From childhood, I was never a fan of football or any sports. My disinterest in “The Beautiful Game” was my attitude, avoiding discussions of football during school lunch breaks in school or dismissing the sports section of the newspaper.
As I grew older, my lack of interest became more obvious. I would go shopping during big games, posting photos on social media to show I had more free time than the people absorbed in their yearly sports. I considered my disengagement from the world of sports an intellectual advantage, a space in my brain reserved for non-sports activities.
However, this attitude of mine became a pressure to me. Casual conversations with friends’ fathers or fellow cab passengers became a challenge. The well-intentioned openers like, “Hey, terrible season we’re having, eh?” or “Who do you support?” made me feel my heart sink, not knowing what to reply. Though I still found football boring, I was starting to regret my outsider status.
The turning point came when I became a father myself. Fearing that my boy Harvey would lack the social involvement of football, I decided to change. So, I brought a football to the playground and I bought him a mini football table at home. I even took the brave step of buying tickets to watch our local team, Boreham Wood.
The friendly atmosphere of the Meadow Park Stadium, the home ground of Boreham Wood, immediately surprised me: low-key, free parking on the street, and £2.50 for a bag of chips. Families surrounded us, all with a real connection to the players on the field.
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Slowly but surely, I found myself engaged in the game.
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With each visit to the stadium, our connection to football deepened.
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