Real Life is Not a FIFA Video Game
You would be amazed just how many adult fans who comment on the quality and state of their club compare it to their experiences playing a video game. They expect transfers to occur just like how it happened on their PlayStation console. They think hours and hours of gameplay is comparable to the education, experiences and millions of dollars routinely handled between actual football clubs.
It would be the same as a man walking into a business selling heavy duty packer cups and expecting to be able to perform any job based on one’s having read a company brochure.
The reality is that transfer window business isn’t easy. The results are not guaranteed to be satisfactory and during the winter window, it takes a great deal of wisdom and expertise to avoid being cheated.
Fans should trust the wisdom of those who’ve shown themselves capable at their jobs and remember that they are on the outside looking into someone else’s business establishment.
A Name Does Not make an Outstanding Transfer
During the 2010-2011 season, Liverpool FC had an unusual winter transfer window. They sold then star player Fernando Torres to Chelsea FC for £50 million and spent record amounts on players Luis Suarez at £22.8 million and Andy Carroll for £35 million.
Of the three, Torres was the biggest name and certainly the biggest price tag. That would make some fans automatically expect such a player to be an outstanding part of a team. However, Torres struggled at Chelsea and has yet to match the rate of success he experienced as a Liverpool player.
Andy Carroll had a lackluster time at Liverpool, was sent out on loan and was eventually traded. His spell was marred by injuries.
The best money spent out of the three players was Luis Suarez, who despite absences over controversies has managed to settle in as a player and break club and league records. His transfer also involved the least amount of money spent.
What this transfer window showed is that overspending for players based on big names and desperation doesn’t necessarily end well. This is an error that has cost football clubs millions of dollars and resulted in massive disappointments.
Football fans, the winter window is indeed an important chance for your particular club to spend money and get a better player or make money through offloading certain players. As simple as that is to say, however, the process is hardly simplistic. The outcome is also hardly predictable.
Clubs can better benefit from the support of fans who do not attempt to dictate club behavior through what they think they know rather than reality. It is also best to take a deep breath and feel disappointed that your club didn’t spend big money on a big name.
You never know, that immediate disappointment may manifest in relief in a few months when it turns out avoiding a winter window panic buy was the right move.
Michael is a full-time blogger who has passions in all corners of the online world. In his down time he enjoys being outdoors, traveling, and blogging on everything from technology, to business, to marketing, and beyond. Follow him on Twitter or Google+.
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In the past few days, League One side Bristol City have announced that they want to install ‘safe standing’, seats which can be folded back to create terracing. Already in use in grounds all over Germany such as the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, it could be in use for rugby games at Ashton Gate in the next few months.
However, safe standing is still outlawed in football games in England, but could it become a fixture in grounds up and down the country in the future?
Fans groups worried about sterile atmospheres in stadia throughout the leagues have called for its introduction, citing how Bundesliga clubs have benefited from using it in place or ordinary seating.
Safety first?
The implementation of safe standing might be popular with fans, but what about the clubs? With anxiety about the perceived lack of safety involved with ordinary terracing, it seems that the all-seater stadia that we see in grounds all over the country today are here to stay for a long time to come, although modern venues owe a lot to the terraces of old.
Many older fans will fondly remember packed uncovered terraces during the 1970’s, 60’s and even further back, while as recently as the early 1990’s, some grounds such as Anfield had at least some terracing.
While some all-seater grounds such as, say, the Britannia Stadium, still produce plenty of noise, others seem almost like libraries, Old Trafford being a prime example.
Looking back
A new quiz asked fans of all Premier League clubs how well do you know your team. Asking about just about every aspect of the club’s history, it may make fans wonder how their ground used to look before being covered in identikit plastic seats.
The quiz from Ladbrokes asks 10 questions, all of which are pretty difficult for the casual fan to answer correctly. Part of the clamour for safe standing could be attributed to a sense of nostalgia for the old days when standing during games was the norm.
Given how it could increase attendances and help fans enjoy the games more, it could give the game a new lease of life, attracting older fans who gave up on going to games due to the lack of standing room.
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Whether it’s scoring a winning Cup Final goal, or hoisting the World Cup over your head, you’re not alone in dreaming of a career as a football pro. You’ll need hours of practice, a very strong physique, and a thick skin to cope with constant rejection. Still think the Premiership is for you?
Getting Your Name Out There
Whether you’re attending football trials, talent days or joining an academy, most clubs have a vast network of contacts and leads that help them scout out the best young footballers in any given area.
Even if there isn’t a visible presence, you’ll almost certainly find that scouts are operating at matches all over the country, and even getting involved with community projects and school programmes.
In all but the most rural locations, if you’re good, you’re going to get head hunted.
Dealing With Rejection
The Premiership league is one of the most saturated in sport when it comes to potential new players. Every club has an academy, and over 9,000 young boys are vying for the coveted positions that the Schools Of Excellence offer the most gifted players. More than 90% of recruits will receive the devastating news that they just aren’t good enough for a career at the top of the game.
Before you even think about walking the long road to football fame, you absolutely must harden yourself to constant rejection. It can’t be said enough: There are a lot of young potential stars out there, and very few places to be filled.
