Freewriting, Bonny Scotland, Greece is the word.
This is another attempt at freewriting, and for the next ten minutes I will just be typing non-stop whilst listening to the Sky Sports Soccer Saturday post-match post-mortems. It’s a really hard thing to explain, you just write whatever comes in to your head regardless of the subject, within a time limit, and normally you don’t show anyone your efforts but in this instance I’m sharing them with all the efp readers out there.
It’s a good thing I learnt about this process today because I’ve been struggling for a theme to focus my next efp epic on for a while now. I’ve also had other things on my mind, but the reason for this writer’s block is partly, I think, down to my apathy towards football in general.
This isn’t bitterness at the state of the game, or even frustration at Everton’s stuttering start, indeed my enjoyment of the European games so far negates my boredom with the Premier League. And Thursday night was no exception, with some good football being played against albeit poor oppoisition, whose fans were originally going to be the centre of attention within my next effort, I decided the other night.
Anyone who didn’t see the AEK Athens fans missed a great performance by them at least, often the most interesting aspect of the second half, by which time they’d chosen to turn their backs on the game and take their shirts off, sing non-stop, and jump up and down incessantly.
It got me thinking about England, for some reason, well, more specifically Scotland.
*5.26pm, stops to check pork chop under the grill*
*5.28pm
I’ve already broken the rule of free writing, as Elbow explained all those years ago, but will carry on. So Scotland then. England are going through an exciting era under Capello, this we know, but Scottish football in general seems to be in the dodlrums. This despite their recent game against someone, can’t remember who right now, providing one of the greatest goals I have ever seen.
I went to meet a friend for a drink that evening and he said it was the sort of goal I would have dreamed of scoring. On viewing, I would have to agree. I actually preferred it to Archie Gemmill’s, forever associated with a sex scene from trainspotting, but a moment of genius all the same.
It also replaces my previous favourite goal by an inconsistent Scotch winger, Pat Nevin, twenty years ago this month, against Manchester United.
Basically McFadden got the ball around the half way line and nutmegged the last defender before dummying the keeper, rounding him and slotting it into an empty net, and for a minute, the Scottish fans in their kilts and ginger wigs no doubt, dreamed of joining the Auld enemy in South Africa.
*5.34pm, phone goes off*
5.48pm
Sorry, had my tea aswell, so have basically broken the rules but I’m nearly finished now so bear with me.
Where was I then – oh yeah, Scotland, so what I’m getting at is that I’d quite like to be Scottish, many of my favourite players over the years have been, and I’ve always liked their kits. Plus, I know a bit of what it’s like to be in the shadow of more successful neighbours when probably, you’ve been overtaken, and were there first.
The Scottish League doesn’t seem the best, but I’ve only ever watched the Rangers v Celtic matches, impartially really, but as i’ve stated before, I like the underdog.
And then there’s the fans, which brings us back to the Athens following, that was one of the few times I’ve ever wanted to support somebody else, as they seemed to be having more fun than us.
I’m sure that as things settle down there’ll be more to write about, and it won’t be quite so rushed maybe, and with the new additions, Everton’s season will slowly improve as it usually does.
It’s still only September.
