I am really happy to be at football things again since the ‘demic that was Covid. I had a great 2022 and some really good football things have happened to me. I have added to my list of people in football I have met, and that is crazy. This is in no order really but it is a top 5.
Football is my life and I hope that 2023 will be the year that even more amazing things happen to me.
In late 2021 I applied for my UEFA C (level 2) badge for coaching football – I got in on the fully funded places (I have later found out that Sport England have assisted the FA to do this). I did the course in person dates – 6 days over 3 months during summer 2022 – and I am working towards finishing it. I just need to find the right team to enable me to coach, and get signed off.
I had a lot of fun meeting Owen Hargreaves at a charity game in May 2022 – which I was very happy about. Think he could be one of the more famous ex players I have met. In his career he played for Bayern Munich and Manchester United. Notable other meets included Pedro Mendes and Matty Taylor (that super Matty who scored that banger of a goal for Portsmouth FC in the Premiership).
Although I wasn’t in actual attendance, seeing England ladies become European champs was quite a special thing and deserves a spot on my list here. If the men could only just take a leaf out of their book and win a major cup! I hope that the women winning the Euros will inspire more girls to take up the sport, and maybe I will coach a future Lioness one day, who knows?
I took part in the yearly football tournament with Victory Hants in September and I got a few goals. However that isn’t the highlight because I was made captain for the day for my team! I had waited for 5 years to do this and thanks to Tina Jacobs (VH coach), I was able to lead my team out onto the pitch doing something I love. I also got such a lovely gift presented to me at the end of the day, that Tina had been sent from England/Gareth Southgate.
Following Brett Pitman’s career in football since his departure from Portsmouth, I was very surprised (and glad) that I would be able to see him when I visit this season (22-23) at one of my local clubs. Since an almost immaculate first half of this campaign, AFC Portchester will now be affectionately renamed ‘AFC Pitman’ in respect for all his goals scored for the club.
I would like to dedicate this post to Pelé the Brazilian footballer who died in December, following a battle with cancer.