Crazy

It is perversely comforting when in the crazy world of modern football West Ham and Millwall's followers can still hate each other so much that they seek to kick, punch and stab the living daylights out of each other. I was secretly (i.e. I hadn't told my blissfully unaware other half) planning on taking us all on an early Christmas return trip home for the weekend of December 18th and hoping to slip into the Millwall game as part of the festivities. If she sees the BBC News headlines this morning I might be grounded anyway but nonetheless my new responsibilities will have got me rethinking.

When in the first line I described football as "crazy" I was actually thinking of Sol Campbell. Did he really sign a 5-year contract at 4th Division Notts County? I am sorry but it has taken a couple of decades for a football transfer to be more prepostorous than European Footballer of the Year Alan Simonsen signing for Charlton Athletic.

I actually met Campbell once, when he was holed up alledgedly accompanied by a friend in Italy to escape the hatred enimating from one half of North London after he left Spurs to join Arsenal in 2001. He appeared in a mostly one way 2 minute conversation to be decent bloke who just didn't live in the same world as the rest of us. But why sign a 5-year contract? I have heard of players dropping down the leagues but to do it one wild leap would only be attractive if you getting paid £40,000 a week. Oh I see.

I like to follow ex-Charlton players fortunes, well those I liked anyway and it was nice to read Steve Bruce compliment Andy Reid after he single-handedly demolished Norwich in the Carling Cup on Monday like they were, well a six pack of Carling. Demolishing the Canaries is clearly not all it is cracked up to be mind because both Deon Burton and Kevin Lisbie have done for Delia's boys recently but by all accounts Reidy has lost 22 millimetres of body fat. Good for him and like a lot of Addicks I have a small soft spot for Sunderland and it would be nice to see Reidy and Benty tear up a few Premiership defences this season.