WHY I STILL LOVE FOOTBALL

I haven't blogged for a while now and thought I should write something after last night's game. After two and a half weeks without football, my heart could probably have had an easier ride - what with an elongated pre-match train journey and being a goal and a man down within ten minutes. But Albion these days are a different proposition to the sides I grew up with. We were excellent last night. As excellent as we were back in October and, having given all other Division Three sides the chance to close the gap on us at the top in the last month or so, nobody has taken full advantage.

This month has been weird. In fact, I'd got quite used to not watching football - Christmas shopping on a Saturday had a new appeal and I didn't stress about anything. Sure, the feeling of Albion goalscoring euphoria (especially when Glenn tucks away a non chance like he did last night) is a better adrenalin rush than anything I know but, without the stresses that come with it, I began to wonder whether I could actually live without it. But, last night, I remembered everything. I remembered that life without football is actually quite shit.

The fanzine has sold fuck all this month due to the weather conditions (not the quality of writing obviously) and sometimes I wonder whether the effort we put in to the mag is worth it. But when you clamber back to bed at 1am having witnessed every player put their life and soul into a performance it does make it all worthwhile. It is misty nights at withers against title challengers that makes you think back to the glory days of Cullip and Zamora; of Cheaterfield and brown envelopes; of Virgo and penalty shoot-outs. Last night was special, last night the withers rocked so much for ten whole seconds I loved the place, last night we showed just how good we are.

Charlton don't scare me now, and that was perhaps the greatest aspect to the night. Now all we need to do is start winning. Oh and by the way, the next issue of TSLR (026) will not be available until the Peterborough home game on 15 January so make sure you purchase the December issue which is still in date (well, some text from the match previews will be transferred to the relevant future issue) and is currently clogging up our archive cupboard.

Having featured in a previous issue as Flair Icon #3, it is worth checking out this blog about Rodney Thomas. Indeed, we stole that photo too. Happy New Year one and all.