Word of the Week - Football

Football is something we enjoy as a family. Well Peter, myself and child 3 & 4. Our two oldest grandchildren are showing an interest also.

My father was a goalkeeper and played in the late 50's/ early 60's for Barry Town.

Child 3 & 4 played football from the ages of 4/5 and child 3 took up refereeing. 

I used to work for the Football Association also.

I'm a Birmingham City fan. I started supporting them in 2006 when child 4 trained in the academy. Child 3 switched allegiance and started to follow them also. He was a season ticket holder. We went to all the home matches up till the end of 2010 when we left the UK. Birmingham bounced between the Premiership and the Championship. We used to travel a lot to Wembley for England games and attended a couple of cup finals.

When we left the UK we were able to watch all the Championship games on the TV in South Africa and when we were home there was the odd game we'd go to.

Since moving back to the UK in 2021, football wasn't a priority. I was back in work, our weekends were spent with Stephanie and the grandchildren that had now entered our lives. But I missed the football and was itching to get back up to the ground to cheer the blues on.

Nothing was stopping me so off I went, now in the First division and looking likely they would get promoted, getting a ticket was getting hard. With a stadium capacity 29,409, the matches were selling out fast. Even in the Premiership it wasn't that hard to get a ticket.

I am wearing an official BCFC item of clothing, it's just from a few seasons ago. 

The season is over now, I've joined a queue for a season ticket for 25/26. The atmosphere in the ground has been outstanding, being part of something bigger than you as a spectator is amazing.

Sadly there was a pitch invasion and things took an ugly turn at the last home game of the season when Birmingham won 4-0, won the league and were promoted to the Championship. But a handful of idiots won't spoil my enjoyment of the game and they'll be banned from the ground now.