I'm In Heaven

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.

It's not always true.

For example, because I am not seeing much of this man these days, this man is rapidly replacing him as my trigger for a slightly increased heart rate and general object of my affection.

And his team played great football against Liverpool this afternoon. Although that goal from Torres was class I have to admit.

But as a general rule, I do think absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Why else would my lover and I be celebrating the return of the Premiership season with a football fest?

The morning spent gardening, listening to the buildup on the radio. The early afternoon spent listening to the Arse just about manage to beat WBA, then the Foxes only manage an unlucky draw. And late afternoon at the pub with half a Fosters and a bag of Mini Cheddars watching the Sunderland/Liverpool battle.

And there is still MOTD to come.

What a great day.

Mick McCarthy Got No Balls

My lover and I went to my friend Rupert's party last night.

We got talking to someone my lover used to work with. He is a musician and plays the fiddle and mandolin.

All seemed to be going well and we got onto the subject of football. To be fair he rates Wenger, so clearly has a modicum of taste.

Unfortunately, however, he is a lifelong W*****s supporter. Even more interesting was that he does not believe you should choose your team. It should be something given to you by someone else (your dad supports them, your mates support them etc.) and you are then stuck with it.

Well at least that explains his 'choice' of team I guess.

After a couple of beers he was prepared to concede that their current manager is not all one might hope for. A sentiment shared by one Roy Keene.

Apparently Keene's beefs included an allegation that McCarthy shamed and undermined him in front of his team mates, accusing him of being a liar, as well as a lack of adequate tournament preparation, which including them being expected to train without any balls!

I think he probably fits in well at the Molinuex Stadium

I Ain't No Prawn Sandwich Fan

You'll all be relieved to know I am back.

It's like I always said. Give a Reading fan a blade of grass and they take a football pitch.

Thanks to those of you who have been leaving comments. I was beginning to think I was at an Arsenal match it was so quiet.

Anyway, one of these comments by a new reader, Colin Randall, himself a football blogger, challenged my fervent Foxes fanship (try saying that when you've had a few) on the basis that I show too much interest in and favour towards other teams.

It made me think about a conversation I had with my lover recently about the prawn sandwich brigade, some of whom (allegedly) change allegiance on a regular basis (only amongst the top four clubs of course).

The sort of think a member of the "prawn sandwich brigade" might say is:

"I think I'll support Chelsea next year. It will be nice to watch a team playing in a different colour for a change."

or

"I chose Manchester United because the parking at the ground is easier than at Liverpool"

As you know I am fairly new to football and have only been a Leicester City fan for about a year. You might wonder therefore how deep the roots of my loyalty really go. I have to confess to asking myself the same question with the threat of relegation looming so large.

I jokingly suggested that if they are relegated I would choose a different team. As I did so I had this really weird feeling. Like guilt. As if I had committed adultery or was at least contemplating it. I quickly realised that I could no more support another team than change sex. Even after such a short time and all the trials and tribulations, I'm a Foxes girl through and through.

But my journey has been about learning to love football and that has included learning to appreciate good football. So inevitably I have watched other teams play and bizarrely (although I don't believe for a minute I am unique in this) have found myself forming opinions and a level of allegiance on the scantiest of evidence.

None of these views would stand up to much scrutiny or analysis but here is my take on the Premiership teams:

Arsenal: I have a love for them because sometimes they play really really beautiful football. I don't like the persona Wenger presents in public but I do think he is a great and passionate manager. And of course my son loves them so I have an understandable affinity
Man U: How could you not love the football they play? I am much less keen on Fergie though even though I know he is a god in many ways.
Liverpool: I feel less pull to them although I love Crouchy
Chelsea: I can't love them Mourinholess
Newcastle: I'm sorry Mosher. I can't love a team who think KK is groovy and look like a packet if mint humbugs
Reading: I have to like them because my lover does. I do sort of - they have an underdog appeal don't they
Everton and Blackburn: Like 'em a bit. No idea why
Sunderland and Tottenham: Well there's Roy Keane and Ramos - yum!
Man City: I have to confess to finding Sven just a little bit sexy..........
Birmingham, Aston Villa and West Ham: No feelings either way
Portsmouth: Not sure really. Harry is a bit too much of a wide boy for my liking
Middlesbourgh and Wigan: Seem a bit dull
Fulham and Derby: I'm sorry. You can't love the unloveable.
Bolton: May they die a horrible death

Yet despite these strange affinities, I couldn't support any of them. Not like Leicester.

No - there is no doubt about it. Given the choice between a pie and a prawn sandwich I'll take the pie every time.