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An Overseas Owl's Perspective


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Having lived in Australia since mid-1995 [leaving Sheffield as an 8 year old], it would've been easy for me to ditch my roots and stake my claim as a fully-fledged Aussie. Losing the English accent within 2 weeks of starting school saved me from the "Whinging Pom" lark that I copped until I decided to start speaking just as linguistically poor as the rest of this country. Anyway, I'm not writing to pay out on Australians [some things don't need to be said!], moreso just to try and ascertain why Wednesdayites in Sheffield are the way they are.

I started High School in 1999, found myself in a circle of friends who were all "soccer"-mad, and was able to lovingly profess my admiration for the Blue and White Wizards. 18 months later, relegation from the Premiership. My Manchester United and Liverpool supporting friends asked who I was going to support now. 6 years of High School with me taught them loyalty if anything. I'm just disappointed that before that time was through I also had to suffer another relegation [the promotion campaign wasn't over until 6 months out of High School unfortunately].

I've been back to England 3 times since 1995. July-September 2000 [so the start of our first non-Premiership season, where there was still some optimism around - until a 5-1 home defeat against Wimbledon perhaps]. December-February 2004/2005 [starting with THE Doncaster game, finishing with away at MK Dons. I don't think they lost while I was there, so again optimism was high]. July 2008 [no football. Wasn't in Sheffield long enough to get a feel for what was going on.]

My biggest concern is that when i come back in december, I'm still going to be filled with the same amount of passion and love for the club as I always have been. In this respect I have been blessed to be so detached from the bullshit that seems to be going on over there at the minute. Why is it a concern? Because I feel like I'm going to be the odd one out in a sea of tired, fed up and apathetic faces at Hillsborough. I still say it's a burden to be sitting over here and feel so helpless about our great club's plight - both on and off the field. I sit on Owlstalk, buy the occasional bit of merchandise, and scream at Wednesday Player in the middle of the night. That's all I have.

I think the point that I'm making is that by being there, you're the fans that have the chance to make a difference - to vent your feelings, to SUPPORT YOUR TEAM. The highs and lows, bullshit and rumour, it's all part and parcel of being a football fan - particularly a Wednesdayite. Don't ever look upon it as being some burden passed down the paternal family line, we are who we are - don't lose sight of that. I know I never will.

UTO, FTB, WTID.

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