How to survive the World Cup 2018

It's the World Cup 2018. Four weeks of football, success and failures, who's to blame and did The England Manager make the right choices.

So here is what is going to happen over the upcoming weeks and a survival guide.

1. No amount of moaning about it will make it stop. You'll only stress yourself out.

2. Your normal television viewing will be interuppted, it will annoy you, but you can't do
anything about it.

3. Everyone will be talking about the it. The TV, papers, family, friends, colleagues, social
network sites, apart from not going out and staying off line, there is nothing you can do
about it.

How to get through the month of June and beyond.

1. Try and show some interest after all there won't be an awful lot else going on.

2. Don't even try and reach for the remote and don't expect that you get it back once the ref
blows his whistle, the match analysis is just as important and yes watching the replay of all
the goals is equally as important.

3. Keep the fridge full of drink and the cupboards stocked with snacks. It'll save you getting
disturbed and being sent out for supplies.

4. Do not mock your Other Half when watching and don't pull faces at their
mates when they come over to watch the games.

5. DO NOT, EVER say 'it's only a game' this is grounds for a divorce.

6. Your Other Half would rather be left in peace to watch the matches. They will only talk to
you during the adverts so don't view it as spending time together.

7. Don't expect the rules to be explained to you more than once and if your Other Half tries to
tell you them, look interested and ask no more than 2 questions.
(see previous post 'off side' rule)

8. Football is a game of opinion and if you don't know what you're talking about keep your
opinion to yourself.

9. Keep positive, use this time to spoil yourself, catch up with family and friends, read those
books and tweet without being nagged.

10. During matches remember this is probably the best time to go shopping, as hardly anyone
will be out.

Oh and finally, don't expect any sympathy and understanding to your needs as I will be avidly watching World Cup 2018 and will be tweeting in earnest. This is my pay back for all the reality show updates the rest of you post on social media the rest of the year.

I used to be a ....... soccer mum.

I used to be a soccer mum.

My eldest started playing football aged 5, for Forest Rangers in Cinderford in 1997, the middle child joined him in 1999 aged 4 and for the next 14 years, I spent 2-3 evenings a week sitting in car parks at training and weekends spent locating fields in the middle of nowhere for matches.

My career as a soccer mum came to an end in 2013 on the side of a pitch in South Africa, when the middle child declared he was no longer fussed with football and was concentrating his last 2 years in school on cricket and rugby.

I cannot begin to image the number of hours or the mileage I've driven, the time and cost of getting lost, even in convey. The rain and snow storms I've stood in, the number of times I've dug holes in the pitch to drain the water. The cups of teas and bacon butties made at home games, first aid administered, meetings attended, training, lifts given, the amount of subs collected or the money raised and the time spent organising presentation evenings. The kit washed and boots cleaned and tears dried when games were lost. I was never just a spectator. I dread to think how much we've paid for kit.

The boys have played football and/or referred in the Forest of Dean, Malvern, Birmingham and many, many tournaments around the UK. There have been trials, there have been holiday clubs and middle child spent 2 years training with Birmingham City.

 The middle boys trophies.

As well as supporting the kids playing football we've attended professional matches around the UK, mid week and weekend games to Manchester, Arsenal, Birmingham, Southampton and Wembley. We've seen England qualifiers and FA Cup finals, as well as promotions and sadly relegations. We've appeared on Match of the Day more times than we can remember. We watched Spurs play at Ellis Park.

Chelsea

Birmingham City

Promotion back to the Premiership

18th Birthdays

Wembley and a close up of David Beckham.

FA Cup Finals

Ellis Park and the vuvuzela.

My typical week was spent at work every day. Eldest child had local matches he referred on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays in adult leagues, Training on a Friday and matches on Saturdays. Middle child had local training on Tuesdays. Training in Birmingham on a Wednesday night and Saturday morning and local matches on a Sunday afternoon. I usually juggled getting the boys to their venues, either organising lifts or driving between local matches. Local meant within a 30 miles radius of home and often at opposite ends of this radius.

Sponsorship with McDonalds and local and national trophies won.

 There was a core group of around 6 kids who played in this team for 8 years.

With Geoff Hurst and Eric Harrison

Being the goalies mum is nerve racking.

The last 2 years as a football mum were spent in South Africa at Tuks University in Pretoria. this involved Fridays and Saturdays at training where I was the only soccer mum who stayed for the 2 hours, with a book, a flask and enjoying a walk around the grounds.

Training session at Tuks, South Africa.

For many years our lives as a family revolved around football, playing, watching, supporting, fundraising and I even worked for the local FA for 2 years.

I get to Birmingham City when I'm in the UK with  a combination of kids, with hubby or on my own. I miss the football and the way of life, the socialising, the training and the matches. At the time it was hard work and very time consuming, but a great way to spend time together as a family.

How do you spend your family time?

Law 11 - Offside

OFFSIDE POSITION

It is not an offence in itself to be in an off side position.

A player is in an offside position if:
he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent.

A player is not in an offisde position if:
he is in his own half of the field of play or
he is level with the second last opponent or
he is level with the last two opponents.

OFFENCE

A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by:
interfering with play; or
interfering with an opponent; or
gaining an advantage by being in that position.

NO OFFENCE

There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:
a goal kick
a throw-in
a corner kick

INFRINGEMENTS AND SANCTIONS

In the event of an offside offence, the referee awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team to be from the place where the infringement occured.

PLEASE NOTE IT IS IN THE OPINION ON THE REFEREE NOT THE MATCH COMMENTATORS.