It surprised me how sad I felt when I heard that Jake was leaving. The lads aren’t my mates, but it somehow feels like that they are. This isn’t really a place for emotions and I know that sometimes people over express them for attention, but I wanted to briefly mention something, purely as it adds strong context to what I wanted to say.
We all live with the possibility that life can change forever, overnight. That happened to my daughter. The trauma of that and the ongoing practicalities of accepting a ‘new normal’ has taken over a decade to work through and is still ongoing. She is still very ill and 99% bedbound at 18 years old.
Following Leicester is my one escape. Time wise, choosing to do this means there isn’t time to do anything else, apart from work. You might think I enjoy trauma saying it’s my escape, but it is. Match day traditions help keep me sane and the paradox between feeling the identity and belonging of being a Leicester fan deep within still, despite the team, club and owner making me feel the exact opposite mostly, is very real.
Although the BSLB pod isn’t obviously on a match day, I consider it one of my few important traditions. It’s the LCFC pod I most relate to and connect with and the only one I listen to now. I still remember the much needed therapy it gave me after Leeds away, the season we won The Championship under Maresca. At that time it was the worst I’d felt after a game for years.
It’s like listening to mates chatting in the pub after games, helping to process everything on and off the pitch.
Although it’s rightly been a general theme recently with everyone thanking Jake, I just wanted to encourage Jord, Rick and Godders, as it must feel very strange. It’s just a new ‘Holy Trinity’ or ‘Unholy Trinity’ carrying the pod forwards and will become and feel the new normal soon enough. You all have unique gifts, so just bring who you genuinely are and it will remain authentic. No one should be expecting it to be a copy of the exact same chemistry.
Finally, often people are never as popular as when they leave somewhere on good terms. It shouldn’t need that for people to be thanked for what they do. I’m glad it’s given me a chance to say thanks though. Your work is much appreciated and will make a difference to others in many ways that you may never get to know.
‘Football isn’t important in the scheme of things’ is an often used comment. The truth though, in many different circumstances, is that it really is.