HAPPY NEW (Football)YEAR!
As far as I'm concerned, we have just started the New Year of 2011-2012. Football fans in the UK and most countries in Europe work to a different calendar to the rest of the world!
This is not a new idea - I first came across it in the Nick Hornby book "Fever Pitch", a book which tells of the life of an Arsenal fan in the 1980s.(Recommended read, by the way, although not as good as some of Annis' books!)
The only difference these days is the length of the 'year'. When I was a young Bluebird in the late 60s early 70s, the season went from the middle of August until the FA Cup final at the end of the following April. Not any more - media attention means there is little meaningful break between seasons at all. The players went back this week for 'pre-season'. Did they have 'pre-season' in the 60s? Didn't they just turn up for training the day before the first game of the season?
Anyway, I have therefore decided that the 1st July should be declared the New Football Year Day!
I'm planning to write a regular blog for this season - the last time I managed to do that for a whole year was 2007-2008. Feel free to keep an eye on it and comment on
http://lifeofabluebird.blogspot.com