It's only September and I've already been to fifty games this season.
That's nowhere near the total a good number of my friends have already attended, but it is quite enough for me.
Football is one of my greatest passions, but there are more important things in life and definitely far more important people too.
But while-soever I still feel the inclination, I'll continue to circumnavigate all levels of the glorious game and, unless the urge to do so vanishes, will keep right on charting my travels on this here blog, for the foreseeable future, at least.
But as regards number crunching and feverishly ticking off lengthy schedules to the point where being a football fan/spectator takes over my entire life; I can't go for that, nooooooooo... no can do! The only target that I have set myself for the remainder of this season, is to visit thirty(ish) grounds that were still virgin territory to me at the commencement of the 2017-18 campaign; which will include visits to Immingham Town, Skegness Town's new ground (I used to live five minutes walk from their old one), Squires Gate on the southern fringes of Blackpool (I have already missed out on three scheduled trips up there and actually featured in their matchday programme last season) and any other sporting enclosure that takes my fancy and is within striking distance of a decent record shop.
Football is, as stated above, a passion; my ever expanding record collection is (outwith my family), my greatest pleasure in life, even though my habit cum addiction to that end, often borders on a psychiatric problem sized obsessiveness.
If my life ever depended on choosing between watching football and enjoying my own personal taste(s) in music, in it's many formats, be it in a live environment or through the privacy of these big old headphones I've got that make me look like one of Doctor Who's 'Cyberman' (thank you for being so polite as to not mention this, but I already know), then I would have to kick the beautiful game into touch, with immediate effect.
However if anybody ever challenged me with such an ultimatum, they would get punted first... far, far away!
Re, my provisional forthcoming fixtures listing below; there will be a few additions, mainly Saturday morning U18 League games (the plethora of available options on a nationwide scale is endless) and some yet to be decided women's games on Sunday mornings/afternoons, mostly revolving around Doncaster Belles and Market Warsop Ladies, I should imagine.
And there will definitely be lots of last minute changes to this rough guide to where I am supposed to be heading... because I am a contrary bastard by nature and am too old to change my ways now.
But at the current time, most of my Sunday's are taken up by either work commitments or running a family taxi service, most frequently to assist my granddaughter logistically with her love of all things equestrian.
Forthcoming fixtures:
Sat 30 Sep - Squires Gate v Runcorn Linnets - NWCL Prem - 3pm
Tue 3 Oct - AFC Mansfield v Maltby Main - NCEL Prem - 7.45pm
Wed 4 Oct - Carlton Town v Frickley Athletic - EvoStik NPL South - 7.45pm
Thu 5 Oct - England v Slovenia - World Cup 2018 Qualifier - 8pm at Wembley Stadium
Sat 7 Oct - Retford FC v Wollaton - Notts Senior Cup - 3pm
Mon 9 Oct - Basford United v Gresley - EvoStik NPL South - 7.45pm
Tue 10 Oct - Sheffield FC v Rossington Main - Sheff & Hallam Cup - 7.45pm
Wed 11 Oct - Worksop Town v Stocksbridge Park Steels - Sheff & Hallam Cup - 7.45pm
Thu 12 Oct - Worksop Town v Swallownest - WVH NMU19L North - 7.45pm
Fri 13 Oct - Collingham v Newark Town - CMFL North - 7.45pm
Sat 14 Oct - Skegness Town v Immingham Town - Lincs League - 3pm
Tue 17 Oct - Handsworth Parramore v Maltby Main - NCEL Prem - 7.45pm
Wed 18 Oct - Bottesford Town v Penistone Church - NCEL Prem - 7.45pm
Thu 19 Oct - Swallownest v Alfreton Town - WVH NMU19L North - 7.45pm
Sat 21 Oct - Horncastle Town v CGB Humbertherm - Lincs League - 3pm
Tue 24 Oct - Arsenal v Norwich City - EFL LC4 - 7.45pm
Wed 25 Oct - Dinnington Town v Collingham Town - CMFLLC
Thu 26 Oct - Gainsborough Trinity v Sheffield FC - WVH NMU19L North - 7.45pm at Herringthorpe Stadium
Sat 28 Oct - Immingham Town v Skegness Town - Lincs League Cup - 3pm
Sun 29 Oct - Birmingham City v Aston Villa - EFL Championship - 12 noon
Tue 31 Oct - Handsworth Parramore v Bridlington Town - NCEL Prem - 7.45pm
Wed 1 Nov - Birmingham City v Brentford - EFL Championship - 7.45pm
To be continued... ASAP