Once a week on the BBC football website, Notts County midfielder Gavin Strachan writes a blog about being a footballer in the lower leagues. He is coming towards the end of his career and is studying to become a journalist. His blog is good and it gives a bit of an insight into the life of a lower league professional footballer.
Journeyman
Gavin never quite made it to the same levels in the game that his famous father did. Of course, Gordon is the manager of Celtic and he has played and managed at the very top. Gavin has always been what is called a ‘journeyman’ footballer.
The reason I mention all this on Christmas Eve is that a couple of weeks ago Gavin wrote about the life of a footballer at Christmas time. He was at pains to point out that he wasn’t moaning or complaining and he knows how lucky he is to earn his living by playing football.
Pay back
What he went on to say was that Christmas time is the one time of the year when footballers get a little bit of ‘pay back’ for all the joys and benefits that their life otherwise brings them.
Whilst many of us will be overdoing the mulled wine, slurping the cooking sherry or just having a good few beers tonight, most players will be drinking their bottled water and trying to get an early night.
Avoid alcohol
Whilst many of us will start drinking just after breakfast tomorrow and will not stop eating and drinking for about seventeen hours, most footballers will avoid alcohol and make sure they don’t have any sweets, chocolate or mince pies.
Whilst many of us will be tucking into a huge Roast Turkey feast, most footballers will be picking at their pasta dish and looking on enviously.
Training
Most footballers will actually be in training on Christmas Day prior to the game on Boxing Day. Many will be travelling with their team and staying in a hotel overnight.
Do I feel sorry for them? No, of course I don’t! They are paid well to play the beautiful game. Missing out on Christmas is a small price to pay.
Time for families
Gavin talks about the fact that when he was a kid growing up, his dad always had to go off to training on Christmas Day and it made him very sad. I can understand that because Christmas time is definitely a time for families.
Having said that, there are many people who are forced to work at Christmas time and few of them are as fortunate as the footballers. Nurses, emergency services, military personnel etc, etc, can’t stop just because it is Christmas. Their working life goes on without change, just like the footballers.
I should point out that Gavin Strachan was fully aware of all this and at no time did he look for sympathy. He was simply saying that Christmas time is not a great time to be a footballer or to be in a footballer’s family.
Winter break
There are many people who call for a Winter break in football in England so that there would be no football over this period. I can’t agree with that as Boxing Day football is a tradition that surely must be kept. I well remember standing on the terraces at the Vivarage Road at Watford’s ground years ago and looking around at all the new hats, scarves, watches, coats, etc, that everyone was wearing. I loved it then and I love it now.
The players must continue to make this very minor sacrifice so that we can all enjoy a game in our hung over state on Boxing Day!
Spare a thought
All I’m saying, I suppose, is that for those of you who celebrate Christmas and may be preparing to over indulge somewhat over the next couple of days, spare a thought for those poor footballers who can’t join you.
That’s enough! Sod the lucky so and so’s. Don’t give them too much sympathy!
Have a good one.
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