I’ve always been a bit of a daydreamer. I think it stems from quite often being bored at school in the lessons I found uninteresting and rather than trying harder to understand what the teacher was saying, I’d drift off somewhere else. I still find myself doing it in my day job, which can be bad (“wake up Luis”) or when I’m at home, like now, which obviously doesn’t have quite the same ramifications. Yes, Mrs Adriano often shouts, “for fucks sake, you’re not even listening”, or if she’s in a particular mood will ask me to repeat what she just said.
In my daydreams, what I quite often end up doing is linking two events or creating analogies. For the last few months, it’s quite often been linking Brentford FC with various different things. I mean comparing their performances to more mundane aspects of life, such as relationships. OK, maybe ‘mundane’ is a bit unfair but I’m sure lots of us have compared our relationships with The Bees to how things have gone, or are going, with someone we’re romantically involved with.
For example, after that performance at Wembley versus Crewe in 1997, I decided my relationship with Brentford was over. She had hurt me too many times and that was it. My heart could only be broken so many times. I needed a break although I certainly didn’t want to throw myself into any relationship with anyone else. I didn’t even have any one night stands (no brief liaisons with anyone in Reading or Chelsea and I certainly wasn’t going to visit that other whore in SW6). I just kept myself out of the dating game and lived like a monk. After living that single life for a while, we patched things up, have worked at our relationship, and I now think, whatever happens, we are back together for good.
Comparing the league table to the London Marathon the other week was another analogy that came from my mind just drifting off on a lazy Sunday morning (http://beesotted.co.uk/?p=11972).This morning’s analogy came when my daughter said, “Good morning”. It struck me how you can compare managing a football club with parenting.
As a parent, I’m pretty laid back. I’m often Good Cop as I look at the whole picture of comparing my child with others who live round our way and I know they are well behaved and trying their best at school. Therefore, when there are tiny little things that they do wrong, I’m not that fussed. I always think it’s a case of leaving the telling offs for things that really matter; the real naughty stuff. My child’s mother sees things differently. She is often pulling our child up for things I think are irrelevant. Her argument is if she didn’t do that, then our child would push the boundaries and then the things I think we need to save the tellings off for would happen and the behaviour would spiral out of control. She might be right.
The analogy is complete with yesterday’s game at Colchester. Some people are up in arms at how we capitulated and embarrassed ourselves, losing 4-1 at such a lowly team. “Colchester fans are laughing at us being Championship,” was one such comment. Mark Warburton clearly found most of the team’s behaviour on the pitch yesterday unacceptable and if they were his children I’m sure they would have been sent to their rooms without their iPads/iPods. This is modern day punishment for ‘kids’ you realise.
Yes, the team’s behaviour (beehaviour?) yesterday deserved a bit of a telling off. Maybe not quite as much as that poor youth who is now all over Twitter looking pretty lifeless in the arms of two paramedics although personally, I’d even let him off due to the emotions everyone has been through since half past four a year ago today!
Personally, I’m with Jim Levack’s glass half full team (http://beesotted.co.uk/?p=12180). I can’t be angry at the team for too long. I see it as the kids have done so well and already got their grades to graduate and so are allowed to have a day where things don’t go to plan. I actually think it could be a good thing because it now means our last game of the season will no doubt see a much better performance. Yes, I know people paid good, hard earned money, to travel to a not very nice place, and put up with ridiculous Policing, but hey, come on, give the kids a break. They’ve done you proud. They really have.
See yesterday as a penultimate lesson before graduation. Next week, at home to already relegated Stevenage, is the graduation. It’s the type of event Kool & the Gang wrote their best song for. The kids have had a bit of a telling off. I’m sure they’ve learned their lesson and will want to show everyone just how well they can perform.
Mr. Westley is bringing the kids over from his school for a last day game of football. Now, would you rather have them? He’s admitted how embarrassed he’s been by their behaviour (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27143336). While our lot go on to brighter things, a tad like going on to Oxbridge Unis, his set have to stay behind and drop down to Year 10. Looooosers.
If you are a parent, think how proud you’d be to have a child in this Bees team. Er, if you’re not a parent, think how proud you’d be to gave a child in this Bees team. Colchester away wasn’t as though they went round beating up old ladies. It was more like they just forgot to do a bit of Chemistry homework that really doesn’t matter. Forget it.
Let’s all go to Class of 2014’s Graduation Party on Saturday with heads held high and be proud of what they have achieved. I’m sure they will now put on a great show for us. It will also be a great time to celebrate Mr. O’Connor and see him get his ‘Outstanding Achievement’ Award. #KOC500.
Luis Adriano
@luisadrianouk
Yes good team loose games, but they play with some passion, we played like we could not care less, I have supported the Bees for many years but yesterday I was embarrassed, and upset that I paid good money to see such a load of rubbish.