J11's Matt Williams shares with us his distaste for Shane Long.
I may only be 20 years old, but I often think I’d be quite good on that programme “Grumpy Old Men”. Whether we’re going on about the cost of parking in town, the crappy train service or people who carry umbrellas, us students can still moan with the best of them.
But there’s a subject (well, person) that gets to me like no other. Many just wouldn’t understand it, but this man bugs me more than all the public transport and property programmes combined. That man is Shane Long.
Now it’s got nothing to do with Long’s football ability, and I’m sure he’s a thoroughly nice guy off the pitch too. But our Irish international fills me with a disappointment that many fans will be able to relate to. The clue’s in my age, we’re both 20.
I first noticed it two years ago. This young, fresh faced forward came trotting on to the pitch against Derby County, and immediately notched up two goals. I certainly had no problems with that, I was ecstatic, we were winning and I was proudly singing Shane’s praises.
Then you realise. That’s supposed to be me. I’m the one who’s dreamt of coming off the bench to secure the championship for Reading. I’m the one who should be wearing the hoops! It never mattered before when someone else scored for the Royals; they’d always been much older than me, my time would come. But then Shane Long turns up and it feels like he’s nicked my go.
OK, that dream of playing for Reading was probably dashed at the age of seven when I couldn’t even score against Hayes Lane School, but whilst the talent was never there, age was always on my side. I could improve, I’d just be a late bloomer and get picked up by a fascinated scout wondering where I’d been hiding all these years.
It got worse after the Sheffield United match last year. Long had scored his (my) first Premiership goal and I’d uncomfortably joined in singing his name. I regaled my tale of woe to my Dad, who quite clearly understood my problem. “It struck me when I was 18 and I opened up The Sun newspaper,” he said. “Suddenly you realise that the girl on page 3 is your age, she could even be in your class.”
Cheers Dad, that makes me feel much better. Not only am I watching an Irishman score the goals that I should be scoring, the girls on page 3 are suddenly younger than me.
It’s not that I didn’t want to grow up, it’s just always been nice to know that all those dreams, however farfetched, were always possible. Suddenly now I’m at an age where those dreams need to be fulfilled. Keeley and Shane, you’ve ruined my life.
http://www.footballfancast.com/2008/06/ ... shane_long
Stats only give an indication, they actually prove nothing.