Every football match I’ve attended over the last two seasons.
Yeah, that’ll do me. With Armenia’s UEFA Nations League loss at Hampden, I
think it’s time to say my match-going for 2021-22 is finished. I’ve seen all my
in-the-flesh football for this season. Scotland’s return match in Yerevan will
be TV viewing only for me, so the first season after the one where Covid completely
closed the grounds ends with me having attended 48 games of football.
It ends with me knowing that, despite my early game-going zeal and a successful
bid to complete a non-league bagging mission curtailed by the pandemic’s full UK
arrival in March 2020 – a mission completed in November 2021 – I’ve fallen two
short of attending 50 games.
Doesn’t matter if I could be attending pre-season games a couple of weeks from today
– today being the first anniversary of my first post-lockdown game - 2021-22
will be the season I went to more games than usual but failed to hit a
significant tally.
I’ve still managed my biggest total since 2007-08. And this season itself was
not unaffected by Covid. Protocols from both the easing of restrictions last
summer and the spike in cases around Christmas denied me access to a total of four
matches for which I had already successfully purchased a ticket.
Even so, despite going over my average of the previous fourteen years – or, at least, the seasons within that time which weren’t ravaged by a global pandemic - staying in the forties demonstrates I haven’t gorged myself as much as the me of lockdown convinced myself I would. That guy deserved more.
That guy, forced to drive to Stirling and Dumbarton to walk round housing estates where grounds used to be, as some sort of methadone to the heroin of live football - that guy deserved 50 games this season. He needed the half-century, at least, to fulfil the promises he made to himself in those claustrophobic days of, at best, watching the game being played in empty grounds via some sort of screen.
Hey, I may be stretching it to include the delayed Euro 2020 finals in my games of “this season”. But I deserve the poetry of starting and finishing my 2021-22 match-going with two international games at Hampden (the second and second-last featuring wins by the news headlines’ Covid replacement, Ukraine). And, after seventeen months with zero live football, I definitely needed a season just six days shy of an entire year in length.
Completing the old SJFA West region was the minimum I needed to achieve in this campaign to feel as if the lockdown season had been avenged. As the notes in the list below demonstrate, I went into overkill on that one. I didn’t just do all the SJFA West grounds and bag all the remaining teams – I even ensured I’d seen every team at their home ground, making up for only having ever attended three of the grounds concerned when they were being used as neutral venues. It was overkill but that’s what this season was about. Covid stopped me completing the task before the SJFA West was subsumed into the West of Scotland League. If I was condemned to doing it retrospectively I was at least going to do it right.
My two most important lists, European Club Finalists and UEFA National Teams, remain incomplete but worked out a strange kind of compensation from the previous season. After missing the chance to bag Standard Liege and Royal Antwerp during the lockdown of 2020-21 – both these one-time European Cup Winners Cup runners-up played behind closed doors at Ibrox – I got two more names off my international list in the shape of Moldova and Armenia arriving at Hampden. In 2020-21 Scotland played no-one at home I hadn’t already seen in the flesh.
So, despite the annoyance of Rangers playing nine European home games and none of the opponents being a European finalist I hadn’t already bagged, enough revenge was had on that hellish closed-door season. All I lacked was a final total fully worthy of the term catharsis. Yet it feels I was always destined to fall two games short of the required number:
Covid crowd restrictions took my ticket off me for two Euro2020 finals matches at Hampden. I also missed two Rangers league games at Ibrox, covered by my season ticket, through temporary Covid protocols. And, at the end of the season, I missed two cup finals due to my own incompetence: I had failed to renew my passport so had zero chance of seeing Rangers unexpectedly competing in the Europa League final in Seville and, possibly more embarrassing, I had assumed the Scottish Junior Cup final took place on the first Sunday in June – a day on which I was required elsewhere – when in fact, I discovered on that very Sunday that Auchinleck had met Yoker on the first Saturday in June, a Saturday on which I had been doing S(J)FA.
Covid seems the main culprit but there’s little doubt my failure to reach 50, as well as my failure to get to Seville – where, let’s be honest, my chances of attaining a ticket for the final were limited - comes down to my recovery from another hangover of lockdown: I finally moved house.
A protracted sale of our old home in 2020, followed by the pandemic making it near impossible to buy a new one - all underscored by the ever-shrinking walls of our claustrophobically-decorated rented accomodation - resulted in a frenzied attack of house-hunting at the half-way point of this football season which in turn resulted in what will hopefully be the house I die in being sourced and bought and, as winter became spring, moved into with all the headaches and practicalities that involves, the first of which was to cut short my non-league ambitions at completing the SJFA West. Who the hell had time to apply for a new passport.
