DrewDon Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Inspired primarily by the thread discussing P&B posters' hatreds of football, although also by the Football Cliches podcast; what are some of the things you love (or simply quite like) regarding football? Now, I hate forced 'limbs'. You might know what I'm talking about here: the pint-chucking scenes at Boxpark, after England dutifully convert their fourth penalty of the game against the lowest-ranked group stage team at a major tournament. But I love proper limbs. There is something brilliant about watching a tightly-packed away end just spontaneously erupt; some will run to goad the home fans, some will tumble down to the front in hope of greeting the goalscorer, and some will either embrace or get embraced by complete strangers. Others just don't know what quite to do with themselves in the midst of the ensuing frenzy. It is never nice to watch your team concede a last-gasp equaliser or winner, but watching impromptu pandemonium unfolding in a busy away end - or, ideally, being part of it - is one of football's purest joys for me. I also love seeing a ground for the first time. That first partial stadium sighting on an away trip is something I always enjoy, even if I have visited there several times before. This terrific article captures my feelings much more eloquently than I could dream of managing: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/01/the-joy-of-seeing-a-football-stadium-for-the-first-time. On the pitch, I quite enjoy goalkeepers going up for corners and then conceding a goal from a resultant counter-attack whilst desperately stranded around the halfway line. I also love an indirect free-kick inside the box. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvo Montalbano Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 You don't get it so much these days but the glow from tall floodlight pylons as you approach a ground for a midweek game in winter. When a big support in the away end think they've scored but it's actually hit the side netting. Being surprised by a good quality, piping hot food product at a game. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFTD Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 That thing where one side (usually the favourites) will be strolling it, build up a wee lead and in no danger whatsoever, then suddenly the other team are rampant. No rhyme or reason to it - the game just switches, because that's football, and it's glorious. Wee example chosen at random: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford Bridge Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 On 01/01/2023 at 13:44, BFTD said: That thing where one side (usually the favourites) will be strolling it, build up a wee lead and in no danger whatsoever, then suddenly the other team are rampant. No rhyme or reason to it - the game just switches, because that's football, and it's glorious. Wee example chosen at random: Kenny Miller mumbling to himself at full-time will always be a cherished memory of mine. The look on his weird face is priceless. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuctifano Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 On 01/01/2023 at 11:21, Salvo Montalbano said: You don't get it so much these days but the glow from tall floodlight pylons as you approach a ground for a midweek game in winter. I've nothing to back this up but I think QoS is the best example of this in Scottish football if arriving by car or supporters bus. Also agree with the point in the OP about genuine gleeful celebrations, being in the North stand for the Griffiths free kicks against England in 2017 was like an out of body experience especially at the second. I've also long said that there's not much worse than being on a train full of drunken football fans, unless you are one of the group of drunken football fans and then it's amazing. The trip back from Falkirk Grahamston to Queen St in 2013 after Thistle had won won the league in 2013 was 40 minutes of bliss where even the BTP went "f**k it, enjoy yourselves" Internet sleuths have killed it a bit but mystery trialists in pre season games are always exciting even if 95% of them turn out to be shite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoingThe42 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Fuctifano said: I've nothing to back this up but I think QoS is the best example of this in Scottish football if arriving by car or supporters bus. The floodlights at Palmerston should be on the UNESCO list. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alert Mongoose Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 On 01/01/2023 at 13:44, BFTD said: That thing where one side (usually the favourites) will be strolling it, build up a wee lead and in no danger whatsoever, then suddenly the other team are rampant. No rhyme or reason to it - the game just switches, because that's football, and it's glorious. Wee example chosen at random: The infamous 411 club. Tremendous night. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Alli Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 #Barclays. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford Bridge Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Look for Brighton's fourth goal versus Everton the other day, everything about it is brilliant. The awful free kick from Everton that starts the ball in play. Underhit back pass from a player with no awareness of who's around him. Quality chipped finish from Gross for the goal itself. Pickford absolutely empties his own defender, proper head over heels, in his attempt to save it. The final part of this masterpiece is the angry BOOOOO from the home support. Lovely stuff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernrover Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Keepers coming up for corners always does it for me. Doesn't matter if it's in a Cup Final or to try and salvage a league draw in February or whatever, it's a thing of utter beauty. Outside of the teams I support / look out for, the one football moment I wish I could have experienced in person is Jimmy Glass scoring for Carlisle. 