Hello good people, trust you’re all doing well and staying safe…
Mind you, despite us having to stay vigilant, the signs are hugely promising regarding Covid-19. Scientists are now advising government to relax restrictions, which could (amongst other things) see us returning to stadiums to watch sport in bigger numbers in the near future!
I hate these weeks. You know, the ones where you’re at work looking forward to the weekend (for me a lot to do with football) and then there’s an international break.
Ok, we have DSTV Cup games on and Afcon, but (because Bafana Bafana isn’t involved) nothing to really get the excitement rushing (for me) also, I’m supposed to be talking/writing about current Premier League football and with no games that becomes a bit painful sometimes.
However! It does give the opportunity to chat more about off-pitch matters. And today I thought I’d reminisce a bit about my early days in Cape Town.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 27 years! I was blown away on my arrival at the passion, support and quality of football on the ground. Helped make slipping into life here so much easier. The only downside I guess was the (guessing) 1.5 million United fans, 1 million Liverpool fans and six Chelsea fans which included me (and my brothers when they popped over for a visit!).
Of course there’s splattering’s of obscure clubs that had done well in the past and gathered a few glory hunters along the way… Forrest, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs (Barca and Real Madrid Super group glory hunter fans don’t count).
But yeah, outnumbered a million to one. The arguments didn’t go well for me back in the 90s. Despite Chelsea having some European and domestic successes, the historic achievements of the big red sides just weren’t debatable.
Oh, how that has changed! There’s now (post-Abramovich) Blues fans in the Mother City and of course the success of Chelsea over the last decade or two cannot be rivaled.
It’s funny how Liverpool, the team apparently “obsessed with silverware” have actually only won two trophies in the last 10 years.
United, who have been in a massive decline since Sir Alex’s retirement in 2013 have managed six pieces of silver albeit not the top end variety following the departure of Alex Ferguson.
Those numbers really dampened the enthusiasm here, however, the bragging and banter was reignited briefly when Jurgen Klopp guided the ‘Scousers’ to the Premier League and Champions League titles, but alas, that bizarre period plagued by Covid (should have been cancelled) doesn’t look like repeating itself in the near future so they’ve shut the f**k up a bit.
Those figures of course leave me and my boys top of the pile, I see blue shirts parading proudly from Sea Point to Strandfontein and with 10 trophies in 10 years (ok, Super Cup, League Cup and Europa League are second tier) when we look back in history in 10, 20, 30 years like Liverpool and United have always done, we know our kids won’t have to face the same kind of irritation.
I know you’re all thinking something similar to the chant Chelsea fans face every week “where were you when you were sh!t” but as Kardashian culture says “get over it” we’re in a sport that has been run over by business.
Top clubs are owned by billionaires including yours. That’s how it is. I mean Liverpool’s glory days were fueled by a business that bought all the best players back then anyway?
Why don’t people talk about that? Thankfully it’s back to football this weekend with the fourth round of the FA Cup! I love seeing ‘real’ fans from lower divisions showing up Premier League stadiums half-full with plastics.
There’ll be some prime examples of that… Boro (hardcore supporters) at Old Trafford on Friday, then Plymouth at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and Cardiff at Anfield on Sunday!
Before I go, on a very serious note, how horrible it is listening to (allegedly), Mason Greenwood assaulting and raping his ‘girlfriend’?
It’s also very disturbing that most of the conversation is about a young man potentially ruining his career and little about the bloodied attack on the victim.
I hope it’s not true, I hope she’s ok, I hope they lock the bastard up if it’s real.