Then you combine all this with Rangers yet again displaying absolutely no shame when it comes to European progress of a rate none of us are frankly ready for having only yesterday watched us in the Third Division, League One and Challenge Cup finals. Who the hell has time to even look up what Lowland or Highland League match might be doable for you, far less attend the flippin’ thing, when you’ve just watched a four-goal epic with Borussia bloody Dortmund which would’ve graced the pages of Roy of the fekin Rovers or attended a European semi-final second leg which is, without doubtm the greatest footballing experience of a life which has gone two years over the half century?! There are reaction pods to be podded, delirious Tweets to be Tweeted and much drink to be drunk before you can even begin to process that level of delirium. By the time RB Leipzig had departed the pitch in front of me, I couldn’t even spell passport.
As much as anything, in 2021-22 I failed to reach 50 games because in 2021-22 actual football joy got in the way of the joy of merely going to the football.
I won’t complain.
2020-21 Season:
Games what I attended in the flesh, like:
Big fat ZERO…
… coz Covid closed all the grounds (still had me an Ibrox season ticket though).
2021-22 Season: Games what I attended
in the flesh, like:
* New Team (to me, i.e., first time I’m seeing them)
**New venue (ditto)
SCOTLAND 0 – 2 CZECH REPUBLIC (Hampden; UEFA Euro 2020 finals, Group D;
Mon14/06/21)
SWEDEN 1 – 2 UKRAINE [After Extra Time] (Hampden; UEFA Euro 2020 finals, Last
16; Tue29/06/21)
Initially had tickets for all four of the Euro 2020 games scheduled to be played
at Hampden but, with a combo of Covid, the Scottish Government and Uefa
restricting the crowd numbers as the virus spiked again, Hampden was restricted
to one-quarter capacity so everyone with tickets for Glasgow Euro 2020 matches was
re-entered into a ballot and I was refunded for two of my four games, what
became Croatia 1 – 1 Czech Republic and Croatia 3 – 1 Scotland, both in Group
D.
However, this meant I still finally managed to see my country in a major
finals, Patrick Schick’s Goal of the Tournament and also, with the subsequent
Last 16 tie, I have now attended every stage of the Euros from qualifiers to
final. But I did miss two goals by 2018 World Cup final scorer Ivan Perisic.
Alex like live goals by World Cup final scorers. When Perisic scored v Czechi,
Alex, sat on a sofa a 20 minute drive away, put foot through TV.
July: Holidays and general
uneasiness about a packed Ibrox for anything other than competitive football as
Covid threatened a third wave - even with me now double-vaxed - saw me miss
pre-season friendlies v Arsenal, Brighton and Real Madrid (Was at Bradford
Bulls v Featherstone Rovers the day Rangers beat Real, getting Odsal off my
General Sporting Arena Ambitions list): Early season crowd restrictions saw me –
and thousands of other season ticket holders - denied access to Rangers opening
day 3-0 SPFL Premiership home win over Livingston (raising of league flag
delayed til September 19).
RANGERS 1 – 2 MALMO FF (Ibrox; UEFA Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round, 2nd
leg; Tue10/08/21)
RANGERS 5 – 0 DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC (Ibrox; Scottish League Cup 2nd round;
Fri13/08/21)
CUMBERNAULD UNITED 1 – 0 HURLFORD UNITED
(Guy’s Meadow**, Cumbernauld; West of Scotland League Premier Division;
Sat14/08/21)
RANGERS 1 – 0 ALASHKERT* (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League Play-Off, 1st
leg; Thur19/08/21)
FORTH WANDERERS* 0 – 3 STIRLING UNIVERSITY* (Kingshill Park, Forth**; Friendly;
Sat21/08/21)
ROYAL ALBERT* 0 – 4 ASHFIELD (Tileworks Park**; West of Scotland League
Conference B; Sat28/08/21)
RANGERS 1 – 0 CELTIC (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun29/08/21)
SCOTLAND 1 – 0 MOLDOVA* (Hampden; 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier; Sat04/09/21)
RANGERS 0 – 2 OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League Group A;
Thur16/09/21)
EAST KILBRIDE THISTLE 2 – 1 KILSYTH RANGERS (The Showpark, East Kilbride**;
West of Scotland League Conference C; Sat18/09/21)
RANGERS 1 – 1 MOTHERWELL (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun19/09/21)
RANGERS 2 – 0 LIVINGSTON (Ibrox; Scottish League Cup quarter-final;
Wed22/09/21)
CLYDEBANK 0 – 1 KILWINNING RANGERS (Holm Park; West of Scotland League, Premier
Division; Sat02/10/21) [Watched Yoker at Holm Park but my first time seeing
Clydebank at home here, having previously seen them hosting at Glenhead Park
and, if you like, Kilbowie.]
