Category: Footie Lifestyle

What to do on a Saturday morning…

tivo_logo_lg_rgbThere’s nothing quite like preparing for a Premiership football game on Saturday. The only difference now is that I don’t go to the games, I watch them all on TV. Even though I have TIVO, I still get up to watch the 4.30am games live. You feel more involved when you watch it live. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe I ever got out of bed at that hour for Bolton vs Reading! That’s the kind of fixture where TIVO comes in very handy. Which teams would drag you out of bed at 4.30am? Who is deserving of your attention at that ridiculous hour? How much of a soccer tart are you?

For me it would be Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. There are other teams flirting on the threshold of the early bird rise, but I’ll need to see them play in this coming season to think differently. For now though, I would place these teams in a second category for the games that start around 7am. Tottenham, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Everton and Manchester City would entice me with one eye open. Portsmouth have snuck in there too, since Harry Redknapp has made them an attractive team to watch. The rest of the league fall into the 9am time slot.

The one thing all these teams have in common is that no matter what time they are playing, I will TIVO every game. I’m just choosy about who gets me as a punter when they are playing live at an early hour. Does this still make me a soccer tart? I hope so…

What’s it all about..?

42-17021668I am a Brit living in the United States. I grew up in London watching the beautiful game. Arsenal is my team. I had the privilege to watch them play at Highbury for many years. Then I moved to the States. Luckily, Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports have given me my weekly Premiership fix. My fix also requires the images and sounds of La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and the Bundesliga. ESPN came to the rescue too when they started broadcasting the Champions League in High-Definition. Life got better that day. I am also a huge fan of international soccer, especially European and the flare of those exquisite South American teams. Brazil and Argentina have been an art form for decades.

So living in the States has not affected my football. The sport will never be as big as the NFL, NBA and MLB. It might get close to the NHL! Soccer can have a place though. It just needs to realize where it sits in the pecking order of US sports. Let’s not get greedy too fast. David Beckham is only one piece of the jigsaw puzzle that has been building for a few years now.
It is on these pages where we will discuss the world’s most popular sport. It has its beauty and yes, it can be ugly too. The passion and love for the game is often misunderstood. Some of my best life experiences have been associated with football. Don’t give the red card until you’ve truly exhausted all avenues in your pursuit to like this game. And if you are already a believer, we have much to debate and discuss.

This is the freedom of football speech blog. Our soccer sovereignty is governed by you the people. The only twist is that I have a woman’s perspective on the game. A different insight with all the qualities and qualifications of a seasoned soccer lover. So call it what you want. Football. Soccer. Pick your poison. I’m still weighing up my own options. All that matters is opinion.