Football Fanatics!!!

Football, as it is known to its billions of fans is the most beautiful game with breath taking skills and maneuvers from some of world’s greatest footballers. Remember my days from 12^th grade, where I had a little story describing the fierce rivalry between Glasgow’s Rangers and Celtics, which struck me intrigued on the frantic behavior of fans. Rather amusingly I now accept that I do the same. In England and more so in Europe, more than in any other country or region, there is a tradition of supporters travelling en masse to away games.

I am assuming those football fans who regularly follow their team away from home will be familiar with the concept of a "face"; a person you regularly see but rarely know, someone you nod at without saying hello to who reminds you that you're in the right place. Such things do inspire and motivate a fan to travel thousands of miles to watch their team play.

So how big is football without the fans. It sure remains the most beautiful game, but I say not even one tenth of what it is today. Those on the pitch are merely transient, just passing through; incidental to the whole shebang when compared to those who were there before they arrived and will be there long after they've left. Football supporters refer affectionately to the team as "the shirts" because ultimately it doesn't matter a stuff who's wearing them as long as they do so with honor and pride; what's important is the people and place it represents.

Though very controversial, the whole transfer saga of Cristiano Ronaldo’s move away from Manchester United to Madrid is a shab. The fans in this case, did not want any other player but CR to wear the shirt with Number 7 behind it. They wanted him to stay, unlike many clubs where players come and go, Manchester United is more of a footballing dream rather than a mere club. So, why leave all those fans behind and irk for some extra dollars? And the saga continue, with Real’s interim president Boluda admitting that he is very confident of Ronaldo’s move to the Spanish Capital this summer.

A paucity of resources does not result in a poor performance. An under-strength squad does not equate to underachievement. So whenever another manager whinges about a small squad or a lack of finances, he should be confronted with Ranieri's record with Chelsea back in 2002-03. The more players he was missing, the more Chelsea achieves.

The shame is that those playing and running the game continually fail to realise this. Players become ever more remote, content to milk the adulation of the crowd for the duration of the 90 minutes, before insulating themselves from its members the rest of the time behind minders, gates and VIP areas. Nonetheless its members would do well to remember that ultimately there will be a price; not all supporters will have the limitless loyalty.