My New CFC – LFC

This is by far the hardest blog I have had to write. It’s not about me or Cayleb or the divorce. It’s about sport and more specifically football.

 

So sport has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. My brothers, dad and granddad are absolutely sport mad. Growing up, our Saturdays were spent watching EPL and Sundays F1 and EPL. I had the choice – sulk in my room because I can’t watch what I want to or enjoy it with them. I guess it’s kind of obvious which route I went.

Not many girls share the same passion for sport as I do. Lately I have found more and more sports-loving-girls but generally it’s a guy thing.  I often take flack for my love of sport. I get told that I only support a certain team because of the hot players and so on. It is like we cannot watch sport for the sport. I often shock the men when I start talking about sport and most of the time I find I know just as much as they do and even a little more.

 

As many people know I support Chelsea. The first reaction is, as mentioned above because the players are hot or because it is the team everyone supports, but let me explain. My brothers and dad are the most avid Liverpool supporters ever. And if you know me I normally decide to go against the norm which I did. So when asked why I support CFC this is what I say:

1.  My dad and brother’s support LFC and my granddad Arsenal. So I cannot do the same. Good enough reason? I doubt.

2. I really loved the coach\player Ruud Gullit at the time. He was too cool for my ten year old brain to comprehend. Good enough reason – I think so.

3. And finally I liked the colour blue. Good enough reason? Definitely not!!

But I have supported them for as long as I can remember.

 

 

 

And now the hard part comes….

 

Recently, for the past year or so, I have had this deep, deep, very deep shift. I have tried to ignore it but more and more it has come to the surface. My blood is red! My heart is with the Liverpool. At first I tried to ignore it but eventually I just couldn’t. When LFC went through that really bad stage (like bottom of the EPL table stage) my heart hurt more for them than when CFC lost and they were the top of the table. I love John Terry but when I see Steven Gerrard I just can’t help but get weak at the knees.  And not only because he is hot but because he is so damn talented.

And when I see the LFC fans, all in red, singing You Will Never Walk Alone I get goose bumps and honestly a lump in my throat (I have tears in my eyes as I type this – weird I know). I don’t get that from CFC. I always want LFC to win – always!! I don’t have that rivalry thing where they must lose because when they do it hurts. Even when they play CFC and they win I am, deep down, happy for them. Never angry or bitter.  A big tipping point was all the LFC fans I have made friends with recently. I connect with them on such a deep level; I can talk to them more about LFC than I can about CFC to my friends who are fans. I just don’t feel it with the CFC peeps as I do with the LFC. I even got the following as a Follow Friday on Twitter from @tequilapunk not so long ago – “#FF The winner of the Most Confused Football Chop on my TL Award goes to @samrobinson25 is she a Blue or is she a Red.”    My first visit to Slam was the final nail in the head. That passion and support and love – all for a football club. I just felt part of it. Like I belonged. I am even seen as a LFC supporter. The week after the previous FF I got this one from @saleshs – “#FF @LiverpoolRSA @derekm11 @Anfield_Talk @koolkamal @tweetingred @samrobinson25 @Linda_Pizzuti @irishscouserlfc #LFC #RedsKnowBest”

I cannot ignore my heart. That’s where it is my heart. Not anywhere else. Deep in my soul. My blood is red and not in the obvious way. It is Liverpool red.

So what makes this so hard? The complete and utter flack I will get from both sets of supporters. Why the move? You are not truly a supporter of both. You never were. You never will be. You only a girl what do you know. But think about this: I am not leaving to go to LFC because they are all of a sudden the best team. (While doing the first draft they lost to Bolton). I am also not leaving CFC cause suddenly they not performing. They have had a really good past few years although frustrating that it couldn’t be better. In essence I am downgrading. And why would a person do this – because they really really feel they need to.

I am willing to deal with the hard times. The sometimes frustrating draws and losses and sometimes a complete thrashing. I am willing to deal with the non-performance of Carrol or Adam and the fact that Torres belongs with LFC as well as the frustration that Gerrard can’t be 100% fit. But with this comes the smile on King Kenny Dalglish’s face when they score and win – he cried when they got through to the Carling Cup final – need I say more? Hearing them sing you will never walk alone. Yes it will take some time to adjust but give me some time and I will be 100% Red!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So on that note. Goodbye blue – hello red. Goodbye Terry – hello Gerrard. Good bye Stamford Bridge – hello Anfield. Good bye (what is Chelsea’s song???) – Hello You will never walk alone.

