Great read, Sam! Well done. As somebody who found Andy's Man Club while going through my own storm, I now wouldn't be anywhere else on a Monday evening. You nail it when you say it's a good laugh. I find it absolutely bonkers that you can see grown men crying, hear some awful shit, and then everyone leaves smiling and feeling better about the week ahead. And it's amazing how many people are going through or have experience of what you are going through. Football plays a key role at my local AMC. We meet at the local non-league club, we banter about the previous weekend's results and we all play fantasy football against each other. I do feel sorry for people who don't like football. I don't mean that in a patronising way - just from knowing how much joy I get from the sport. And it's the easiest conversation starter in the world, especially when you're on holiday. I've lost count of the times I've struck up a rapport with somebody at the hotel toaster over the football shirt they're wearing. The bread comes out lukewarm from the toaster but, fuck it, you've just met a Port Vale fan for the first time.
A very good reminder.
Came across this from a Sheffield Wednesday phone in a few weeks ago and I love it, really sums up what the game is to me
https://x.com/secondtierpod/status/1848661883588338033?s=46&t=vdE5W1ViXIfcd2LcKLLlsg
Great read, Sam! Well done. As somebody who found Andy's Man Club while going through my own storm, I now wouldn't be anywhere else on a Monday evening. You nail it when you say it's a good laugh. I find it absolutely bonkers that you can see grown men crying, hear some awful shit, and then everyone leaves smiling and feeling better about the week ahead. And it's amazing how many people are going through or have experience of what you are going through. Football plays a key role at my local AMC. We meet at the local non-league club, we banter about the previous weekend's results and we all play fantasy football against each other. I do feel sorry for people who don't like football. I don't mean that in a patronising way - just from knowing how much joy I get from the sport. And it's the easiest conversation starter in the world, especially when you're on holiday. I've lost count of the times I've struck up a rapport with somebody at the hotel toaster over the football shirt they're wearing. The bread comes out lukewarm from the toaster but, fuck it, you've just met a Port Vale fan for the first time.
Wonderful. Football always gives more than it takes