If you take a step back and look totally objectively, it's hard to understand why we invest so much time, money and energy into following a group of millionaires kicking a ball around a grass field. We feel such highs and lows following something so arbitrary, why does the fortunes of our football club effect us so much, there's so much more to life yet it's so hard to walk away.
That's why I love the excellent 'What football means to me', a chance to put things in context, to share the interesting things in life that feed our addiction and drive us to indulge in our passion. How football is interwoven with our families and friends, our identities, where we come from. I've driven past Anfield or stopped at at that Dixie Dean memorial far too many times, laying flowers, saying final goodbyes to loved ones. Friends defined in death by their love for Liverpool or Everton and so many times in that situation, even as a football fanatic myself, I've thought they were so much more than just Liverpool or Everton fans yet football plays a near religious role for so many working class people in our city, that is why I want to hear the backstories, because ultimately the people we live amongst are the most important and interesting thing about our shared love of football.
I thought Gareth's appearance was timely and interesting. I don't know Gareth personally although seen him at games, but I first noticed him during the end of Rafa, Hicks and Gillette days, I saw he had started Well Red, I used to buy it because I agreed with him on most things during our fight for the club. In those days, you knew who's side you were on, never have I had so many stand up arguments at the match or written ones on places like here, so you felt an affinity to those who shared your opinions. Who could see what was going on, so always pleased to see him doing well with the Anfield Wrap. I've been going since the late sixties but had a break in the 80's when politics seemed a more important pull on my time than hitching and scraping my way around the country following the Reds. Was dragged back into it late 90's by young lads I worked with, reading between the lines seems like Gareth's looking at where football fit's into his life and I hope he ends up finding the answers that he's comfortable with because I've enjoyed his work on the Anfield Wrap and more importantly he comes across as a decent human being. He'll be missed as a regular contributor and best wishes with pastures new.
