Missing it already..

It's been a week without football and withdrawal symptoms are already starting to creep in. Yes we've had the Fa Cup final and in the coming weeks there's England games, and the U21's European Championships but with those exceptions we'll have to put up with cricket and tennis for the next 50 days. They'll soon pass i'm sure, but the excitement of the fixtures for the new season being released brings a feeling on par with your team winning in the last minute against the side thats top of the table.
I'm sure i'm not alone in doing this, but every year when the football fixtures are published, i sit down and mark all the games and grounds i'd like to get to see in that season. Very rarely do i get to see one tenth of my wish list, but it's something i'll continue to do nonetheless.

The rise in ticket prices and in general costs involved in getting to and from games means that unless you're pretty wealthy or in a well paid steady job, it's impossible to go to more than a handful of games, if that. In the 1995/96 season, I frequented Roots Hall, home of Southend United, for almost every home game and saw a few at Old Trafford too. By the end of the season i'd clocked up 37 games including 3 friendlies and that tally remains my highest to date. I will beat this in the future..

I'm lucky enough to have a partner that's a passionate football fan. She has her flaws, such as being a Chelsea fan and siding with Drogba after a ten out of ten performance in the diving category, but she enjoys going to watch live football. A fact that should make future life much easier...