Bolton

A bad fortnight…

By Andy Walton ⋅ September 6, 2007 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

It’s bad enough when football ruins a perfectly good weekend. But a perfectly good fortnight? That’s too much. Let me explain…

As far as I can see, football fans fall into one of two categories when it comes to post-match analysis of a defeat. There are those who like to watch the replays, read the papers and debate the team’s failings on the internet. Then there are those of us who prefer the ‘head in sand’ approach.

If Bolton don’t get at least a point, it seriously alters my way of life. Match of the Day is a no-go. As is the TV news. The Sunday papers are banned, with their in-depth tactical dissection of my misery. I don’t contribute to or read the many internet message boards. Last but by no means least I’m in fear every time I receive a text message. This is just in case it’s a message from a mate who supports the team we’ve just succumbed to, or even worse, a mate who doesn’t like the opposition especially but is just engaging in a bit of Schadenfreude.

Why? I don’t really know. Probably because it’s hard enough to live through a defeat live in the stadium or via the TV or radio. So living through it again from several angles with commentary isn’t ideal. And having the likes of Mark ‘how on earth do I get paid for stating the obvious?’ Lawrenson rubbing salt in the wound certainly doesn’t help.

Now as we’re always being told by the managers of teams who are in a bad run of form, “the thing about football is there’s always another game around the corner”.

Sod’s Law dictates that the prolonged international week will be spent wallowing in defeat rather than a thumping win

And sure enough, a couple of days after a defeat, I’m once again wrapped up in the build-up to the next game. I’m checking all those sources that were persona non grata for the last few days. I’ve forgotten the misery and I’m mysteriously excited again.

Which is great.

Except in international week.

For reasons I won’t go into here (it’s for another column…) I’m not a massive fan of the international break, or international football full stop. It interferes with the real business of the Premier League.

More importantly, it extends the period that I dwell on my team’s last result. So instead of either celebrating a win or avoiding all coverage of a defeat for just a weekend, you have the whole international break to wallow in it. To continue the glass-half-empty tone of this piece, Sod’s Law dictates that means wallowing in defeat rather than a hard-earned point or a thumping win.

So when someone at work asks me why I appear to be in the pit of despondency, I just point them in the direction of Joleon Lescott’s late headed winner at the Reebok on Saturday and bemoan the back post defending.

What do you mean I said I hadn’t watched it?

Sounds familiar? Tell us your way of dealing with life after your team has lost by leaving a comment below.

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