Ever since my introduction to the world on a cold (most probably) Monday afternoon on January 7th 1985, sport has taken a grip on me and yes it can be described as vice like. My ability as a sportsman is somewhat at a poor rating. I blame my fitness on my eating habits and I blame my eating habits on being born around lunchtime, so in my head I was born hungry and things have rolled from there - it was always going to be downhill from there. However, my ability to speak about sport, understand sport and most importantly be aware of its everlasting passion on its audience is something I have always been aware of.
My first memory of watching sport is the Cameroon v Argentina 1990 World Cup game in Italy. Cameroon won 1-0 and I knew it was such an upset, mainly because my dad was bellowing, "That's crazy, unbelievable, well done you Africans" was his chant I think. I was instantly sucked in. How could my father be so involved in a game that meant absolutely nothing to him? His passion for football was planted in my genes and I immediately took it all on. I remember Gary Linekar's head point towards Bobby Robson insinuating that Gazza had 'lost his head'. It meant so much yet I probably did not know what it meant at the time. This world, this crazy world of football emotion being caught up between that head point, Robson's reaction on the bench and Gazza's infamous tears, the prettiest tears of them all. I can still see Waddle's penalty in orbit through my telescope and I can still see the anguish on Stuart Pearce's face. Like everyone around the country at the time, I could feel his pain. This involvement from my own front room at such an early age was the end of me if I'm honest. The end of a regular life and the beginning of a life dedicated to appreciating the wonders of sport.
Emotions in sport run high. My first practical sporting memory is my brother bowling at me in my back garden in Southport. We had a huge garden, it was almost like having Lord's at the back of our house. The fence was the boundary and the freshly mowed grass was the pitch. My mother fielded at point and my father as wicket keeper (classically called 'wicky' or 'backstump' in my youth), and my brother being the coolest cat around bowling off a ten yard run up and fizzing it in at my ankles. He displaced my bails and everyone cheered my brother. I could see the happiness on my dad's face and I could see the sympathy on my mum's for me. I was not happy, you might say livid and I proceeded to vent my fury. I turn around quickly and smacked the stumps out of the ground with my bat saying "it's not fair, I'm not out". I would like to think that every person who ever played cricket as a youngster definitely beat the living daylights out of those stumps when they thought they were unfairly dismissed. I did it. Lots. Why was I so angry though? I knew I was going to just bat again in twenty minutes or tomorrow, the next week, whenever, but sport had that hold on me, it was in my system and the competitive nature was already chiseled into me. I had completely fallen in love with something that was always going to be with me.
Sport is a dangerous obsession because it can ruin lives. Being a Manchester United fan, whenever they lose, I am not a good person to be around. In fact, I am terrible to be in company with. When my girlfriend wants to do something nice and romantic on a Saturday afternoon, she gets a flat 'no, you are wishing, I've got a game'. In time, she will know better when to ask and not ask, or she might get completely disillusioned with our relationship and end it. One thing I know for sure, is that sport will not leave me. Manchester United may give me minor heart attacks and terrible anxiety but they will always be there for me. That is why many people love sport. It gives us our ups and downs, but boy when its up, its a great feeling. It gives us emotions we rarely exercise, it gives us a sense of freedom, a sense of identity and a sense of utter unadulterated excitement that turns us into crazed idiots.
For me, this blog will show you my passion and hopefully bring out yours. Sport is a great thing.
