Off the ball

I like football.

Yeah, I know that comes as a shock to most of you, but there it is.

Thing is, it isn't the be all and end all for me.

Let me explain.

At the beginning of 2006, I had no job and my bank account was in freefall. I ignored mail and just hoped by bank card would carry on being accepted.

Then it didn't.

Suddenly, we confronted with a £1400 overdraft and the bank unwilling to do anything to help you, really focuses your mind and makes you realise what is important in life. And when confronted with being homeless at the end of the month, football comes really down the list of priorities.

Since then I have tried to iew football in the same way. You might see me describe football in my earlier posts as 22 men kicking a bag of wind about. THis is true, that is what it is, but when things are going well and the team is winning, it is a great feeling.

Last season was wonderful for Norwich and us fans, and we looked forward to a season in the limelight. Then things didn't go quite as planned, and just as I had become clear in my head that we were going down, the virus struck.

It was always going to have a major impact, I have followed the story for a few months, so knew roughly what was going to happen. So, when a friend of a friend asked if she should make alternative arrangements for Mother's Day instead of the FA Cup quarter final, I said that I doubted it would take place, if if it did the game would be behind closed doors. Did I think it was that serious, she asked.

Two days later football was suspended.

When football starts again is low down on our national list of priorities, but it can only start when it is safe for players, officials and fans to take part or attend. The game exists for entertainment, without fans there is no entertainment.

It has been mooted to play games behind closed doors in May and June. We don't even know if it would be safe to do so. Its an idea, but much better to stop the game, either cancel the season, stop the season or annul it.

We have the situation where from level 4 down, the season has been annulled, level 2 and 3 the season is suspended indefinitely, and for the professional game, who knows? Thing is, national FAs can't go it alone, it has to come from UEFA as the whole of Europe has to do the same thing, otherwise there'd be chaos. Or more so than there is now.

Playing to empty stadiums means tying up medical resources which should be being used for public health. And what happens, as is likely, that restrictions carry on into next season?

Yes, I miss football, and find I have little to think about know, other than where our next toilet roll comes from, but football is way down, and should be one of the last things to be returned.

The game and cluns need to survie, but not done at risking public health. If TV companies complain, then what, are they gonna sue the FA and PL for not playing?