Ever since I built this site I’ve stayed very on-brand with what I’ve written. However, when setting up my dad’s website a few months back, I was reminded of something. Once upon a time, writing wasn’t just about getting important messages out to the world, it was something I did for fun. So, for the next four weeks, I will be dropping the role of advocate, not completely but partially. And instead, picking up the title of ‘fan’. I will be commentating on the Euros 2020/21.
Now I am by no means a football expert. I barely keep up with the Premier League. But it is something I like and something I enjoy writing about. So that’s exactly what I’m, going to do.
Who I Support and Why
I think a good way to kick this off will be to discuss where I stand. Despite being born and bred in England, I bear no loyalty to them whatsoever. Instead, I support Gli Azzurri or Italy as most folks call them. There are two reasons I feel the need to clarify this.
- I won’t be reporting from an unbiased perspective
- In the past I’ve received abuse for not supporting my ‘home team’
I’ve actually been writing a series of blogs about identity in my head on and off for the past year. The truth is, I don’t identify as English. Both my parents are first-generation on their paternal sides and after lots of consideration I’ve realised that, above all else, I see myself as a Londoner, hence my alias to the Gunners.
My dad, as suggested in the intro, is my main influence when it comes to football. And as you may have guessed, either from the context of this post or my surname, he’s half Italian. From the moment I was born, there were three things he drummed into me: Arsenal, Italy and 70s rock music. All three stuck.
And or the first time in 15 years it seems Gli Azzurri may actually have a decent chance at singing ‘We Are the Champions’. Back in 2006, I saw multiple ‘signs’ that we were going to win. And this time around, I think the Eurovision contest is all the proof I need. A beautiful precursor to how the Euros will play out. The only discrepancy is that I’m pretty sure England will do rather well too.
The Fantasy Side of Things
Now, I have also set up a Fantasy Football League for this tournament. I probably won’t report on this much but I wanted to mention it anyway. I’ve named my team ‘Pirlo Wisdom’ which I’m pretty proud of. And I’m hoping to beat the lads.
Conclusion
In full honesty that’s all I really have to say. This is just a short introduction into what I hope will be a consistent series of blogs.
So, if you’re interested in 25 year old woman’s perspective of football, don’t forget to subscribe. All you need to do is fill out the form at the bottom of the page (on mobile the form is off-screen to the side, something I plan on fixing in the near future). It merely means an automated email each time I upload a new post, nothing else. Plus, once I have more followers who I don’t share a home with I may even start creating subscription-only content. So you really have nothing to lose. Oh, and if you want to respond, do so on the actual post (comments are also at the bottom of the page) rather than where you see it shared. It builds traffic etc. and helps me out.