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Blog: Life as a football junkie
Friday 23rd May 2008, 6:30AM BST.
As a self confessed football junkie I currently find myself gorging on any little snippet of information, rumour, or transfer gossip doing the rounds, writes blogger Jarrod Hill.
Since the season came to an end I almost feel like I am going cold turkey, no games to think about, no travel plans to make, and no match days with the boys.
I am bearing my soul to you here so please be gentle, I also find myself being much more miserable than normal and I can only put it down to the fact I do not have a match at the end of the week to look forward to.
I feel a bit of a loser even admitting it, but I cannot be the only one out there that feels the same.
I have tried placating myself with the thought of this summer’s Euro 2008 tournament, but with England not qualifying it feels like putting a plaster on shotgun wound. Ok I am being a little bit over dramatic now but the withdrawal symptoms are so bad, the urge to keep checking websites for possible transfers or news of the Baggies every hour or so is driving me mad.
As we all know being a football fan is not always all happiness and sunshine and we have all felt the pain of relegation, failed promotion pushes, and disappointing seasons, but football really is like a drug. Even now during the close season my conversations revolve around football and all the ifs, buts, and maybes.
I also play football myself and my weekends consist of watching the Baggies and then playing myself on a Sunday so for me it feels like a double whammy. Sure, like most other people I have other things in my life, a family, work, friends, and socialising, but all these things are additional to my world of football and I still miss it.
I enjoy other sports (both playing and watching) including tennis, golf and cricket, but none of them come anywhere near my love of football.
I wouldn’t mind but by my own admission I can be a pretty pessimistic fan and you would have thought a few months away from the anxious worrying would be a welcome break, but alas no, it isn’t.
I find myself even looking forward to pre season games and the fixture list being released, you can call me sad all you like but I am telling the truth, it all serves to feed my habit. Last summer, when it seemed like we were signing a new player every other day, helped ease my depression and fuel my hunger for the football to start.
It is for the reasons above why I think I was so upset at the club for not having a victory parade; I just did not want it all to come to an end (never mind The Vine Friday 6th June will be just as good guys and girls).
I find myself listing the things I can look forward to between now and the first game of the season, the new shirt, new signings, pre season games, and of course meeting you lot on the 6th to mainly talk about Albion!!!!
Just be gentle with me, I am a football junkie and this is not a good time of the year for me, maybe a beer or two will help!!!
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Yep,that pretty well sums up a closed season.Could be worse,could be a Wolves fan!
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now how you feel blogg,but things could be worse,take me for instance i got to take the mrs to wales next wik for a few days and shes coming to our party i dont normaly wish my life away but roll along august boing boing abberiswiff here we come the MOWBURY WAY
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AT least we got some footie this w/e so we shall soon know who else we will be taking 6 points off next season,just imagine being a dingle they have only got our fixture list too look forward too,theres alway wimbledon ouch,boing boing anyone for tennis
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Fantastic blog Jarrod. It could have been me you were talking about. I’m just glad others are feeling the same way. Just about 70 to 80 days to go….
But before that, new kits, new players, fixture list……
But the best thing is that at the end of the rainbow there really are a pot of gold. The Premiere League. YES, c’mon Albion!
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Jarrod.
As a Baggies football Junkie since 1941 i know how you feel BUT for all that i actually WELCOME the break away from the grind of ‘finding’ the ever increasing cost of watching and ‘suffering’ the anguish that comes with being an Albion fan.
Pre season friendlies ? forget em! Reserve teams for most games, so not interested?
Waiting desperately for the next season fixtures…WHY!
As soon as they’re announced those ‘Cash Happy’ Sky fellows will start changing them around meaning they are little more than an indication of what we can expect.
No for me while i enjoy reading the gossip, rumours, lies (!) and the occasional truth as to what MAY be on the horizon i’m than happy to recharge my batteries until the REAL football begins.
Personally I’ll content myself with watching some cricket at Edgbaston, supporting the ‘Brummies’ Spedway team, enjoying a weeks holiday, and NOT so relaxing, being FORCED to work in the garden!
I hate having to mow the back and front lawns especially as the grass ALWAYS continues growing whatever the weather!
But each to their own and for all my feelings
on this subject i’ll look forward to meeting up on June 6th for a one off chat with fellow ‘Throstles’ supporters.
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Hi tezza,
So your not taking the missus to bangor??
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Terry
Whilst the others are chatting about the Baggies
on the 6th,
you and i can discuss which of us abhors gardening
the most, i despise it with a passion that is almost indescribable.
Are you the Terry Wills that appears on radio WM
occasionally ?…….look forward to meeting you.
Bomber…thats a good un…”a bit pessimistic”
thats like saying the sea is a bit wet !
Keep blogging mate, it`s helping us get through,
yes mate i`m a junkie too.
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i shall bring some sticks of rock back from wales and share um out at our promotion party at the wine,would you prefer it with west brom through the middle or champions,boing boing lets rock
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Hi Bomber – at least we have this site to release our pent up football frustrations on…
I find that i am savouring the anticipation of the coming season…. its that brief period where we can imagine doing well next season, we can imagine signing some world class players and we can look forward to another season of being the No 1 team in the black country…. all without the pressure of having to play a match – is this what being a dingle is like all the time ??
Seriously, I am enjoying the build up to what promises to be a fantastic season in Albion’s history – a great manager, a fantastic squad with the resourses to add to it – and another season of top flight footy… its like the build up to christmas day.
