"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way"
Charles Dickens "A Tale Of Two Cities"
The quote above sums up my experiences of this Sunday.
On the same day that my beloved Leicester was relegated to the third tier of English football, I celebrated the 21st birthday of my beautiful daughter.
Both events brought tears to my eyes. Both events pulled at my heartstrings.
I didn't go the match. Instead, I sat chopping cucumber batons as I listened to the radio commentary on the link given to me by another Foxes fan some time ago. I listened as the other critical games (Southampton v Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday v Norwich) progressed.
I knew of course that we were at serious threat of relegation. Yet despite the doom and gloom of my recent posts, deep down I thought we would probably pull through by the skin of our teeth.
But as the final minutes were ticking by I could feel the sense of inevitable failure growing. I felt bewildered - not just by the horror of it all ,but at the depth of my own reaction.
There are probably some of you who read this blog who don't regard me as a proper fan. I can understand that. I know for many football fans the love of their club goes back as far as they can remember. I know too that the tone of my posts is often tongue in cheek and that my whole journey into football was a reluctant one.
Trust me though I am hurting. It's like a bereavement.
And then, like I said, there was my daughter's 21st celebration. Yes of course my son and his mates TTP relentlessly. Yes of course I had all sorts of clever comments about black armbands and offers to get free tickets to watch Leicester v Hereford United next season.
But I also had the joy of watching my girl, now a beautiful young woman, share with her love of life with others. Which somehow helped put things into perspective.
So what next? Well Mandaric is reported to have said he wants a few days to 'calm down' before making a decision which seems wise.
I can't see Hollow Way staying though. He came into a difficult situation but he didn't have what it takes IMO.
Suggestions for replacement have included Iain Dowie and Steve Walsh.
I'm going to adopt Mr Mandaric's approach for a few days though before I get sucked into the frenzy of speculation and prediction. Just sit back, lick my wounds and remind myself that tomorrow is another day.
And that where there is life there is hope. Especially when you are 21.
6 comments:
and your daughter is a beautiful 21yr old.. just imagine this time next season how you will feel when Leicester win the League One title.
oh please let it be so.
Bewilderment is a very apt description. I didn't expect such a feeling of increasing despair. Where was the great escape? At the end I was fighting back the tears and losing the battle.
I remember my own grief watching my team fail to qualify for the Prem by losing the play-offs at Wembley. My 15 year-old son beside me, walking back to that poxy little underground station afterwards and thinking "there's no way forward"
I also remember getting relegated to the old Division 3 and just feeling numb.
Next week, my team faces the same fate as you unless there's a small miracle.
Sometimes its a hateful game
CF
cunningfox: All I could hear was a fat lady singing
cf: Indeed. Sometimes it is.
Loved the blog!
Cover Letters
Post a Comment