Tuesday 2 March
Well here it is the big announcement that everybody expected. The aim of the challenge has not been met and I have returned to football! However the objectives are still alive and I aim to continue to pursue the other challenges that were set whilst I had set the original challenge.
I felt the challenge coming to an end towards the end of February, not too long after my Facebook status that read 'I'm tired of this challenge'. A few comments that people left for me inspired me to continue for a few more days. What I realised through the challenge was that the environment in which I find myself is football dominated and the more I tried to avoid it the more I found it pursuing me. I got frustrated at people telling me results and different incidents and I felt like I might as well watch it first hand for myself. I also found that the challenge, made me talk more about football and my past experiences so it wasn't like I had given up football at all just following it. I felt the time was right and what difference would not following for another 10 months make? Plus I found it difficult to find things to blog about that weren't repetitive and of interest to readers.
I would like to say to all the followers of this challenge that it wasn't an easy decision to quit, and in some regards I feel as though I have let you down, but in the same regard I know that I set myself this challenge and it wasn''t set for me. I gave it an honest attempt and last roughly two months. Anyone who thinks that its easy, please I challenge you to give it an attempt and see how you fair. Being in to football as I am, I think that two months is a pretty good stint and I'm happy at my attempt.
What's changed? Previously I used to read The Sun online because they have the best football coverage and then I'd generally read all the rubbish showbiz celeb gossip (nonsense) but during the challenge I switched to The Guardian online much better material and sport doesn't dominate the homepage. Football has taken a back seat. Normally I'd do chores after I'd finish catching up with the latest developments on Sky Sports News. Now I do what needs to be done first. Since the end of the challenge I've seen Sky Sports News twice or three times in six days. Normally I'd live and breath it. I don't race home after Church to watch Super Sunday!!! I get to bed early and get enough rest, becuase I find myself not watching TV. Sleep I love it!!!
In my eyes a lot has changed from the short time I've allowed myself to watch and follow football again. I thought that when I do return that I'd spend hours upon hours catching up with all the results that I missed, watching the goals, reading backdated news articles. But no that hasn't been the case at all. The most I've done its watch Match of the Day on Saturday, watched a recording of the Carling Cup Final (didn't watch it Live!) previously I would have raced home from church to watch it. I've recorded Match of the Day 2 on Sunday but its Tuesday and I still haven't watched it yet! What I have done is just get up to speed with Man Utd's goals.
As I said above, I intend to still fulfill the other challenges that I set that were meant to fill my time whilst not watching football. The PA sounds system course finishes this Saturday, I'm awaiting the details for the Photoshop course, I'm still selling items on Ebay. I'll definitely do the Salvage Car challenge, visit the Slave Museum, take up another sport namely 'squash', visit a part of the country that I've never been to, run a 3 or 5k race and definitely do more activities with my family - I plan to take my daughters on a canal ride during the Easter holidays. (My eldest daughter brought home a reading book about canal's) I have no intention of subscribing back to Sky Sports and I will continue to watch 'The Wire'. I finished season 1 the other day.
So this is not the end people, I plan to Blog whilst I complete the other challenges and log how my return to football goes. I don't plan to be engrossed as I was previously and follow all four leagues and feel the need to see every single goal. The predictor games are out the window. Sitting down to watch Soccer Saturday gone, planning my day around football gone!
Its been emotional and I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it! Apparently its got some potential to be a book, so watch this space!!!
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Wow! I hadn't chhecked in a few days, but was sad 2 read this. Don't get me wrong - not disappointed in you per se, but saddened cause somehow I thought if u could give it up then people really could change anything. But its proven change is hard n maybe all we need 2 do is avoid extremism..
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