It’s that time of the year again when the colors come out,
flags hanging outside homes & excitement & joy go hand in hand with the
little kids as they move to fill the stadium of the clubs they love &
support. Yes it is the beginning of the football season that captivates the
whole nation, continent & perhaps the world, going by the popularity that
these clubs have in countries as far away as Australia or Singapore. It is no
denying the football is a global phenomenon & who it is to contest this
fact when you see a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Robin Van Persie in each living
room or out on the back of kids playing in the summer heat on the streets. It’s
just not the home crowd that goes ga-ga come the month of August; it’s the same
in many parts of the world as after an almost 3 month break, the heroes return
on their field of exploits to enthrall the living.
Being a football fan for a long part of my life, I feel the
sadness when in May the season draws to a close. There will be no more matches
every week. No more going over the footage. No bickering over the tackles or
the foul that was not given. In short the happiness if only momentarily, is
lost. Then the wait begins. Wait for the dreaded summer to pass. As George RR
Martin’s spellbinding saga, Game of Thrones comments, “The Winter is coming”,
for football fans across Europe it couldn't come sooner. Three months is a long
time for a football fan who is ready to live & die by his club, so is his
dedication, love & support for the club, the players, the history. It is a
pain to not turn to the noise coming from the stadiums as a goal is scored
filling millions of hearts with joy & pain at the same time.
The close season though does offer the thrill of the anticipation
of the movements in the transfer market. The chance for the clubs to get the
players that would help them win all that they want to win & more in the
coming season. It is also a chance to let go of the players you felt were
undeserving of donning the same colors you wear. Rest assured, every fan has
his views on the transfer policy of the club & who they should get in to
bolster the squad & whom to let go to balance the books. Believe me the
gossips floating around in media circles are far juicier than the news. As time
passes, summer gives way to autumn & as the last grand slam of the year in
US Open at the Flushing Meadows gets underway, so does the footballing season
across Europe. No need to tell that
battle lines have already been drawn, to do one-upmanship on the nearest
rivals, to shut up ‘The Noisy Neighbors’.
Every season starts with hope & pride filling up the
hearts of the fans that are either smitten from last season’s successes or are
looking to improve from the disappointments. It is a breath taking moment when
time stops at kick-off time for the first game of the new season. The thrill is
back. The nail biting finishes. Looking at the clock anxiously, yelling at the
players, cursing the referee all to see your team get the morale boosting win
under their belt. And within the first few weeks, predictions are drawn on
where the clubs will lie come the end of the campaign.
Football is a game that brings people together. People from
all walks of life, from different countries coming together to raise their
voice in support of the colors they love to adorn on their backs, all the
while filled with pride. Yes, all of this sounds a bit fanatical but to a true
fan, this is his life. This is what he lives for in true sense of the word. It’s
a passion that defines many lives; kids growing up supporting & loving
their heroes, The Beckhams, Messis and countless others. You will do all the
fighting, brawling, defending that is needed in the name & honor of crest
you wear on your chest when you step out on the street, making your way to the
stadium to join in the noise.
