There’s so much more to football than the game!

Double Vision with Charlie Adley

Well I usually read your colyoom, ‘cept not when you write about football.” It’s never a mystery to me why people hate football a complete turn-off, but each time I hear someone dismiss it, a tiny flame goes out inside.

It’s on all the time and it messes with the soaps and oh, do we really have to talk about football?

Okay, I understand, but you’re missing out on so much if you think football is sport. Anyway, I promise not to drone on about the game itself.

It’s Sunday morning. You couldn’t give a damn who’s playing who, while my life is delicately poised between two FA Cup semi-finals.

My excellent friend Whispering Blue is sitting in the kitchen, twitching with anticipation, because his Manchester City Blues are next up in Wembley, playing Arsenal for a chance to meet Chelsea in the FA Cup Final.

In London I know that my two nieces and my mother will be privately celebrating Chelsea’s victory. I’ve a brother-in-law and a nephew who will be shouting for Arsenal, while another nephew, two of my best friends and my father-in-law are right now all feeling robbed and gutted, because they watched their Spurs team play better than Chelsea yet still lose.

“Welcome to the modern game!” said Shearer.

Oops. Sorry. Veered dangerously close to talking about football there, when I promised you life.

The point is that scattered around the world, living separate lives in different time zones, all of us were connected for a couple of hours.

Such is technology, we didn’t even have to be watching the game. One friend on a life mission road trip didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so through a WhatsApp group we kept him up to date.

In some ways we were telling him about the game. In others we were saying:

“Good luck mate! We’re right beside you.”

To read Charlie’s column in full, please see this week’s Galway City Tribune.