30 day football challenge: day twelve, thirteen, and fourteen
Day 12 - Favourite ever match?
The day I stood in the stands singing with 30 thousand of my friends, as my team won at Wembley. It was ‘only’ the Johnson’s paint trophy and we kept it for one season; but that was enough. After all the shit of administration and relegation it was our moment to shine and prove we still could fight. It was when things started to turn around for sure.
And my first clasico, because I’m fairly sure everyone remembers their first clasico … that was the manita, under Pep. And then they all had a massive fucking fight on the pitch, I’d not seen that happen before (in any team) so it was baffling and oddly captivating.
Day 13 - Favourite goal?
If I had to, gun to head, then Spain winning the world cup.
Not because it was a big dramatic moment; but for being the culmination of years of work and hope and unity and just all of that boiled down to a perfect pass from Catalunya’s most unwitting sex god (which to be fair might have been for nothing if it hadn’t been precluded by the most boss save from Casillas to stop Robben from scoring). Once Spain start winning they won’t stop, that’s when the world noticed they started, and that still is holding true enough.
I did watch that goal happen, in my house with my dad. I’d been burnt so many times with international football so started watching Spain as a second team because half the squad is Barca so it made sense. Have since re-watched that goal a few times and it still fills my heart with joy. That moment of truly falling in love with a team and having that belief rewarded. I am however still angry they booked him; like seriously he just won the world cup, he should be allowed to take his shirt off, and the rest of his clothes if he really wants, and everyone should just politely wait and then applaud.
Andres Iniesta just does not get enough love and kudos and odes to his brilliance (even from me) … but there you go, that was the moment the universe knew what we were talking about. The person himself, but also the team. They are all so capable, loyal, and will step up to the plate when needed.
Also admittedly anything that reduces the captain of Real Madrid to a sobbing mess is going to get bonus points; such sentimentality culminating in the world’s sappiest post match interview. Even I almost missed the part where ‘wait, you have a brother’ … which then segued into alternative definition of goal and scoring. So hey, maybe if Holland had won I’d still be oblivious to Mostoles’s double bill of fine exports; and my life would be a hollow shell.
At a club level then Lambert’s first goal of last season, against Manchester city. Not because it was Man city per se, but the fact it proved we had truly arrived back where we should be and that we can hold our own against the doubts. He is also technically a better penalty taker than Messi, which is on record because it should be.
Day 14 - Which live matches have you been to?
Umm not sure, 150 maybe as a random guess … have had a season ticket for the last three years; then a few cup matches, pre-season friendly, and that one time we won at Wembley. Next season I won’t have a season ticket obviously; but will be [dis]gracing Camp Nou at least once. Not sure how much a habit you can make of that on a teacher salary, but when the place is not even 10km from your house it would be churlish not to. Maybe Barca B is more my budget, and hey if I’m going to be wag I might as well go for broke and be a cougar with it.
The day I stood in the stands singing with 30 thousand of my friends, as my team won at Wembley. It was ‘only’ the Johnson’s paint trophy and we kept it for one season; but that was enough. After all the shit of administration and relegation it was our moment to shine and prove we still could fight. It was when things started to turn around for sure.
And my first clasico, because I’m fairly sure everyone remembers their first clasico … that was the manita, under Pep. And then they all had a massive fucking fight on the pitch, I’d not seen that happen before (in any team) so it was baffling and oddly captivating.
Day 13 - Favourite goal?
If I had to, gun to head, then Spain winning the world cup.
Not because it was a big dramatic moment; but for being the culmination of years of work and hope and unity and just all of that boiled down to a perfect pass from Catalunya’s most unwitting sex god (which to be fair might have been for nothing if it hadn’t been precluded by the most boss save from Casillas to stop Robben from scoring). Once Spain start winning they won’t stop, that’s when the world noticed they started, and that still is holding true enough.
I did watch that goal happen, in my house with my dad. I’d been burnt so many times with international football so started watching Spain as a second team because half the squad is Barca so it made sense. Have since re-watched that goal a few times and it still fills my heart with joy. That moment of truly falling in love with a team and having that belief rewarded. I am however still angry they booked him; like seriously he just won the world cup, he should be allowed to take his shirt off, and the rest of his clothes if he really wants, and everyone should just politely wait and then applaud.
Andres Iniesta just does not get enough love and kudos and odes to his brilliance (even from me) … but there you go, that was the moment the universe knew what we were talking about. The person himself, but also the team. They are all so capable, loyal, and will step up to the plate when needed.
Also admittedly anything that reduces the captain of Real Madrid to a sobbing mess is going to get bonus points; such sentimentality culminating in the world’s sappiest post match interview. Even I almost missed the part where ‘wait, you have a brother’ … which then segued into alternative definition of goal and scoring. So hey, maybe if Holland had won I’d still be oblivious to Mostoles’s double bill of fine exports; and my life would be a hollow shell.
At a club level then Lambert’s first goal of last season, against Manchester city. Not because it was Man city per se, but the fact it proved we had truly arrived back where we should be and that we can hold our own against the doubts. He is also technically a better penalty taker than Messi, which is on record because it should be.
Day 14 - Which live matches have you been to?
Umm not sure, 150 maybe as a random guess … have had a season ticket for the last three years; then a few cup matches, pre-season friendly, and that one time we won at Wembley. Next season I won’t have a season ticket obviously; but will be [dis]gracing Camp Nou at least once. Not sure how much a habit you can make of that on a teacher salary, but when the place is not even 10km from your house it would be churlish not to. Maybe Barca B is more my budget, and hey if I’m going to be wag I might as well go for broke and be a cougar with it.