As I Mature

I got this by email from a friend recently....couldn't help it! So funny...well, to me it is.....and that's all that matters!! *retreats to dark corner*

*steps out of corner* eer, you may have to click on it to enlarge it!! Boom...or should I say Zoom,just like magic!! *back into dark corner*

10 of 2010: 10 things that should have been left in 2010!!

My first blog was actually meant to be about me....a serious look into the future, my career, my life, blah blah blah......but, thankfully, I am a woman, which makes mind-changing my right!! So instead, it’s all about the one thing so close to my heart, it helps my blood circulation – the beautiful game, football! This is a look at things we hope we will never have to endure in 2011!

10. Gavin Hunt complaining: now, I know being a coach comes with so much pressure on your shoulders it makes Quasimodo’s load seem light, but Gavin please, we have had it with your constant complaints about anything and everything under the sun. I mean, this man is never happy or satisfied with anything. The year started, and before the matches of 2011 commenced, surprise surprise, Gavin had something to say. ‘I think they (the players) had nine days off, i don’t know why we break in the first place – we should just carry on playing.’ he was quoted saying (article here). He was questioning the festive break, which didn’t surprise me much. What Hunt may not realise is that in December people want to spend time with their families (most of which are in places far from soccer stadiums). The stadiums would be empty (which is normal for a Supersport United game), the players would not have time with their families, and be fatigued come end of season. With Hunt’s concerns in mind, I expected a scorching team to meet up with Orlando Pirates in their first match of the year, but alas, it was not to be. Losing with a solitary goal in the 91st minute, it seems Hunt should spend more time motivating his team, and less time bickering about the unnecessary.

9. Mohawks: Lawd hammercy!!!! I’m sure this has been the subject of many a conversation – can players let go of the Mohawk hairstyle already! I lose a small piece of me every time a different soccer player enters the pitch with the hairdo. It’s popularity was acceptable earlier in the year, through to the world cup (moment of silence for Kevin Prince Boateng *sigh*), but now its old and dated! LET-IT-GO!

8. Whining about the vuvuzela: I know this trend is not as common as it was during and just after the world cup, but that old lady down the street doesn’t seem to want to let it go! I cringe every time someone mentions that it should not be allowed in stadiums, hurts the eardrums, or is a dangerous weapon à la AK47. Get over it already! It may not have been there in 1964, but it is part of the beautiful game as we know it now in South Africa, and has made history worldwide!! Viva vuvu viva!!!

7. Cabbage throwing: *sigh*.....it seems hooliganism comes in all shapes and forms. Classic scenario – team ‘K’ is trailing behind in a match, the players are playing uninspiring football, the fans are disgruntled, next thing you know, cabbages are flying into the pitch! This type of behaviour taints the image of local soccer, and must be brought to an immediate stop! The teams in question need to be firmer with their supporters, supporters need to be firmer with their fellow supporters, and SAFA also needs to be firmer with the teams – a slap on the wrist just doesn’t cut it anymore!

6. Claiming to be stalked: yes Katlego Mphela, I’m looking at you! It seems our soccer stars are losing focus – making the papers, but not the back pages! Please stick to football, and stop trying to climb the social ladder! Mphela made claims of being stalked, but a subsequent article proved his claims to be nothing but a waste of everyone’s time – considering that he had been dating the alleged ‘stalker’ for 5 years! So why the stunts? That goes for you also Itumeleng Khune, and you also Benson Mhlongo....and any other footballer who made waves last year for all the wrong reasons! Save us the agony of having to feel sorry for you – silly boys!!

5. Yellow Card for taking off your shirt: now I personally find this rule unfair – why must FIFA do this to us! I, as a football loving female, enjoy seeing (and drooling over) the occasional show of six-packs! And it helps if I get to do it while watching my favourite sport – it’s a win-win situation for me (and i'm sure many other females)! I think FIFA must rethink their stand on this one!

4. Name calling: I remember in primary school when the other kids used to tease me and call me names – no wait, I don’t....it never used to happen to me! But that would have made for a nice story! Ah well! The name calling I am referring to is names such as ‘sunclowns, pie-rats, kaizer theifs...as fun as throwing insults and feuding is before big matches, I think this is an ancient and very juvenile habit. I actually would like to meet the first person who thought up each of these names – I would make good use of a cabbage then (see #7)!

3. Ruud Krol: yes, Ruud Krol himself should have been left in 2010. Just to be clear, yes, I am an Orlando Pirates fan, and have been all my life. I have stood behind this coach since he first to arrived at Orlando Pirates. He seems to have taught the players a lot, and I thoroughly enjoy watching them play. But for crying in a bucket, I am sick and tired of his predictability! I’m sure every team we play against know who will be in our starting 11! It’s ridiculous to say the least! It seems we have two teams....Orlando and Pirates! I swear if I meet this man on the street........*grabs cabbage*

2. Ugly tackles: the more I watch soccer, the more I get see players being stretchered off the field! Understandably, as the pace of a game rises, the players feel the pressure to perform, but they need to know where to draw the line. We, in the past, have seen tackles that threaten players careers, and even end them. I shudder every time I think of the injury that put Benson Mhlongo out of action and led him to a life of crime. All I am saying is, if I want to watch wrestling, then I will switch to e.tv!

1. Groupie tendencies: over the years, I have seen people turning into groupies, as opposed to genuine football-loving supporters. They are fans when things are looking up, but when the tide changes, so do they! Case in point is Bafana Bafana just before the world cup. They suffered an eight match losing streak, and all the prospects of impressing during the world cup were looking bleaker and bleaker! Enter, the groupies.....immediately they picked the teams they would back during the world cup, and threw all sorts of insults at what should have been the pride of the nation. Few real supporters were left, holding on to hopes that the team would rise to the occasion....and rise they did! The first goal scored by Siphiwe Tshabalala saw the groupies return, dressed in their full bafana gear, screaming with the same voice that was hurling insults not too long before that! Similarly, Teko Modise has suffered the same fate! Once the country’s golden boy...adored by all! He suffered a slump in his career, and the groupies did what they are known for! Fortunately, this did not damper Modise’s spirits, and he fought on, and worked harder. His game seems to be coming back, and so are the groupies. Much like insects, they are crawling out of the woodworks, cheering him on, saying they knew all along that he wasn’t down and out!! Shocker!!

My point here is, we need to be real supporters, stick by our teams and players, regardless of anything. This is what being a supporter is about! So whether you are in the stands of the stadium, at your local pub, bar, or shebeen, or sitting all alone in your living room – stand up and scream when a goal is scored, let out a huge ‘eiiiiiiiish’ when a good scoring opportunity is missed, and clap when the goalkeeper makes a good save. Also, lift your chin off the ground after a loss, and focus on the next match. Most importantly, please, leave the cabbages at home!