Hopes & Expectations

Comments (11)

This time last year, my wife and I made the fairly major decision to uproot and move to Canada. Work was crap and the economy was getting worse and worse. An opportunity presented itself, which was too good to turn down so off we went, leaving friends, family and my beloved EFC behind.

I had been a season ticket holder for 7 years, traveling from Birmingham every home game. The Gwladys Street was my church and boy did I worship!

I miss it. I miss the whole god-damn thing. I miss getting up at 7:30am on Saturday and waiting, usually hung over, for my dad to pick me up. I miss us putting the world to rights on the way up the M6. I miss our mates Andy, James & Will joining us on the trip and the inevitable Alan Partridge impressions! I miss my fry-up on County Road. I miss the rest of the lads arriving in the Chepstow and the anticipation of the game, no matter who we were playing. I miss the buzz on County road and people rushing to get inside Goodison in time to catch Z-Cars. I miss the smell of horse shit. Christ, I even miss the Everton Corporate 'Tent' at the Park End!

Now, watching Everton (from afar) has been nothing short of depressing this season. I know there is not one of you out there who will disagree with me.

Watching from Canada gives you a sense of complete helplessness. I can't help, I can't turn up on a Saturday and scream my fucking lungs up in an attempt to get the team going. I'll be honest with you, it's difficult.

I know performances on the pitch, and shanannigans off it, have caused divisions amongst supporters, the likes of which I cannot recall in the 20 years I have been watching Everton. Fighting in the stands, bitching on message boards — not the typical behaviour of Everton Fans.

So I'm asking you all for a bit of a favour. Please could you all try and pitch in for me on Sunday.

I'll be watching in a pub full of Kopite twats, most of whom have cockney or Canadian accents and have never been to Anfield. They'll be there in their replica kits and red & white scarves. There will be a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone and they will be hopping up and down like a set of wankers to that Torres song, as if they are really at the match.

I won't. Watching the game in the pub in Canada is as far removed from the match as you can be.

So please, if you are going, enjoy it. We're playing badly and the future of the club is at a cross-roads, that is true. But the fans need to have one voice, a united front. No fighting, no bitching and slagging off our own players, no berating the Chairman or the Manager.

This is Everton we are talking about. I love them. You love them. Show it.
Richard Osborne, Toronto, Canada     Posted 28/11/2009 at 12:42:22

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