"We go again next season" were the words of my long time friend David. It was just like yesterday when I met him at the viewing centre and years later, it seemed his passion for football hadn't dimmed one bit.
I wasn't a regular at the viewing centres as I preferred to watch the matches from the comfort of my home, but once in a while I'd miss the thrill of hearing people shout, curse and sometimes almost throw blows at each other. Whenever David missed my presence, he'd come to my house to literally drag me to any football viewing centre closeby. Whoever claims football fans are chilled people, has not been to a viewing centre on an El Clasico or Derby match day.
"Gunners for life" David said, as we all walked out of the viewing centre
"No you're a goner for life" I said, as everyone burst into laughter
Arsenal had just lost the Premier league top spot to Manchester city on the last match day and I could see how much it would have meant to David, if Arsenal had won the league.
"Shut up there, at least we came second" he replied and somehow that statement hit a nerve.
I'd been a fan of Manchester United football club all my life and over the last few years, the results at the end of each football season seemed to be going from bad to worse. So It had been awhile since I last flaunted the fact that my boyhood club was United, I simply watched the matches without any emotional attachment.
This season though, it was a really tough job defending my club to an Arsenal fan especially when we didn't have any silverware to our name. His comment was a friendly banter in retaliation of what I'd said before, but he was right at least they were second on the table, while we were six places further down in number eight.
It would've been a lie to claim that it hadn't crossed my mind over the years, but in that moment there was a conviction in how much I wondered what it would be like to always have bragging rights at the end of every football season. Manchester City fans didn't have to defend poor performances, the results were there for everyone to see, season after season.
Our last hopes of winning a silverware rested on beating Manchester City, as we still have a final against them. But it would've been nice for my team to actually go into the final not being the underdog for once.
Two days after the last matches of the Premier League season and I was still wondering what it would be like having the confidence of the Manchester City fans right now. They didn't have to worry about their team not winning, because the team had already proved time and time again that they were winners.
David might've been a Gunner, but for the moment, I the Manchester United fan was the real Goner.
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