Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, life has effectively been on pause in many aspects. We’ve all had to make adjustments to the way we live, and day-to-day life has, no doubt, changed enormously.
On the 13th March 2020, 10 days before the UK went into lockdown, the Premier League announced the suspension of top flight English football. This was most definitely a sensible decision which will have potentially saved many lives, with the average Premier League match attendance being 38,181 for last season. Yet, it was a decision that will have left up to 4.7 billion fans worldwide feeling a bit lost! Of course, the suspension of the league is such a small sacrifice compared to all of the lives we’ve tragically lost, but it’s still a big part of people’s lives that has been put on pause.
For people who don’t watch and dedicate their lives to a football team, it can seem silly when they hear people complain about the suspension of games. To a lot of people, football is just a game.
However, for myself and so many others, it is so much more than that. As a true Evertonian, I dedicate myself to supporting my Everton boys and take huge pride in being part of such an amazing blue family. Going to Everton’s home ground, Goodison Park, gives me such an indescribable feeling of happiness. I live in South Wales and travelling to Goodison takes about 4/5hrs so I am only able to make that journey a couple of times a season. However, I am always supporting my team and never fail to either watch or listen to commentary of our games.
Life without football has been strange. It’s one of the parts of normal life that I miss the most. Football isn’t just a game, it’s a community. It’s not just watching 90 minutes of sport, it’s a lifetime dedication to a group of people who inspire so many. Being a football fan is one of the things that helps me maintain a close relationship with my Dad, our shared love for Everton has led us to make some incredible lifetime memories together. The last match that we attended was Everton’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City in the EFL Cup Quarter Final in December. That night was one of the best nights of my life, even though we ended up losing. Being in that ground alongside around 35,000 other Evertonians made me feel part of something so special, and without football, I’ve not been able to experience that feeling.
The suspension of football has meant that I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities to share my passion for Everton. I was excited to take my Nan to her first ever live Everton game at Goodison Park but unfortunately, it’s looking like we’ll have to wait months and months to share that special moment. I used to look forward to the weekends because that’s when we played the majority of our games and putting on my royal blue jersey, listening to the famous Z cars and just feeling enormous amounts of pride is a feeling that I’d never get tired of. But now, the weekends and the weekdays just seem to gel into one big week.
We don’t know what the future will look like for professional football, and the true effects of this pandemic have not yet been discovered. However, I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that when football does come back, I’ll appreciate it just that little bit more. But for now, I trust that the PL and other organisations will ensure that everyone’s safety is put first and football will come back when the time is right.
(Also, as an Evertonian and by looking at the current standings in the table, I should add that the cancellation of this season wouldn’t be such a bad idea… In fact, I think most football fans would agree with me there!)
Holly Hostettler-Davies
Featured image courtesy of Holly Hostettler-Davies. This image has in no way been altered.
What a good description of how football fans are feeling. I am lucky to have a season ticket at Everton and have been going with my son since 1994.its our time. What I miss most of all is meeting up with my second family, close friends and the people who sit around me. When the time is right we’ll be back meeting our friends and supporting our team and businesses around the ground.