LFC – with them I will never walk alone!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08jhvmJZe1g

MY 2011

2011 was a pretty interesting year. I learnt so much about myself as well as others. I attended some pretty awesome events and functions and made new friends.

I hope it’s not too late to share some of my 2011 highlights.

1.  I made the toughest decision of my life. It may not seem like a highlight but for me it proves that I am strong and capable of anything. “Most people would rather be certain they’re miserable, than risk being happy.”  ~Robert Anthony

2. The love of my life – Cayleb. He surprised me at his resilience. I was worried about how he would handle the change but he taught me a lot about myself. He taught me patience and he made me re-look being a mother.  I now know how I can be the best mother to him in our new situation. He said this to me the first day he came to visit “Mommy you can phone me if you heart is ever sore – even when you at work” “Children make you want to start life over.” ~ Muhammad Ali

3. My brother, Derek (@derekm11), and I are closer than ever. Never under estimate the power of family in hard times. They are able to take your mind off shit even just for a minute, hour or day. We did so much together at the end of 2011: lunches out on a Sunday, soccer visits to Slam, afternoons with Cayleb at Zoo Lake and Spur. And because of my un-domestication he would even come cook lunch for me.  “A brother is a friend given by nature” and “Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there.”

4. Stereotypes and judgment. Again – might not seem like a positive but if you are 100% sure of a decision you have made it should not be affected by what others think or say.  And this is something I kept telling myself. It’s funny how even in the 21st century you can still be judged for not being the stereotypical woman, wife and mother. It was hard at first and hurt a lot but it only made me stronger.  I learnt to trust my gut and stick with my decisions no matter what anyone has to say. A more detailed blog on this will follow soon.  “Never judge someone until you have walked a mile in their footsteps.”  (Old saying but still so true)

5. Friends. And wow to how many new friends I have made. Firstly I realised how important it is too have friends in a relationship. Your own friends as well as couple friends. Most of the friends I made this year I met on Twitter (not sure if this is sad or wonderful). I need to mention a few special ones. Tyron/@TyronLSA (who gave me invaluable advice when I needed it). Tags/@ladyofglencairn (who I only know on Twitter, BBM and e-mail and who I cannot wait to meet). Riz/@Riz330 (who is always up for a laugh and always manages to make me smile – had the honour of meeting him late last year and can’t wait to meet his amazing family this year). The girls (@LizaSutherland, @KhanyisaKN, @jodenecoza, @kbattaliou, @lindsaykin85, @Liesldb, @anitaboxoza) nothing like a girls night out with wine and sushi. Better than therapy.

Trace/@pixelslave10 (cause she made me realise no one is alone in a situation – all you need to do is talk. And she is a role model to me).  Friends far away (@sangxa, @gordsreid and @tweetingred) – Twitter makes the distance so much easier.  There are so many more and I think they know who they are but if I have to keep mentioning I could go on forever.  Last and probably the most important friend was made in the office. She came in as intern and left as a soul mate. We clicked instantly and we could practically read each other’s mind. We knew when one was down and the other over the moon happy. Our friendship was never easy but it prevailed. I hope it will grow and grow and grow. I want to see you get married, have kids and grow old. I want to see you happier than anyone I know. I love you Simnikiwe.  “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”  ~ Thomas Aquinas

6. Functions and Events and everything fun. Another important relationship lesson I learnt was that you cannot sit in your house all the time. It is so important to get out and experience life. Otherwise what do you have to talk about and look back on?  My favourite event of 2011 must be #crownecomdey.

Once a month we all gather at Crowne Plaza for a night of funny. The comedians are awesome with the likes of @Daveylevinshoh as the host and other funnies like @LuckyDuPlessis, @DonovanGoliath, @rabinharduth, @JRGoliath and loads more. This night out never disappoints and I look forward to many more. (BTW the first one for 2012 is on the 2nd of February – hope to see you there). There have been some awesome tweet ups this year. Kings of Leon rocked. And of course soccer Sundays at Slam.  “The more fun you have, the greater your value to yourself and to your society. The more fun you share with others, the more fun you have.”

2011 was like a rollercoaster with lots of twists and turns and ups and downs. The year ended mostly on an up and I hope to continue my journey upwards into 2012.  The next step is to work on my resolutions and bucket list for the year.  Watch this space.

This is my life….and everything in between.