Season 2011-12
The Mail Bag
Retirement Announcement
To begin, I'd like to thank you for coming here and I'll get straight to the point - I'm announcing my retirement from English football. Before I go on I should apologise for making this announcement on the eve of the season, but I can't pretend anymore.
As others around me, and everyone here, has been excitedly looking forward to the new kick-off, I've really struggled to muster any enthusiasm... To be blunt, I've lost my hunger for the game.
If I'm honest with myself, this has been building for some time. As I've gotten older, I've thought more and more about leaving. Every old pro will in any sport will tell you that, when the time comes, you know it; my time has come and it's a decision I'm comfortable with.
During the 30-plus years I've been assocoiated with this great club, I've seen some wonderful times that will always stay with me ? FA Cup wins, European triumph and, of course, League success. I'd like to thank everyone at Everton for those thrilling times and the memories.
Of course, over that time there's been great changes in the game too, and not all of them have been for the better. The focus on the athlete over the artist and the increasing dominance of the weathly at the expense of healthy, broad competition. And as we all know there's been the aimless drift into mediocrity and stagnation of this once great club.
I know some people will condemn me for making this decision and say that I'm walking away when my support is most needed. But I feel it's the right decision for myself and my family, to whom I owe an enormous debt of gratitude for allowing me to indulge my passion all these years.
To those of you who will remain here, I hope you have the success and joy in the years ahead that you so richly deserve.
Good luck and goodbye!
Paul Kish, Posted 14/08/2011 at 05:08:25
Comments
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Jeez....Paul I didn't even have time to get you a card.
Probably not as you don't contribute anyway by going to the games so in truth, what exactly are you giving up?
Another point has been made above about the fact that you have thrown in the towel before a ball has even been kicked.
Despite the fact that I now put more time into supporting The Widnes Vikings over Everton (due to money, time and the fact that all my matchgoing mates have now moved away), I would never totally turn my back on the Blues, no matter how bad it got.
Shame pal!
I too have been around long enough to see the good and bad times. I don't like Sky era and I'm not exactly ectstatic about the club being skint and competing for best of the rest. But I'm hanging in there. If I decide otherwise, I promise to keep it to myself.
Even Moyes knows he cannot keep playing his faves without getting results and he along with BK know the unrest among the fans over what has ''not happened''
Other clubs are in the same boat and some have just taken on players who are just to my mind ''journeymen'' who would not have improved Everton.
Maybe we will have to sell Jags after all at the right price to free up cash. I hope not but these things happen and I am sure Jags wants to improve his position.
Sadly that is business as very few other Everton players seem to attract attention so we have to suffer those that are woefully inadequate or inconsistant for another season.
At the risk of being rude... haven't heard of ya ? were you Moyes's secret weapon?
You may want to leave, you may say you will leave but every match day you will still be watching, hoping and celebrating when we win.
See you next week.
Ive never heard of or from you Paul and i wasn't under the impression that you could just quit
If its really that bad then fair enough, the rest of us are here till we drop. Through good and bad (and this aint great with that lunatic BK in charge) i will be ere on Toffeeweb/Goodison/Home/Work/Hols etc supporting the Blues
Sorry i aint one of the 30'000+ real fans Mr Jaras
I guess im just a part time Blue Fucker........
But fact is I'll always care about EFC, always check the websites, always hope we win and I'll still hurt when we lose.
Good luck to you, Paul.
If it was I'd have told him to stop being a melodramatic arl woman!
Cahill has done much to change those perceptions though a bit more backing from our publicity department could have capitalised even more on his enormous popularity.
I don't know whether to praise or sympathise that Paul has decided to throw the towel in, I sometimes wish I could do the same.
Again and again like a punch drunk boxer I drag myself off the floor while ghosts of the past urge me on.
You will at the very least check the scores next weekend - of that I have no doubt. Then you will afford a wry smile when you see Beckford grabbed a hatrick. Then you'll think "maybe I'll just take a quick look at Tofeeweb to see the reacton". And so on...
With modern technology the way it is now days, and the fact that a million football related stories and results are just a click of a button away where ever you are, whatever time of day - It must be difficult to go cold-turkey. It would be like an alcoholic walking around with one of those beer hats on their head 24/7. You're going to take a swig at some point!
Good luck.
Maybe now that Paul has become an ex-supporter, he could become a supporter pundit?
"Well he's done just about EVERYTHING wrong there, first of all he's got a silkie tied round his wrist which indicates he's simply not moved with the times. He's had a few beers before the game and that's fine, but his piss-timing is WAY off, he's no sooner sat down than he's up again. Basically he needs to get back to the basics. Applauding, cheering, abuse etc and Leave the fancy stuff - the shirt off, the tattoos, the 'look at me Sky!', to the Geordies"
My wardrobe and that of my Oz based children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren is full of official club merchandise from pre-Hafnia days to the present. I am surrounded on all sides by my collection of Everton mementos, CDs, tapes, books, a calendar, pens, a carpet and blue nose ? not to mention my treasured 1966 FA cup final programme.