RANGERS 2 – 1 HIBERNIAN (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun03/10/21)
[missed Scotland 3 -2 Israel in the World Cup qualifiers while on holiday in
Kirkby Thore]
RANGERS 1 – 1 HEARTS (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sat16/10/21)
RANGERS 2 – 0 BRONDBY* (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League Group A; Thur21/10/21)
RANGERS 2 – 2 ABERDEEN (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Wed27/10/21)
TROON FC 3 – 4 ADEER THISTLE (Portland Park; West of Scotland League Cup;
Sat30/10/21) [first time seeing Troon at home – had previously seen Dalry
Thistle v Winton Rovers at Portland Park]
KILWINNING RANGERS 4 – 1 ROSSVALE (Buffs Park**, Kilwinning Community Sports
Club; West of Scotland League Premier Division; Sat06/11/21) [Had seen
Kilwinning at their previous home, Abbey Park, many times]
RANGERS 4 – 2 ROSS COUNTY (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun07/11/21)
BELLSHILL ATHLETIC 0 – 6 ARTHURLIE (Rockburn Park**; West of Scotland
League Conference A; Sat13/11/21) [have now attended every former SJFA West
Region ground]
SCOTLAND 2 – 0 DENMARK (Hampden; 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier; Mon15/11/21)
CAMBUSLANG RANGERS* 7 – 0 ARDEER THISTLE (Somervell Park; West of Scotland League Conference B; Sat20/11/21) [have now seen every former SJFA West Region club]
RANGERS 1 – 3 HIBERNIAN (Hampden; Scottish League Cup semi-final; Sun21/11/21)
RANGERS 2 – 0 SPARTA PRAGUE (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League Group
A; Thur25/11/21)
ARDEER THISTLE 4 – 1 CARLUKE ROVERS (Ardeer Stadium; West of Scotland League
Conference B; Sat27/11/21) [Have now seen every former SJFA West Region club
playing at their home ground]
RANGERS 3 – 0 DUNDEE (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sat04/12/21)
RANGERS 2 – 0 ST JOHNSTONE (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Wed15/12/21)
RANGERS 1 – 0 DUNDEE UNITED (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sat18/12/21)
[Miss the 2-0 Rangers home league win over St Mirren on Boxing Day – watch it on Rangers TV – because a spike in Covid figures sees the crowd restricted to just 500]
RANGERS 4 – 0 STIRLING ALBION (Ibrox; Scottish Cup Fourth Round; Fri21/01/22)
RANGERS 1 – 0 LIVINGSTON (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Wed26/01/22)
RANGERS 5 – 0 HEARTS (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun06/02/22)
RANGERS 2 – 0 HIBERNIAN (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Wed09/02/22)
RANGERS 2 - 2 BORUSSIA DORTMUND (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League, knockout round play-offs second leg; Thur 24/02/22)
RANGERS 2 - 2 MOTHERWELL (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun27/02/22)
RANGERS 1 - 0 ABERDEEN (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sat05/03/22)
RANGERS 3 - 0 CRVENA ZVEZDA BEOGRAD (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League, round of sixteen first leg, Thur10/03/22)
RANGERS 1 - 2 CELTIC (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun03/04/22)
RANGERS 3 – 1 SC BRAGA, AET (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League, Quarter-final second leg, Thur14/04/22)
CELTIC 1 – 2 RANGERS, AET (Hampden; Scottish Cup, Semi-final, Sun17/04/22)
Media Area/Press pass
RANGERS 3 – 1 RB LEIPZIG* (Ibrox; UEFA Europa League, Semi-final second leg, Thur05/05/22)
RANGERS 2 – 0 DUNDEE UNITED (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Sun08/05/22)
RANGERS 4 – 1 ROSS COUNTY (Ibrox; SPFL Premiership; Wed11/05/22)
RANGERS 2 – 0 HEARTS, AET (Hampden; Scottish Cup final, Sat21/05/22)
SCOTLAND 1 – 3 UKRAINE (Hampden; 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers second round, Path A semi-final; Wed01/06/22)
SCOTLAND 2 – 0 ARMENIA* (Hampden; Uefa Nations League, Group B1; Wed08/06/22)
SUB TOTALS:
[Rangers: 32]
Europe: 9
League: 17
Scottish Cup: 3
League Cup: 3
[Scotland: 5]
UEFA Euro 2020 finals, Group Stage: 1
Fifa 2022 World Cup qualifying 2
Fifa 2022 World Cup play-off semi-final: 1
UEFA Nations League: 1
[Miscellaneous: 11]
UEFA Euro 2020 finals, Round of 16: 1
West of Scotland League: 8
West of Scotland League Cup: 1
Scottish non-league friendlies: 1
TOTAL: 48
Venues: Ibrox x 29, Hampden x 9, Guy’s Meadow, Kingshill Park, Tileworks Park, The Showpark, Holm Park, Portland Park, Buffs Park, Rockburn Park, Somervell Park, Ardeer Stadium.
