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big) family thing. And, when I’ve watched England over the last few years, I’ve felt that same happiness. I’ve never been a massive fan of international football. The choice of club or country is not really even a question but, in recent years, I’ve found myself watching England the way I watch my son’s team. I hope they win, but I’m mainly hoping the goalie has a good game. Watching Jordan Pickford making saves for England, especially penalty saves, brings me a level of pride that I struggle to understand. It’s like Sunderland have somehow got to the Euros. I finally understood why West Ham went on and on about winning the World Cup. That bond to your own is beyond comparison. But, sadly, Pickford is yet to win anything in his career so I’ve never seen him lift a trophy. But there’s another Jordan who gives me that. As a child who fell in love with football in the 80s, I like almost anyone to win if
it’s against Liverpool. I feel it as deeply as
that first day at Roker Park. The happiness I feel cheering on the lads is there when celebrating the successes of just one of the lads even after they’ve left the club. I wonder if Dan Neil is
the next player I’ll feel that moment with. And perhaps this time, he won’t have to leave to lift trophies. I’m going to add in a hopeful number eight of moments in my Sunderland life I’ve felt real happiness.
8 NEXT SEASON
There are only two possibilities from here for this season, a play off win or no play off win. But, either way, I’m getting good vibes about Alex Neil, the encouragement to do what we do well as long as it’s done within the structure and game plan which we haven’t had since Keane or Reid. If we go up, I feel confident that next season will be a good one. The players are starting to give me that feeling that they might just know what to do after all. They might be good enough to play in the Championship
children of the 90s feel it about Manchester United and, presumably, kids today feel
it about City or Chelsea. I have never celebrated a Liverpool tournament win and, even now, as Salah, Alisson, Mane and van Dijk walk around the pitch with a scarf and a medal, I feel nothing. But my family prepare themselves when Liverpool win things now to laugh at me. They know that a tear will roll down my cheek when Jordan Henderson lifts the Premier League, the League Cup,
the Champions League trophies. I can’t help it. It is a feeling of bursting pride. A feeling of belonging that I have had since before
and might be ready for it too. The fact getting there would involve a win at Wembley is a massive bonus of course. Just imagine being
in the Championship, assistant referees who know that you can’t be offside from a throw
in, pitches that are flat and green, footballers who set out to play football, it is a mystical place of dreams. But what if we don’t. What if we have another season in the God forsaken land of League One. Well, maybe, just maybe, Alex Neil can recreate that Peter Reid season of 98-99. Maybe we can start to look like we’re in the wrong division all over again and we can all start to enjoy being a football fan again.
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