I consider myself very fortunate.
My team were really good when football was important.
From my 15th birthday (1992) onward until I was 35 we won league after league and plenty of cups to go with it too. During that time, apart from the final few years, I had no real money/family worries (no mortgages etc to worry about) and football was pretty much central to everything I did during the week. I'd go to games, stay over in Manchester and surrounding area on occasions and generally spend time just messing about. Great times.
Things move on though. Now, a United defeat is still painful but I'm pretty much over it straight away. It doesn't nag away until the next game. I'm not sure that's a good thing or not really. It's still a big part of my life but isn't close to being the most important. It used to be though.
Like I said at the top I consider myself lucky. I've been able to celebrate my team winning the PL with a beer. I've been able to see us play and win matches in the Millennium Stadium and be in the pub five minutes later. That stadium is possibly the most perfectly placed in the world. I've been able to enjoy football in a safe environment but also an environment where you could have a laugh and a joke. I've seen it go from low tech to high tech during my adult life. Basically, for a lot of my adult life being a mid 40s United fan has been the best.
What of now though? Well, I've no doubt United will rise again. It may take a while but we'll get there. When we do I hope the youngsters watching will enjoy it as much as I did.
Have I got this wrong? Is football still as important to you now as it was during your younger days?
Note: For balance I've tagged in Liverpool as they made my life a misery during my younger school years. That vidiprinter coming up with Rush (90) seemingly every week will live long in the memory. I guess for their fans the above would be true but for those in their late 50s/60s.
When football was important
posted on 6/10/23
comment by Malachi Boateng (U1734)
posted 53 minutes ago
comment by Naby8 (U6997)
posted 6 seconds ago
comment by Malachi Boateng (U1734)
posted 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
comment by Naby8 (U6997)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Malachi Boateng (U1734)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Naby8 (U6997)
posted 1 minute ago
I’ve never been to see Liverpool without my dad. Just coincidental that he was the one that always got the tickets…
I’ve been to other matches without him but never Liverpool. He’s no longer with us and tbh, I doubt I’ll ever go and watch Liverpool again. Just wouldn’t feel right. And besides, there’d just be me in the middle of a crowd in tears. Everyone would think I was having a breakdown!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
How did you find it?? Very similar sentiment to my football going experiences. Apart from the winning parts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
How did I find the going with him? Or not going anymore?
The matches with dad have changed in my memory tbh. I used to think it was the atmosphere, the moments of joys (and sadness) that was so addictive. The feeling of belonging, being part of a crowd. But it wasn’t, not really. It was the thing that bonded me to dad. It was our thing. What we did together.
I thought I’d miss going to games but I don’t really. Not least because I just don’t have time to take a day out of my weekend! My wife thinks I’ll get back into games if my kids grow up and want to start going. Maybe I will, but I doubt it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry meant to reply to the one above that posted the article.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"My wife thinks I’ll get back into games if my kids grow up"
I'd have personally gone with a "when" but yeah just keep feeding them and water them a bit. No expert but should work.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, that didn’t come out well! Was thinking if they grow up interested in football (currently not fussed at all) but didn’t come out right at all.
posted on 6/10/23
Barry:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100611093148/https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A69651138
posted on 6/10/23
comment by Bãleš left boot (U22081)
posted 10 minutes ago
Barry:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100611093148/https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A69651138
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can look through the whole website via this link! You're a hero
posted on 6/10/23
Enjoy
posted on 6/10/23
WAINE ROONIE
by socrates (U14521755)
2 stars average rating from 6 members
03 January 2011
will he loose his place in the Manshester U's roster after the arrive of Brasil legend and golscorer Kaka? Will Ma...
13 comments | Last Commented: 03 January 2011 at 12:59
Wonder who Socrates was...
posted on 6/10/23
comment by Malachi Boateng (U1734)
posted 12 minutes ago
WAINE ROONIE
by socrates (U14521755)
2 stars average rating from 6 members
03 January 2011
will he loose his place in the Manshester U's roster after the arrive of Brasil legend and golscorer Kaka? Will Ma...
13 comments | Last Commented: 03 January 2011 at 12:59
Wonder who Socrates was...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You?
posted on 7/10/23
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 18 hours, 48 minutes ago
OP, you only experience these feelings because you’ve got used to United being completely shiiiit. I know it because I’ve felt it for 10+ years with Arsenal. Last year Arsenal were good and suddenly every game matters to you because something is riding on it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think this is true. Winning the CL in 2008 felt way less important to me, in my early 30s with young children, than winning it in 1999. And neither mattered to me as much as the FA cup final in 1985 where Whiteside's curled winner beat the then mighty Everton. In fact, I vividly remember at half-time in the 2008 final during the adverts they did a preview of the News at Ten, which would follow the match, and the headline story was about the case of a child in Birmingham so neglected that she starved to death; as I heard that it went through my mind where football sat is in the scheme of things in my world, and I realised that despite the stress of the finely poised game, if it didn't go in our favour the sorrow would melt away pretty quickly. As it happened, it was the joy that didn't last very long.
posted on 7/10/23
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 1 hour, 31 minutes ago
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 18 hours, 48 minutes ago
OP, you only experience these feelings because you’ve got used to United being completely shiiiit. I know it because I’ve felt it for 10+ years with Arsenal. Last year Arsenal were good and suddenly every game matters to you because something is riding on it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think this is true. Winning the CL in 2008 felt way less important to me, in my early 30s with young children, than winning it in 1999. And neither mattered to me as much as the FA cup final in 1985 where Whiteside's curled winner beat the then mighty Everton. In fact, I vividly remember at half-time in the 2008 final during the adverts they did a preview of the News at Ten, which would follow the match, and the headline story was about the case of a child in Birmingham so neglected that she starved to death; as I heard that it went through my mind where football sat is in the scheme of things in my world, and I realised that despite the stress of the finely poised game, if it didn't go in our favour the sorrow would melt away pretty quickly. As it happened, it was the joy that didn't last very long.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The 1985 FA Cup final was my greatest moment ever as a Man United supporter, despite all the other stuff under Fergie rthat was to come. And losing the Cup Final to Southampton was the worst moment ever I have ex[eriences as a United fan to this day. I think a lot of football experiences come in childhood and adolesence and when you become an adult with responsibilities you are able to put football into perspective.
This actually makes me wonder how old some United fans actually are who post on SM with absolute anger and repetition about how upset they are about the way things are atm and will not accept any reasonable arguements as to why things are
posted on 7/10/23
I have great memories of that 1985 FA Cup Final.
When Big Norm scored my Dad leapt up and broke the armchair when he landed. I remember being sat on the floor in front of him watching it on a rented TV from Radio Rentals. Really nice TV with wood panelling around it. No remote control (well unless you counted me as the remote!).
Great times. Big Norm laughed when I told him that on Twitter a few years back!
Also, remember vividly a game at OT in 1987. Utd beat Liverpool with a late Davenport goal. I was there with.my Dad and Mum (Liverpool fan). Remember turning round and telling her it'd be OK! I was pleasant then obviously!
posted on 7/10/23
I was currently dead in 1985