or, what passes for a preview of the Hull game in these parts
It doesn’t matter what you call me off the back of it, the answer is still no. As I type into my mobile multimedia device (ok, phone) there’s half an hour to kick off and I’m 50 odd miles from the JJB. I’m stood on a train platform, waiting for one of the less salubrious models to arrive and, with the best will in the world, I’m not going to make kick off.
The fact that it’s a couple of days to payday doesn’t help, but even without that I’d find it hard to generate the best will in Orrell, let alone the motivation to chuck any amount of cash over the turnstiles to watch what is going to be little more than a reserve team game.
Who am I kidding? I’ve deliberately put obstacles in the way of me spending, first a tenner and now, £15 that I can’t afford. I’ve committed to a seven o’clock finish and told Mrs. Perm that I’m not going to the game and still I’m trying to work out how much of the game I’d miss if everything ran on time.
In the end, you can hide from friendlies (especially when they’re away games) and proper reserve games (although they’re starting to have a pull they haven’t for about 20 years) but a League Cup game is a competitive game and there’s so damn few of them in this land of milk and honey.
When you’re accustomed to 23 (home) game seasons plus a couple more in the League and FA cups, with the Associate Members thrown in for good measure, a division with only 20 teams just doesn’t do it for you. You may get to see international players in every game, but where’s the bi-weekly hit, the regular mid-week games and playing Bury and Oldham 15 times a season?
Of course, every fan wants their side to be playing at the top of the pile, but when it comes down to it quality is a poor trade off for quantity where supporting your team. It may seem a strange thing to say, but the main thing I miss being a football fan at the moment, is football.
p.s. I resisted temptation in the end, but only because the Skem bus came before the Kit Green circular. By the way, does anyone know what time they open the gates, and whether you can still walk on?
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