What were your childhood football fantasies? Mine was scoring a hat-trick for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup-final against Rangers, after we were 2-0 down. For the first goal I ran the length of the pitch, beating 7 or 8 men. Probably something to do with the fact that I was at 2 Finals we lost 2-0 to Rangers.
Having been given a free programme by Katrien last Friday, it would be ungentlemanly to reveal what mine is (but it does involve a Charlton shirt)
Scoring for Charlton away at Manchester United. I knew a cup final wouldn't happen so kept me dream realistic enough.
I'm not sure about fantasy but I always used to head straight out into the garden after school and pretend I was Paul Gascoigne and try to re-enact Euro 96 (sorry FHB).
I recreated that goal a few weeks back at a kick about at uni... sadly my connection on the Volley would have kicked it over the towers at Wembley
Charlton are 2-0 down on the final day of the PL season at home to Man U who need to win to win the title. I am an untried youngster thrown on for the last 20 minutes in desperation. I score a hat-trick, in the process saving us from relegation and handing the title to Liverpool. Then, next season, I score all 5 goals in a 5-0 win at Old Trafford. One of the goals was George Best-esque. All the major clubs in the world are clamouring for my signature, but I refuse as I can only imagine playing for Charlton. I make an Alf Ramsey-style 'We will win the league' prediction which comes true. Now it gets (even) weird(er). World Cup semi-final, England 3-3 Germany, 89th minute. Germany pass it back to the goalkeeper who slips, injuring himself in the process. I could just tap it in to the empty net to win the game, but, being the ultimate sportsman, I refuse to do so and put the ball out of play. Germany then go down the other end and score to win 4-3 and knock us out, and I am given pelters by England fans, becoming Public Enemy Number 1. Undeterred, I go on to have my best season as a player. Notice all of that is in the present tense. I need help.
The only flaw in that is that we now all know that you play like Simon Francis. So in reality you would probably over hit your sporting gesture in the Semi Final and accidentally score and inadvertently become a Hero and have your face on a stamp. Please note that that may not be the 'only flaw'.
My fantasies are now so complex I can't be bothered to write them out on here (though I can see Captain B has been smoking the same sort of stuff I do, so we could probably go halves on the analyst bills). However, I've had things like football manager on my mobile for yonks, so my dreams of managing Charlton to a league, cup, champions treble year after year is all done and dusted now. I think the difference between all that, and the sort of stuff that reality pointlessly serves up is what is making me a bitter old man now. And Volly, if anyone on here is going to be Steptoe, it's going to be me!!
