Last season was one of the best seasons I have ever witnessed as a Celtic supporter, they were in the UEFA Cup Final, the first time in almost 33 years, Celtic had been in a major European final. They were playing a team called Porto from Portugal. That day I was off on study leave and the next day I had an exam. I tried to do some revision, but it wasn’t happening, I could not concentrate. But you’ll be glad to know that I passed. When the night came I was so excited, we had a party with my next-door neighbours and watched the game together. Except my dad wasn’t there as he was at work, thank the Lord. I really wish that I was there in Seville, it would have been amazing to be part of the build up and atmosphere would have been fantastic to have sampled. Yet, you couldn’t get a ticket for love nor money, it will be the same when Henrik Larsson plays his final game for Celtic in a few weeks time. I had to make do with watching the final back it sunny Glasgow. Where everyone, even including the Rangers fans were looking forward to the game kicking off.
I must admit, it wasn’t the best of games to watch; mind you there was a lot at stake for both teams. The first half was going well and everyone was confident that Celtic will hang on until half time with the game even at nil- nil. But on the stroke of half time, Porto had broken the deadlock to open the scoring. All of us were gutted as they were playing so well up until then. I felt numb. When the second half got under way, it only took the mighty Celtic a few minutes to draw level. As soon as they scored the whole street when mad with kids running about everywhere. After this I was confident we would go on to win the game. But I was sadly proved wrong. Porto then scored again to put them 2-1 up. But the Celtic team didn’t let this put them down as they scored another goal to make the score 2-2. I could swear that as soon as this goal when in the loud cheering could be heard all the way to Seville. But this was doing to be the last moment of happiness for the Celtic fans in the game, as Porto went onto go onto win the game after extra time. Some the Porto players were ‘diving’; it was like they were diving into a swimming pool or something. With their goalkeeper being most at fault as he fell as though someone had shot him. You could say that I am a sore loser but I wouldn’t say that I am. I was really upset by the defeat, yet another hard luck story for the team. If I felt like that, you could only imagine how the players were feeling. Then my father came out with a statement that I never expected to hear from him. He said that Celtic should have won it. I wasn’t sure if he was winding us up or not because he does this a lot. But, I believe that he was been honest. Even though we lost we still managed to have a party. I seems as though us Scots can party no matter the score line, I think it is because we are use to losing. The party continued into the wee small hours of the morning, which I don’t think was a good thing as I had an exam the following morning.
Celtic were involved in four cup competitions at the start of the season, and we had one last chance of winning a piece of silverware to show for the amazing season they had. It was the chance to win the league for a third time in a row, it all boiled down to the last game of the season, in which Celtic had to win and to score two more goals that Rangers could. But I wasn’t too confident that the team would achieve that feat, after the European final loss in mid-week. The games that would decide the destination of which side of the city of Glasgow the SPL trophy occurred on the Sunday. As Sunday came, my dad became cocky about how Rangers will win the title with no problem. But I was praying that they would fall flat on their faces, but there was no chance of that happening. My dad has a season ticket for Ibrox, so he went to the game, while Stewart and myself had to make do with watching the Celtic game on the television, upstairs. My other brother, Craig, watched the Rangers game downstairs with my mother. As soon as the games kicked off, Rangers managed to score the opening goal. This was the point when I realised that Celtic may have to go on and score ten goals. As both games wore on, the destination of the championship was changing minute by minute. At one point Celtic were in the driving seat, but this spookily changed because of two incidents that took place at the exact same time at both games. Henrik Larsson had hit the post at the Celtic game, but at that same moment at Ibrox Rangers had scored though Ronald de Boer. This turned the championship race back in Rangers favour. Celtic could have been back in the driving seat, but they had missed a penalty. Rangers had also got one, which they had converted into a goal. This was the tragic moment that I had realised that the championship was no longer in Celtic’s reach. As the final whistle blew at both grounds, Rangers were crowned champions. I was gutted. Celtic were in the hunt for FOUR trophies. After such a promising season the team were left empty handed. My dad was delighted with the final result as his team won, and he was out celebrating. But, I was dreading him coming back from the game as I knew he would go on and on about it. All summer he was rubbing our faces in it. It was sheer hell. But this season I am allowed to do it as Celtic just won the championship last week. So, this means he will get a taste of his own medicine. I soon got over my disappointment, though a few days of retail therapy, which helped sooth the pain.
Every Saturday, I listen to the football on the radio whenever I get the chance to and I watch anything, which has something to do with it. My mum says I am mad about football. But, I think that I am just mad in general. She also says I am more into it than my little brothers. She may have a point. I have even got a job working for Celtic. It’s only a small job selling food to the fans at the stadium. But, I do get to meet the players, which is a bonus. I sometimes get the feeling that some people in my greater family, especially my grandmothers, don’t think it is very lady like to like football. Whenever football is raised in a conversation when they are around, I get the feeling that they feel that a young lady such as myself should not get involved in football or any other contact sports, but I don’t really care what anyone thinks as I am allowed to do what I like. Yet, in this day and age I feel that these attitudes are wrong, because it holding back girls of my age who would love to play sports professionally but are worried about the way there families will react to it. If I were to become a professional sports woman, which is highly unlikely, I am sure that I would get the full support from my family, especially from my father. My dad has always told me to do things that I enjoy and don’t let any one put me down and to try my very best as that is all that anyone can ask for, which is advice that I hold with the highest regard. He always supports my little brothers and myself, as does my mum, no matter what and that is why I love them and look up to them. I have a special bond with my dad; some people say that I am the carbon copy of him. We act and behave in a similar ways and get on well. Yet, whenever we have a disagreement, no matter how small, we can fall out for at least a week. But, due to our love for football, we bond with one another so well and are able to put our differences aside.
As the game of football is perceived as a male sport, women get laughed at for enjoying the game or even playing it, which is really unfair. Everyone should be able to enjoy it. People say that it is a physical game, which it is, and it isn’t for young ladies to play. But isn’t up to the individual women to make up her mind on whether she wants to take part in the sport? I would personally love to be able to be a professional player, but I can’t play to safe my life. In the twenty first century women are still being discriminated against, just like in many other careers, as there is no professional women’s league or team in Britain. There used to be one, Fulham Ladies, but they could no longer pay them professional’s wages, so they went back to being a semi-professional team. But, there is a league in the U.S were there is many professional women’s teams. The women’s game is even bigger in American than the men’s game. I may just try my chances over there. Yet, unfortunately the league was disbanded, as the football association over there could no longer give funding for the competition to continue. Hopefully that can all change and it could get up and running again soon. A couple of days ago the women’s FA cup final was on the television, I was an enjoyable game to watch. One person how stood out was a Scottish player called Julie Fleeting, who plays for Arsenal Ladies. The day before she had just played in an international game against world champions Germany for the full 90 minutes. Fleeting then managed to score a hat trick to win the cup for Arsenal the next day. She is an inspiration, not only for women who play the sport but also to men as few of them could manage to play into tough games in less than 24 hours. Hopefully in the not to distant future, women’s football could be shown more on television and that a professional league could be set up to encourage more young women to take up the sport. This could allow women to show the men how the game should be played here in the U.K, as we all know women are better than men.