Thursday 4 July 2013

Keeping busy as an unemployed footballer

Football in Scotland

It has been 2 months now since the football season finished and I am still no closer to knowing where I will play next season. Professional football in Scotland is a dying game at the moment, lots of good players not in jobs, and lots of average young players being paid low wages to play full time at a good level.
When i look around teams in the first division they are full of players who have hardly played any first team games but will need to step up this year and try and make an impact. The problem is that fans still expect the same level of quality, but it isn't going to happen.

Part time football seems like an option that more and more good players are taking up, which means that the 2nd division is closing the gap slightly on the 1st because players are making as much money part time as they do full time. With a job on top of football they can make much more money, and when you play lower league in Scotland, money is the most important factor to support your families and to live comfortably, especially when you start getting towards and beyond 30.

Personally it has never been about money for me, I work as hard as i can every day at training to improve as a player, so i want to play as high a level as I can so I can keep enjoying my football. So with the help of the PFA and some calls myself hopefully I can get myself a club and have a successful season.

Keeping Busy

So i have basically become a house husband without a wife or child these days. Cooking and cleaning plus all the other boring stuff around the flat have to get done, and since my girlfriend is at work it means I'm in charge. I get to look after the cat, aptly named Katt Monsen, not by me, as he continues to try and hump everything around the flat. We got him his own 'wanket'(wank blanket) which he seems to have become fond of, so that might save the rest of the flat from his affection. He basically sleeps and humps, then occasionally stands out the window and enjoys the breeze, it isn't so difficult looking after him.


Also joined the gym so i can work on my fitness and strength while I have no club. The pure gym is extremely boring with the same songs on every day not a lot happening. So I do my work and get out before I get too annoyed by the 'gym wanks' that decide they need to let everyone know they are doing some weights by groaning and walking around like they just lifted the heaviest weight ever.

The summer is always good for sport, and much to the annoyance of my girlfriend I pretty much love watching every sport going. So I watch the Tour de France in between Wimbledon and also there is the under 20 World Cup on just now which is good for seeing the talent in other countries, and also because England failed miserably there too.

When it is difficult finding a club here it is times like this I consider moving away, and with a Norwegian girlfriend(KA), Norway seems like not such a bad option. The cost of living is high but the wages are great and it is a beautiful place to be. Would have to convince myself and KA that it would the best option for us though, so that might not be easy!

Well, first blog ever, pretty boring but it is down. Can start trying to be more fun when i get used to typing again and learn how to put videos and photos and stuff in.

Cheers



8 comments:

  1. A smashing blog post Davie, would be interesting to question the reasons behind the lack of full time jobs in Scottish football and how that can be fixed. Is it down to punters? investors? My feeling is that it's a combination of both leading to a vicious circle of both. Look forward to the next post! (also, defo getting a "wanket") x

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    1. Just worked out how to reply to these!!

      Sorry mate. There is little investment in Scotland, but the main problem is falling attendances, and in my opinion the ticket prices are completely to blame.

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  2. This is good man. Keep it up. It's not boring; it's genuinely interesting. (PS Also where can I get a wanket?)

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    1. Total new to this didn't know how to comment. Karen Anna bought it online somewhere. Some sort of personalised wanket. He totally loves it.

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    2. Anywhere in Dundee. QP fan but really wish you all the best

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  3. Great blog...again where do you get a "wanket" from?!

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  4. Davie

    Come back to QP till you get sorted.

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  5. Good blog nice to get a wee insight of a footballers life. Good luck on findimg a new club was a gutted when you got released from falkirk as I thought you could still do a job next season.

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