Football...Bloody Hell!

Football fans are ridiculous, petty, superstitious people who hold irrational grudges against other teams and entire nations for as long as they live. I am a football fan. Last Thursday I took great pleasure in hearing that Argentina lost 6-1 to Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier. Why? Why did that make my day? Argentina is thousands of miles away. On a day to day basis, Argentina, as a country, doesn't register any more on my radar than Papua New Guinea. So why would I be the slightest bit interested in what happens to the Argentinian national team?
In 1986 (yes, 23 years ago!) England played Argentina in the quarter finals of the World Cup. It was during this game that Diego Maradona scored by punching the football into the net and helping his team win the game. Maradona claimed it wasn't his fault that he punched the ball into the net but was in fact 'the hand of God'. That is of course blasphemous as everyone knows that God is British. Since that infamous day I have had a deep and abiding hatred of Argentina, and especially Diego Armando Maradona. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not wallowing in bitterness about that match. It doesn't occupy my every waking minute. But it's branded in the deep and dark recesses of my brain waiting to come to the forefront.
Over the weekend I had to pick up some wine from Delhaize. I hadn't ordered the wine myself. When the guy rolled the shopping trolley out I noticed that there were 12 bottles of Argentinian wine nestling amongst the French and Spanish wine. If I had had a better command of the language I would have said that there had been some mistake and would it be possible to exchange it for another wine. The truth is that I would no more buy Argentinian wine than I would have my mobile phone on O2 or fly Emirates. (Both have sponsored a team that I wont dignify by naming in this blog).
That's irrational and petty sorted with, now for irrational and superstitious:
Last Wednesday I was watching England play Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier, ( I hold no grudges against Ukraine), it was a hard match and England were finding it difficult to break down the Ukrainians, but were worth a 1-0 lead. I was watching the game alone, as I often do, when about 75 minutes into the game I was joined on the sofa. Within 2 minutes of being joined, the Ukrainians scored and the irrational part of my man brain blamed the person, who doesn't want to be named, for the goal. I think this is an admission of guilt! She (whoops) even apologised as soon as it went in! I managed to say that we hadn't been playing well and that an equalizing goal had been inevitable but bloody hell, it was about the only time they had a chance on goal! It all ended happily after I put my lucky underpants on and we won 2-1.
I'm not a superstitious man by nature and hopefully I never will be...touchwood...but I do make exceptions for football.
I watched the Bolivia v Argentina game on Thursday evening. Then I watched the last 15 minutes of the repeat on Friday. You may be interested to know that the current coach of Argentina is one Diego Maradona. Bolivia 6-Argentina 1...get in!