Never mind Spain's 44 year wait or England's 42 years of hurt, what about my 35 years of never getting to watch a major final that I have some connection with eh?
Finally, in the very early hours of Monday morning I got to experience one of my football dreams. The one about being a professional footballer unfortunately looks like it might need to be shelved.
Incase you don't know, Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the final of Euro2008 and thanks to my Dad deciding to go and wait on tables over 40 years ago from A Coruna in Galicia I was able to watch one of my teams win something.
I've only ever really liked one sport, probably in part due to my Dad's nationality (he didn't exactly have much of a passion for Rugby and Cricket) , but also just cos it's so bloody good. Despite the ridiculous money that sloshes around in it, the scandals, the sometime violence and the gamesmanship it still, usually, retains it's essence once the game is underway. It's the one true world sport, the game of the people, the beautiful game, insert next football cliche here. It's simplicity and skill are what I think people like. You can play football on your own, with a couple of people, without posts (Jumpers for goalposts....), without a ball even. And it's all at your feet. In the past I have read American pundits scorn football because you use your feet. Complete idiocy. Hand eye coordination is easier guys. That's why people get so excited when a player threads a ball through to a team mate, dribbles past 2 or 3 opponents or looks up and pings a ball perfectly to another player. That's why one goal is so special and why they are celebrated so wildly.
I'm going on I know but waking up on Sunday I felt like a kid, rushing out to buy a Spain shirt and then wanting to walk around in it, and I am still grinning when I think about it. For once Germany didn't wreck my dreams and, bias aside, by far the best team in the tournament won.
Now if only England could win something....
wait for that blog post! Or rather, don't hold your breath. It could be quite a while yet.
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