Personally, I just wasted four minutes of my life reading your self-pitying drivel and a further five venting my spleen in response. Get over yourself mate. We all love the club and we are all frustrated by it without exception. Some of us, however, do not wish to throw ourselves farewell parties if we ever choose to abandon it!
P.S. Where do I send the retirement gift???
"Well Lee (number 30) has made a very basic supporter error here. He got halfway down the OP, realised what it was about and instead of just letting it go harmlessly out of play, he's gone in with studs showing. He's then compounded his gaff with A RESPONSE!!. Fact is unless Everton supporters start to eliminate what are basic mistakes, they can't expect any favours. Plus his use of the physically impossible 'get over yourself' doesn't help him either. Come on guys - up your game!!!"
But you're saying you've simply lost that passion for the game and I'm feeling that too. I've never been less interested in the start of a season - or in the pre-season. I'm in a situation where I didn't know who Chelsea's manager was or United's keeper. Just haven't followed a thing since May.
I don't know if it's Everton that's brought on this lack of interest. I guess in past years I've been searching every 10 minutes for transfer whispers and there isn't really much point in that now. Or maybe it's just that football and the average fan have grown apart. Or maybe as you say, I've grown up - though I'd never shown signs of that before.
I watch every game live, on a 60 inch screen every week at around 3.00am and I have bought every shirt since 1995.
I have a tattoo on my right arm with the crest and our motto on
Just because I live 12000 miles away doesnt make me any less a supporter
I made no error and judged as I found - last time I checked that was my right to do when voicing an opinion. You have the right to judge my opinion as I have judged the writer for their self indulgence that helps absolutely no-one but themselves in apparent pursuit of a cathartic expulsion of grief at their tear-filled departure from something they apparently lost love for. Are we to celebrate, commiserate or just simply say "So what?" Personally, I vote for option three. You can vote whichever way you want but don't have the audacity to look down (again, a phrase-built metaphor before you attempt the absurd again in a vein attempt to justify your comments) on me for mine.
As for your apparently shouted (judging by the capitalisation of a word for juvenile emphasis) assertion that I absurdly posted a response - isn't that the very point of these pages. Oh crap! I just did it again and your post was more futile that the original one I responded to. I guess I'd better just go and shoot myself in the face!
Then again, I could always just take your advice and '...up my game' Hold on, that is again physically impossible unless you want me to lift my box of Monopoly to a higher shelf. How to be a self-righteous, sanctimonious, hypocrite!
"Boom! SFTD."
My work here is done.
Er...it was a joke.
Not a GREAT joke but...a joke (and not really at your expense).
I'm getting a mental picture of you holding half a Christmas cracker and a little slip of paper and giving it..
"WHAT chicken SPECIFICALLY are they referring to? It doesn't specify 'THE' chicken or 'THE' road. Are they cathartically waffle blah etc..."
Who said I was any more a supporter than one living abroad? Not me that's for sure so get some fucking glasses or read what I posted again!
I stated that a person cannot relinquish actual support if they are not actually going to the games.
What exactly is being given up? Watching telly? Bigging up Everton online and in conversations?
WHAT?
Those who have had a go, put your fucking dummies back in and stop being so menstrual!!!
Supporters sit in Goodison Park on most matchdays, supporting vocally and physically.
I was a supporter for twenty years.
Now I am more of a fan due to other priorities.
No big deal.
We are all Evertonians, no matter how we chose to support our club, and no matter what circumstances or constraints we live under. Please remember that.
My question, before everyone saw red was "What is being given up?"
Telly watching, shirt buying or even checking results? It was a genuine and fair question. I wasn't having a go, just stating a point.
I hold a strong position on anything that attempts to classify or quantify the support any individual Evertonian provides. As an independent website for ALL Evertonians, we uphold the position that each of us is free and independent to support the club in our own way, without the nature or degree of our support being judged, questioned or doubted by other Evertonians.
Now even I can see that may be a little idealistic in some situations, but hopefully most of you can agree it represents an ideal that we as fans/supporters sharing a common interest can aspire to?
I lost interest in international football after the last World Cup.
I've shown very little or completely no interest in this (pre)season.
I'm struggling with Everton but sure I will carry on being a supporter, because they are in my blood. I can't stop supporting them, it's not that easy.
Now my interest in Everton is limited to each individual match. I don't look at the league table, I don't care about how other teams are doing. It's just Everton on a match by match basis. Simple.
I'm disenchanted too but I lost count of the Saturday evening rants in the 70s and early 80s when I swore I would not waste another penny on that shower of shite only to proclaim us by far the greatest team etc by closing time Saturday night!
It's a drug and I personally, can't "resign" but neither would I be able to spend my money on Saints (my home town team) rather than go to Goodison, albeit less frequently!
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1 Posted 14/08/2011 at 14:22:19
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