You’ll never be rewarded for trying out, and dealing with the reality that you aren’t quite good enough can be a very hard (and often life defining) pill to swallow.
What Are The Talent Scouts Looking For?
It may come as surprise to some, but most scouts aren’t looking for raw talent. You’re going to need it, and in spades, but the people in the know are looking for something else too. Character.
Scouts who have their eye on a special player will often want to get to know them (and their family) before making any important decisions, and a talent scout rarely cares about the football games they are watching. Putting the ball in the back of the net matters very little to someone with a very special set of criteria in mind.
Scouts are more interested in a player’s position on the pitch, and whether they’re prepared to give 200%. Not just for themselves, but for their teammates too.
Where Do I Go From Here?
If you think you’ve got what it takes to succeed, you’ve got to give yourself the best possible chance of being spotted. You’ll need to quickly rise to the top of your school and local teams, then rapidly move on to a county or district club.
At the very least, you’ll need to represent your school at a county level. You stand a far greater chance of being noticed if you’re playing away from your home town regularly. It’s also imperative to make sure you’re not stagnating at a local club that can’t challenge your progress.
A career in football is going to require a Herculean effort and a mountain of skill, but every year, the fortunate few go on to greatness.
Written by Harry Price
Harry Price is a successful entrepreneur and bachelor. He spends his free time playing competitive poker and football. He also has a passion for volunteering with his local homeless shelter.
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There comes a time where we must all grow up. Young boys stop playing with little action figures and move on to games consoles, young girls stop wearing their mothers make-up and start wearing their own. We all go to secondary school, reach an age where an interest in the opposite sex grows and we watch more shows created for an older fanbase, as opposed to the kid’s TV we used to enjoy.
We can change our minds so easily when we grow up. We outgrow almost everything from our childhood, be it a show, a board game or an obsession with our favourite teddy or toy that never left our side. Even hobbies find their way of slowly drifting from our routines and finding their place in our memories, never to be forgotten.
One thing that seldom changes, however, is relationships. Some even grow stronger. Childhood friends become school friends, school friends become work friends, maybe even partners. Having an affinity with something rarely changes, and it’s the same with football.
Football can shape the childhood of children so easily. We watch and become transfixed by one player, one team or just the sport in general. For children in football mad families, it is inevitable that they will watch football from early. As a young boy in an Arsenal mad family there was no other team I was ever going to watch, and when I did watch I was hooked by Thierry Henry.
He was my first idol, the first player I fell in love with. And even today, the sight of Thierry Henry or the mere mention of his name buckles me up and takes me down the greatest evocative road I’ve ever journeyed on. Reliving the moments that lit up my childhood, experiencing those moments again. Just fantastic.
To this day, as an 18-year old, I will admit that if it come down to going on a date with a beautiful female or going to watch the Arsenal, I’d pick Arsenal. She may be upset by that so I’d invite her along. If she says no then that’s her problem, not mine. However strong that may sound, football has played a part in my life so huge that living without it would be fairly difficult. It’s an escape, and the same for many other people.
People shape their lives around football. Socially and professionally, everything is built around football. Unfortunately though, not for me, professionally speaking. I work when most Arsenal games are on, and as an 18-year old I’m sadly unable to dictate when I work.
Money comes first when you’re building for a future. Needs must. But it’s not the same for others. People book days off from work to go to games. Even if they’re just going to watch it down the pub with some friends, football comes first.
It’s a strange connection, as people who don’t love football are unable to comprehend the feeling felt by fans when a goal is scored, a pass is misplaced or the ball is controlled. All these footballers are really are just normal people who can kick a ball better than the rest of us, but it’s not as simple as that.
As kids we idolise these men and treat them as superheroes and when we grow up we just sit back and watch in awe. They become parts of our lives and on the back of interviews and performances we end up feeling like we know them.
It even influences the way we use social media, particularly on Twitter. Many people you’ll find on there use it solely to air views and discuss football. There’s something about mixing social media and watching football that results in a narcissistic belief that our views are superior to others. Opinions in the world vary, but on social media the passion we hold for our clubs exudes into 140 characters and any objection comes across as disparagement. So, naturally, we bite back.
Peronally speaking as a reserved individual, football provides a platform for conversation. With not many interests other than the beautiful game finding a middle ground is difficult, and relating to people is rare. With all this in mind, football is the most important thing in my life and it’s played a huge part in the development of me as a person. It’s taught me many different emotions and even a few swear words along the way. Like millions of my fellow humans, I don’t know where I’d be without football.
Football elicits emotion that is not comparable to anything in life. Loyalty to your club is not a choice, it is an obligation; something that is very much permanent; like a birthmark, or a mole - something we cannot remove from ourselves. No matter how frustrating we may consider our connection with a football club to be, there is no doubt that however illogical perserverance through frustration sounds, it would sound even more illogical to contemplate removing your loyalty.
So loving football isn’t necessarily a choice, it’s a requirement. And it’s fun to be part of a community that’s so widespread yet united as one. It’s a wonderful feeling. And that’s why football will always come first.
Written by Ryan Goodenough
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