Firing up the blog again

With most football fixtures out by now, yet another season is slowly creeping up on us and what better, totally self-indulgent, way to mark it than by firing up my bull sh*t blog again following a year in the wilderness.

The new season will bring new experiences and new ‘random’ places to visit in midweek - whether it be north, south, east or west, it'll probably be enjoyable.

Fans watching Charlton at The Valley.

Having experienced football from both sides of the fence; ‘supporting’ Doncaster Rovers in my younger days and then spending three years at Mansfield Town working in the media department, I know I'm able to see football for what it really is!

I don’t care much for the trivial things which bother fans at clubs, nor the predictability of nonsensical abuse they dish out when someone dares to say/do something which they don't agree with. The power of social media/internet forums these days allows fans the opportunity to anonymously churn out rubbish from behind a keyboard which they wouldn’t dare say in a one-on-one or face-to-face environment against whomever their perceived ‘judas the traitor’ may be. So, whatever I write (and I won't always get things right), whether it be a positive or critical piece, it'll always be constructive and something which I'd be prepared to back up in a face-to-face situation.

I also don’t care much for whatever PR campaigns clubs get themselves involved in, usually in an effort to look good to their fans, nor the endless stream of website articles which clubs themselves churn out as they'll always be slanted in a certain way. What can be made to appear good on face value can sometimes be quite the opposite behind closed doors and, again, experience has taught me that it's all part and parcel of the shenanigans in modern day football.

Quite simply, when I go to games, I'm there to watch the game and enjoy it - not to get involved with the inner politics of a club or participate in the pantomime-like stupidity of booing, heckling or abusing people - traits which football sadly brings out in some individuals.

If there are clubs charging ticket prices that are frankly ridiculous (such as £25 or more in League Two for games against the ‘mighty’ Carlisle United or Stevenage) then I probably won’t go. If I can't justify it to myself, why should I waste money on being a ‘cash cow’ for a greedy owner at whatever club?

I'll probably watch more youth games because there’s a very different passion, energy and psyche in youth football and it's a million miles away from the political toxicity of stadium environments. Another benefit, of course, is that quite often admission is free or next to nothing for these games - which always helps!

One game I saw in the 2018/19 season: Hartlepool United vs Wrexham.

I certainly won't be one of those boring/predictable people who are forever questioning which young players might 'make it' to the first team because I understand all too well that successfully making the 'step-up' is huge and I know many managers would, quite frankly, choose experience over a promising young player given a chance.

The reality is most young players right now who stay in the game in the long-term will play a few levels lower than where they're at currently. Of course there'll be exceptions to that rule, along with those who drop out altogether, and I just hope my blogs/reports/photos, can create a memory bank which can be looked back on with fondness in years to come.

If you’re still reading by now and I haven't sent you off to sleep then well done! I’ll just try and make sure that I blog regularly throughout the season, add some colour and entertainment along the way, and try to be as accurate to what happens as possible.

I won't always get it right - that's life, but neither will every player, coach or manager... everyone is on a learning curve and there's never a bad time to stop learning.