A Girl With A Football Obsession =): The Football Ramble

The Football Ramble

Posted in Labels: Berbatov, football, Manchester United, ryan giggs

9:37 PM

A couple of days ago I was asked why I liked football so much, my response was an uninteresting "I don't know," followed by me walking away in shame as I was unable to support my argument about why football is the best sport in the world. I'm currently reading a book called Fever Pitch, a book that many football fans have probably heard of. I began to realize that even though I can't watch any of the games live, like the main character does I have a lot of similarities with him. He says that football is a sport that he has to watch by himself, which is the same for me. Before a game, even if it's not an important game I get extremely nervous and quiet, and during a game I'm either really loud, or really quiet. I hate it when my parents are there and they keep asking me questions about the game, I just love to sit there quietly and curse at the players whenever I want to. I think that's the reason that I love football, because it lets me forget everything but the twenty-two men on the pitch.

I'm also reading a book by Jim White called Manchester United: The Biography. I've been trying to educate myself more about the team I love, and the book is definitely doing its job. I love every single page of it, I suck up the information and I try to read as slowly as possible so that I don't have to finish it soon. United have become sort of like my second family, or maybe my real family. Sometimes they are really unfair to me (and to all their fans), and sometimes they are just amazing. Ryan Giggs has become my favorite United player, that man is the heart and soul of United. He is definitely not in his prime, but without him United will be way down the table right now. Berbatov is also brilliant this season, without him we would not have won the Champions League game against Wolfsburg. I understand why many people criticize him, because he was overpriced, and he did not have a perfect starting season. But he has definitely improved this season and he is going to be amazing.

I started following United midway through the season last year, and I realized that I was a year too late, I should have started watching them last year when they played against Chelsea. I know I would have probably had a mental break down during the Champions League final, but I would have loved to experience that. I would have loved to see them lift that trophy and do their victory lap, I would have loved to be able to support them during that game. I realize that this year they don't have the best team ever and they will have a hard time to staying on top of the EPL table, I also realize that they will not make it to the Champions League final, because they are simply not good enough this year. I would love to see them win, but the realist inside me tells that it won't happen, and that makes me sad. I have to sit in front of that TV and wait for them to get trampled over by Barca or Real.

I realize that being a football fan is one of the toughest things. I love watching my teams, I love watching quality football and I love watching my teams win. But watching my favorite team lose is tough, it's really tough. I wasn't upset when United didn't win against Sunderalnd over the weekend, but I was really upset when Chelsea won against Liverpool and they took United's spot. I was in a really bad mood, and my parents thought that I was just giving them the attitude and being annoying. They don't understand how much football actually means to me. They don't understand how hard it is to watch my favorite team go down a spot even if it's just the first few weeks of the season. And it's not just my parents that don't understand me, it my friends too. One of my friend really likes American football, and I think he might understand my obsession, but he supports the Dolphins, who are not great, so he knows what it's like to have a bad season. My team hasn't had a bad season, and I don't want my first full season as a football fan to be ruined by their loss.