When you're six years old you have heroes and those heroes are invincible. They are everything you want to believe and everything you want to be. As a parent, it's easiest to put any principles or prejudices to one side and roll with it: these heroes become your allies. These heroes know that it's important to go to bed and get a good night sleep; these heroes eat their greens; and these heroes are Good People that do Good Things.
Wayne Rooney is Angus' hero and, for what he does on a football pitch, you can't argue with this. And up until last week, we could deal with the rest simply by ignoring it. Last week that changed. Last week we had to discuss it. Can you imagine how challenging it was to try and explain to a 6 year old that his hero didn't want to play for his favourite team anymore:
D: 'He wants more money' - A: "Why" - D: 'Ehhhh...'
D: 'he doesn't think the club's ambition matches his' - A: "what?" - D: 'Well, er, em...'
D 'His agent is clearly playing a game, Buddy' - A "..." you get the picture.
But there it was. I told him, and he didn't understand. And I couldn't explain it, because I didn't really understand either. And judging by the press and the pundits I wasn't alone. But I was struggling, because he was really struggling. And just when I told him that we'd talk about it tomorrow, tomorrow brought very different news - just when I was trying to figure out how to explain what had changed, all he said was "yessssssss" and trotted off singing Rooney's name once more.
And that kinda sums up last week in the world of EuroChampsChallenge. We had a couple of knocks which set us back and had us confused about things. We were starting to question our ability to pull this off and whether we really did have the unique and engaging product we thought we had. Then we got two or three positive messages which really brightened our day. And instead of dragging over the coals and trying to dissect the bad news, we skipped along to the next task with the added energy of the good.
And that, from our experiences thus far, is the way I think it's going to be.
The EuroChampsChallenge is different. EuroChampsChallenge is unique. We're going to visit every ground of every team that's ever won the European Cup or the Champions League. 7000 miles, 21 Clubs, 16 Countries, 14 Days and 1 Driven Team. And it's all for charity.
Monday, 25 October 2010
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Pannini Stickers and Match Attax
If you're a man that was brought up in the 70s and 80s following football, then there's a better than fair chance that you will have, at one stage of your childhood, known the excitement that comes with a fresh packet of football stickers.
I vividly remember a time of my life being dominated by the Pannini Football stickers. I learnt the 12 times table based on the fact that a packet cost 12p. 50 pence pocket money was fine, but that extra 10p meant five packets of stickers and no two-penny-chew. I remember the anticipation of that first tear, the excitiement of the glimmer of a foil badge and the disappointment of half a dozen 'commons'. There was nothing to beat the playtime pastime of standing flicking through a pile of swapsies with your mate monotonously repeating "got...got...got...got...got" before being interspersed by the raised excitement of a "neeeeed, neeeed, I neeeed that one, I'll swap you...".
Quarter of a century later, and Angus is on his second season of the latest incarnation - Match Attax. It's early days and therefore he needs just about every one he gets. Doublers - the modern day swapsie - are few and far between. As I stand next to him and watch his face as he opens the packet, I see everything that I felt at that age. There's a sparkle in his eye and a grin on his face. And last Thursday he got Wayne Rooney. The pleasure and excitement he showed was matched only by my recollection of finding Kenny Dalglish in 1985. He was overjoyed. He took the time to explain to me exactly how he opened the packet, and exactly how he flicked through the first two or three. And then he told me exactly how he found Wayne Rooney - all this despite the fact that I was right next to him and saw it all. He also told me how it was just The Best Thing Ever. And I know what he means.
Think of the EuroChampsChallenge Medallion Men as Match Attax, and my email inbox as the packet. On Friday morning an email from Celtic legend Jim Craig was my Wayne Rooney. And it was: Just The Best Thing Ever.
I vividly remember a time of my life being dominated by the Pannini Football stickers. I learnt the 12 times table based on the fact that a packet cost 12p. 50 pence pocket money was fine, but that extra 10p meant five packets of stickers and no two-penny-chew. I remember the anticipation of that first tear, the excitiement of the glimmer of a foil badge and the disappointment of half a dozen 'commons'. There was nothing to beat the playtime pastime of standing flicking through a pile of swapsies with your mate monotonously repeating "got...got...got...got...got" before being interspersed by the raised excitement of a "neeeeed, neeeed, I neeeed that one, I'll swap you...".
Quarter of a century later, and Angus is on his second season of the latest incarnation - Match Attax. It's early days and therefore he needs just about every one he gets. Doublers - the modern day swapsie - are few and far between. As I stand next to him and watch his face as he opens the packet, I see everything that I felt at that age. There's a sparkle in his eye and a grin on his face. And last Thursday he got Wayne Rooney. The pleasure and excitement he showed was matched only by my recollection of finding Kenny Dalglish in 1985. He was overjoyed. He took the time to explain to me exactly how he opened the packet, and exactly how he flicked through the first two or three. And then he told me exactly how he found Wayne Rooney - all this despite the fact that I was right next to him and saw it all. He also told me how it was just The Best Thing Ever. And I know what he means.
Think of the EuroChampsChallenge Medallion Men as Match Attax, and my email inbox as the packet. On Friday morning an email from Celtic legend Jim Craig was my Wayne Rooney. And it was: Just The Best Thing Ever.
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