Clapping Arrangers of the Guaranteed Shins,

In this past week, I think I’ve gained a new respect for footballers, especially the part-time ones.

I’ve always played football; for school teams, for BB teams, for the East Fife fans team and also five-a-side football two or three times a week; but I had never been in of any of the organised leagues that were part of SYFA or SAFA (Scottish Youth or Scottish Amateur Football Associations) until a few weeks ago. I love football but I can get fed up of it. I’ve reached that point in the last week; training becomes a chore, 5-a-side becomes a chore and I can’t really be bothered. Injuries that have always been there have begun to flare up and play on the mind. In order for managers and organisers to keep people involved long-term, they have to make the effort to be involved – there’s no option just to have a break, people need commitment from players.

Professionals are obviously paid, the best ones handsomely, but it must be gruelling to train and play whenever someone tells them to. Fitness training is tedious. Matches are also draining. They’ve made the choice to go through this day after day, but surely there are days (that can stretch to weeks) where they are just fed up with it. They plod on and it’s worse when they have to listen to all the niggling comments from people who think they’re being helpful whilst they do so. I hate this and I only have to endure the moaning of the other three defenders and then the five or six people at the side of the park.

I’m just a rubbish rookie amateur player. I know when I’m on fire, when I feel like that I don’t mind playing or training loads. I know when I’m playing bad and it can be difficult to keep going. At least, I don’t have to play football to earn a living; I don’t think I would, not even for the wages of a La Liga or Serie A star.