A Break From Football

Hi All,

I came across the news today that Steve Coppell wants a break from football. This follows on the heels of Paul Jewell quitting Wigan for a break before taking over at Derby last week.

Coppell said:

"I'd do what Paul Jewell has done, play a bit of golf, get out of the environment a bit, and then try to re-educate. I'd love to go and watch all the top managers here and abroad.
"I can't enjoy management. I work all week to win a game. If we win I have an unbeatable high for 20 minutes, but then it's thinking about the next game.
"If we are beaten, it's a bottomless pit. It goes through my mind when I get beat, do I need this?"

Of course, Coppell has been here before: in October 1996 he became manager of Manchester City, a job that he quit after only six games and 33 days in charge. He cited the pressure of the job as his reason for leaving the club.

Coppell and Jewell are the lucky ones though, they are millionaires who can do as they please. But what about us poor fans?

At barely 4 months into the season, I am feeling jaded already, because of work for the podcast and blog, I am immersed in football 7 days a week - with no break til next July.

If I have to read one more article about the vacant England manager's position, I will go mad. If I have to read one more article about...

• UEFA and FIFA messing around with football, and how much Platini hates England


• The state of the grassroots game in the UK and Ireland, and knock-on effects on the national team


• 'Bloody foreigners' playing in England


• Liverpool fans having a protest, backing Rafa, booing Rafa


• Newcastle claiming they are a big club and 'deserve' to be up there


• Gerrard/Rooney/Lampard says 'We can win the League!'


• John Terry's sexual encounters. No wait, that's still fun

or hear the following things on TV/Radio/Podcasts:

• Gerrard/Lampard can/can't play together


• Arsenal are good this season, y'know, that Cesc is a player


• England players are 'World Class'


• "There's physical courage and moral courage Bill..." - Johnny Giles


• Rafa rotates a lot and no one else does


• "Welcome to Grand Slam Sunday"


• "The mind games have begun...."


• "Well, wouldn't it be a wonderful tournament with England in it?"

and I will go mad, head for the nearest book depository, take out my rifle and start shooting.

So, I think I need to detox, maybe over Christmas is the perfect time to detox, to go cold turkey on it? Maybe a stint abroad where they have sensible mid-season breaks will do it? A new year resolution?

But no, I'll stay here, furiously watching a game on TV, whilst drinking beer, checking teletext scores and reading articles off the Internet, all while thinking about sex every 5 seconds, working myself into an early grave.

And women say we can't multitask?

Mark,
Okey Doke Football Podcast is available every Friday morning, subscribe here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/OkeyDokeFootball