Me and the Albion.

Most of you know I’m a very part time attendee at matches these days and that I gave up full time attendance under Pardew.

At the time I didn’t realise I was unwell mentally and the matches just added to my stress and anxiety, I’d stopped enjoying match days.

Today was only my second match of the season but it was the second match in a month.

On the way home with my son today I realised something, I’d spent from 12 o clock today until 5.00pm not thinking about any other stresses in my life.

THIS is what football used to be to me…..an escape from everyday pressures, I realised I was back where I used to be years ago.

I’ve also found that I no longer get as wound up watching us live, I analyse the game more and enjoy watching the tactical battle ( which today certainly was, it was a game for the a n a l retentive today! ) and that I’m no longer dreading the worst all the time although Pieters and Kipre tested my resolve today.

It’s a real joy and a complete surprise to find that Albion has become an escape for me again.

Looks like all that money spent on therapy has done some good.

I hope everyone got as much pleasure out of today as I did.

Wolves losing probably helped as well!🤣🤣

Really glad you are now beginning to find yourself in a better place Mick. Being a football fan is a funny thing though isn't it as it kind of sucks you in and however much you know that it is just a game and that you don't have any real influence over your team's performances, it doesn't stop that from influencing your post match mood nor indeed any pre-match tension!

Frustration, joy, excitement-being a fan brings all of these to add to all the existing things already going on in your life. While you do tend to forget about everything else when you're engrossed in a match -which can be a good thing-that emotional involvement often means that we also carry our mood from the game over into "real" life. A good performance or win cheers us up but a poor one can make us more miserable for a while than we already were! The Albion being the Albion, there haven't been too many buoyant feelings over recent years so this season has been very welcome!

Guess the trick is to enjoy the game as much as you can whilst trying not to become so emotionally involved. As you say, view tactics and performances with a more objective eye. Not easy though is it !

I like to think that I am a reasonably intelligent individual and therefore I often wonder why my mood can be so affected by the result of a football match. After all, it’s only a game isn’t it? Or is it? It has to be more than that as millions of people around the world are affected in the same manner. For some reason I believe that football, more than any other sport, stirs the emotions. Why, I am not sure?

The most common reason for supporting a certain club is where you live and is therefore tribal. However, there are many other reasons, some of them quite bizarre. It could simply be the name, the colours that they play in, the fact that someone took you to watch that team and you got hooked. In my case it was an individual player. I’m not from West Bromwich but from Herefordshire so it’s not the locality. The reason I support the Albion is because when I was at primary school and we played football in the school playground, this lad always wanted to be Ronnie Allen, and I just copied him. That was it, I was a Baggie for life! Whether I should thank this lad or not, I’m not sure, but it certainly has had a great effect on my life.

Not tribal for me. I am from Dublin. I always go against the trend. An outlier of sorts. John Giles was my boyhood footballer I tried to imitate on the pitch.
As soon as he turned Baggies I was there.
Passion can be aroused in many ways.
The trick is learning to discipline and control that passion.
It has been said wrongly in my opinion, that football is the religion of the masses.
It is not. But it is away of learning to control your emotions as anybody in the opposition fans section can testify to...😓
Control your passions and emotions and you get back control of your life.


How you do it is up to you.

Nice one Mick, I also (wolves game aside) sense a bit of a feel good factor and clear optimism around the place, it’s been a long time coming! Football should be a release not a burden.

Glad you are feeling a bit better Mick. Nice to know.

I'm hoping your experience rubs off on me. I also "fell out of love" with the game a while back and didn't enjoy the experience of the matches Even now I find it difficult to watch or listen to the games live on TV or radio. I'll switch off for an hour or so and only go back whem i'm expecting the final result I think it may also be a age thing - not getting any younger. Lets see if I come out of it if this season pans out well.

Just amazed nobody got battered after they played the Liquidator. I'm offended 😤......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SCOOP115

I'm hoping your experience rubs off on me. I also "fell out of love" with the game a while back and didn't enjoy the experience of the matches Even now I find it difficult to watch or listen to the games live on TV or radio. I'll switch off for an hour or so and only go back whem i'm expecting the final result I think it may also be an age thing - not getting any younger. Let’s see if I come out of it if this season pans out well.

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I’ve found it easier to be at the games rather than watch on TV Scoop.

I’ve also changed my mindset at games, I first and foremost go to enjoy the company of friends I’ve made at the matches down many years, the social aspect is the most important thing for me now.

I used to get angry at games, I refuse to do that now, going with a better sense of perspective has helped me a lot.

One of the lads I know from sitting by for the past 20 years turned up yesterday with his coat sleeve tucked into coat pocket.

His arm strapped tight across his chest, a couple of weeks ago he sneezed whilst driving home and such was the velocity he lost control of his car and hit another car head on on a bend with them both going at 50+ mph.

Completely shattered his shoulder and very lucky to survive.

That along with the lady who sits to my right losing her husband to cancer recently in his mid 50’s is a reminder that a football result is temporary and insignificant in the scheme of things.

Get yourself to a game Scoop, maybe a match when we’ve already secured a play off place so that there’s no real stress.

All the best.