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Morning all,
Doess anyone know when the fixtures come out, thats the next big thing to look forward to as far as im concerned
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8,sorry i meant vine not wine silly me,boing boing
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jarrod,,you best cheer up for the party son,we dont want a dingle atmosphere do we,,have a peak at terry in hes holiday speedos that will make ya smile,,,HAVIN A PARTY THE JARROD WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOH YES.
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Terry
i reckon you should have your own tv show, you make me laugh so much!!!
wbaforever
I know im pessimistic but after a few jars i get a bit more like happy baggie and think we can take on the world!!
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Bomber – the scary thing is thats my “normal” setting – wait till I’ve had a few…..
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I have an easy question for you all, a pint goes to the first corect answer on the 6th June in the Vine.
Name the only player to have an Olympic Gold Medal, and has won the Premiere League, Champions League, and FA Cup.
I know its easy but hey its Friday and i am counting down the minutes to go out!!!
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No 7Wbaforever.
Yes it’s the same Terry that attempted to get Leighton (WM listeners will know who imean!) to apologise to Tony Mowbray for telling everyone that Tony Mowbray wasn’t the man for the job-he should be sacked AND that we’d be relegated at the seasons end!
Look forward to chatting about the mutual dislike of gardening.Should be an intersting topic of conversation!
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10,tamworth, they come out on monday 16 june,for some reason they are early this year,proberly cuz the other teams cant wait to see when there playing us,boing boing who we got boxing day
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6,bomber, i wish,im taking her to that railway station, llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, and ive told her shes not coming back to she can say it backwards,hopefuly she will miss the party, boing boing who said i cant spell
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I fortunately have a life and can occupy myself with many of the wonderful and different pleasures life has to offer, one notably being admiring the way decent professional footballers are running a mile away from the thought of playing for the No.3 team in Birmingham, WBA.
I’m lovin’ it!
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15. wbabomber – Kan u give us a clue?
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Bomber – is it kanu ?
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15,bomber, is it freddie eastwood cuz hes ded good boing boing,pint of bitter please
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One pint to beevower!!!
Happy as usual late!!
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Technically i don’t think Beevower answered the question – however I’m prepared to let it go this once….
19 – yes you can do other things – but you still choose to join the rest of us on here day after day….
As for the rest of your inane comment – i won’t ask you to back it up – cos just like all your other predictions it just makes you look a bigger idiot every day.
p.s – i see you are one of the dingles wetting their pants having brought bournmouths unproven teenager – I even read one comment about now you getting automatic promotion.
Don’t take much to set you all off does it.
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Not sure what have I predicted HB, you having a bad day at the office? maybe you shouldnt take this WBA team so seriously, seems no one else does!
Only one Sammy Vokes!
Im lovin’ it.
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Sandwell Massive .. this may be an odd question but what exactly are you loving
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Sandwell Massive.
I was going to argue with you on a number of points but the code of chivalry prevents me engaging in a battle of wits with an unarmed man.
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16,wills if i remember right you also said mowbray wasent the man for the job on several occasions when we played up front
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Terry and Forever, PROMISE you won’t talk gardening to me at least. I’ve had more years to hate it than either of you. Of all the pointless, useless, man-invented saftness, gardening is IT! Whoever decided what were ‘Flowers and Weeds’ ought to be shot! He got it backwards the idiot.
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How the Hell did that happen. I wrote that diatribe against gardening, not our Terry.
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19 good post mate-yes they are brums third team.yes they will go down .yes their new kit is 3rd rate.
singing hymns,clapping lots and dressing up-lots to look forward to.did they try to buy an irish kid and offered a pathetic amount?hardly prem quality me thinks.many villa wont even go to our place or theirs because they are nothing like derby opposition-the passion is never there like against bloose and the dingles.lets hope they drop like a stone.boing boing-god its so annoying-worse than the pompey bell div.west brum=3rd rate brum team-enough said.viva the villa!!!
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Well written BLOG. It pretty much mirrors my feelings. Main difference is, I live in New Zealand. How pathetic is that!
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32,kiwi, can you get any cheap lamb boing boing baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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30,cyril,hi mate impretty sure regualar visitors to this page will know i daint write that,boing boing wheres me shears
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16.wills,wots the best way to look after my roseydendrums,boing boing wheres me wellies
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I can’t help think Michael Vokes will regret not choosing Crewe.
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28….Nonsense to claim i said, “Tony Mowbray wasn’t up for the job, and PLEASE explain your comment, Quote’…”Mowbray wasn’t the man for the job on several occasions when we played up front!?
Sorry i just don’t understand what you’re attempting to say.
29..I promise there will be no in depth discussion on who dislikes gardening the most.
We obviously share the same feeling!
31…Why are you taking the time and trouble to comment on Albion?
You go under the name of ‘SuperVillan and go on to say, note the spelling and grammer folks (!)”hardly prem quality me thinks many villa wont go our place or theirs because they are nothing like derby opposition .
The passion is never there like against Bloose and the dingles lets hope they drop like a stone”…
Ask any ‘older’ Villa supporter who they regarded as being their greatet rivals and I’d be very surprised if they didn’t say ‘Albion’.
We’ve ‘enjoyed’ some great games down the years and i for one hope next season’s matches are no different.
I’ll be the first to admit Aston Villa are a club with great history and traditions.
They have an excellent squad and will cause problems for many Premiership clubs but it still didn’t stop them losing at home to Wigan did it!
A result that led to Villa fans moaning and groaning at the awful performance!
If you are a ‘Super villan (shouldn’t that be spelt Villian)and, i presume a season ticket holder (?) wouldn’t it be a waste of money by not even bothering to attend the home game at Villa Park?!
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27 – I take your point, but you can’t have a battle of wits with someone who hasn’t got any wit!!
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