I like football. There. I’ve said it. I’ve ’come out’ as a football… fan-cier. A devotee. A worshipper at the alter of the Premier League. Who, ironically in the light of this metaphor, have shown themselves to be as godless as any organisation can be, as deducting 10 points from Everton was purely the work of the devil. Within the ‘context’ of ‘sins perpetrated’ by both Chelsea and Manchester City. (My choice of putting the word ‘context’ in quotes is because, for a word so previously benign and concise, it has recently become the go-to ally of those wishing to justify all manner of evil thoughts, words and actions. For ‘abuse and reconstruction of words in general’; read ‘the bitch is back’, by… errrr… me).

Like all football fans, I come with ‘baggage’. The older you are, as in all walks of life, the more baggage you carry. And tragically, this tends to affect my appreciation of the game. Reduces the much-advertised ‘beauty’. Because over the many years I have been upset, abused, ridiculed and devastated by the actions of other football teams. And really, it goes beyond ‘they beat us 6-1 in 1927; I’ll never get over it’. And most of it so subtle in its lingering manifestation that I’m barely aware. Other than for Arsenal, obviously and Chelsea, both of which are patently self-evident to every decent person.

My first ever visit to Spurs was in (probably) 1965?, ‘66??, against Man City. 1-all draw and my blue-and-white bobble hat was stolen by a Mancunian thug, probably Liam Gallagher’s father, if he knows who that is, on the way home. Some things can never be forgiven. Then being bought by oil money and hauled up from low-ranking obscurity destined to an eternity in United’s very long shadow, to the ultimate, treble-winning juggernaut (current form notwithstanding), didn’t seem to increase any lurve for the northern bastards. And, if I’m honest, they will remain forever rooted to that hateful place in my footballing heart.

Whereas Everton have never really done anything to upset me at all. They’re just sort of ‘there’ but not in a particularly real or threatening way. But take 10 points off them and suddenly I’m an Everton fan. When they beat Newcastle in the week, a team I almost actually ‘like’!!!, I was thrilled that they may yet survive the most outrageous abuse they received from the Premier League. And for all my fondness for Newcastle, let us hope that they take at least another 7 days before recovering from their loss.

I used to go to West Ham quite a lot as a kid. Leyton Orient too. And to this day I dearly love Leyton Orient. And deeply despise West Ham United.

I’ve never had any issue with Aston Villa. I’ve been to Villa Park numerous times because they always used to play cup semi-finals there. Because it was a ‘lovely ground’. In about 1962. Now it’s a shit-hole. But I do have time for their team and, in particular, for manager Unai Emery, who is performing miracles there. Let’s hope, after their midweek domination of Manchester City, they can repeat against the Gunners tonight. It needs to be done.

So you see, much as no man is an island, thus, no man in football is free from a thousand prejudices.

Hope they have more luck playing today’s football than I had playing tennis.

Happy Saturday

A xxxx