99.99% of this awful 'limbs' shite these days doesn't hold a candle to that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albertlegend Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Any goal that hits the Bar on the way in! Has to be the bar, hitting the Post is OK but no where near as good.. A proper planned free kick or corner routine that results in a goal. In terms of going to a game, that moment when you walk up the stairs and see the massive expanse of green that is the pitch! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 A proper thunderb*****d of a goal from 20-30 yards out. The ones that scream into the top corner still rising and looking like they will uproot the goal, and the first time the keeper sees it is when it comes back out past him. Bonus points if scored by someone who never normally shoots 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFTD Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Properly spectacular cock-ups. Shanked volleys into your own net from the edge of the penalty area. Hammering the crossbar from six yards with an open goal and time to write a short romance novel. Turning away to take the crowd's applause, only for your gentle pass into the net to get stuck in the mud on the goal line. You know; the stuff they made endless VHS compilations of in the Eighties and Nineties. So long as it's the opposition doing it, obviously. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velo army Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 (edited) At an international, especially one where the result really matters, the moment where the music stops and there's an infinitesimal moment of quiet as we hear the whistle for kick off. I feel all the excitement just bubble up in me. Marvellous. The other thing is the build up. I remember the whole week before the Italy game (2007) and the Ukraine game last year thinking about little else. Obviously the results weren't great, but the collective anticipation was unreal. Young players bursting on to the scene for your team/club. Graham Dorrans coming on for us against Ayr at Somerset and absolutely ripping it up, also Adam Strachan (RIP) and James McFadden. I'm hoping I experience the same sense of impending magic with Doak. Edited January 8, 2023 by velo army 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molotov Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 6 minutes ago, velo army said: At an international, especially one where the result really matters, the moment where the music stops and there's an infinitesimal moment of quiet as we hear the whistle for kick off. I feel all the excitement just bubble up in me. Marvellous. Music at football has killed so much atmosphere whether it is pre match or just immediately after goals. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrewDon Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 When your team is defending a one-goal lead but dropping dangerously deep as the game enters the final stages. You feel a distinct sense of anxiety emanating from your fellow supporters. Then, momentary bliss: one of your players has absolutely blootered the ball up the park, or your goalkeeper has the ball clutched safely, temporarily lifting a sustained period of opposition pressure. In reality, you know the ball will be returning straight back towards your penalty area. The torture will begin again imminently. But those few seconds, or however long your goalkeeper can spin it out for if he has the ball, are a glorious relief. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoingThe42 Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Pre-match music at higher level games is awful and simply kills the atmosphere. I've been at cup finals and semi-finals etc that would have been vastly improved by the PA just leaving it to the fans. But I absolutely love when clubs at a really low level copy this behaviour. There's something really amusing about The Final Countdown or Insomnia blaring out to the white-hot atmosphere of two minutes to go until the kick-off of East Kilbride v East Stirlingshire. I love that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velo army Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 22 hours ago, DrewDon said: When your team is defending a one-goal lead but dropping dangerously deep as the game enters the final stages. You feel a distinct sense of anxiety emanating from your fellow supporters. Then, momentary bliss: one of your players has absolutely blootered the ball up the park, or your goalkeeper has the ball clutched safely, temporarily lifting a sustained period of opposition pressure. In reality, you know the ball will be returning straight back towards your penalty area. The torture will begin again imminently. But those few seconds, or however long your goalkeeper can spin it out for if he has the ball, are a glorious relief. I mind Gordon caught a cross or shot in the dying minutes against France at Hampden and we let out a roar like we'd scored. It was as good a feeling as Caldwell's goal as we'd defended that lead for half an hour while Henry and co absolutely battered us. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richey Edwards Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 I do not love anything about football. I tolerate it at best. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crow Posted January 14, 2023 Share Posted January 14, 2023 (edited) Boxes, piles, drawers and shelves full of them the missus is delighted ... but always good to get a programme at a game ! Edited January 14, 2023 by Crow -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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