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Good Morning,

And so, a thrilling football season reaches its climax tomorrow when Liverpool play Tottenham in the Champions League Final. These two famous clubs have created the most memorable drama in getting there. Will it be the reds who walk on with hope in their hearts or will the Spurs go marching on? Other teams have already tasted glory in promotion to higher leagues and, in what was described as the most lucrative game in football, Aston Villa reached The Premiership. And then there was the extraordinary achievement of Manchester City’s treble, a feat sealed in a 6-0 demolition of Watford in the FA Cup Final.

This last game caused some consternation. Not for the football, which was sublime; but for the one-sidedness of the contest. It was proof, some said, of the gulf between the super-rich and the slightly less rich. When clubs, like City and French side PSG, are being bank rolled by whole countries, they asked, how can mere billionaires compete? Where is the glory if you have to pay for it? Part of me, as a Bolton Wanderers fan, agreed. Bolton, 20 miles from Manchester, and a club who have themselves won the FA cup 4 times, have just gone into administration. Unpaid staff are relying on food banks. They have fallen to the cold hard calculation of the market.

Complaining about greed in football is probably as pointless as trying to change a referee’s mind. It was ever thus. I remember the outrage at Trevor Frances being bought for a million pounds by Nottingham Forest in 1979. Money is and always has been a part of the game. Football isn’t about a level playing field any more than life is. It is a game about winning as much as taking part. If it’s corrupt it’s because it’s played and managed and watched by the corruptible.

These are things I think most fans live with. Occasionally they complain. As when they can’t afford to watch their team. Or a player leaves for a bigger club. But they stay with their team. The passion of feeling and belonging found in supporting a side is enough. Your connection may be tenuous – the first team you saw or, like me, the team your friend supported - but how quickly that irrational attachment forms and loyalty lasts. For richer or poorer.

Glory isn’t just about achieving high renown, it’s about the transcendent moments. It’s a window on the divine. Football is not religion, but it shares this aspect with it. It can be beautiful, more covenant than contract, more generous than profligate. It can also offer a ritual celebration of who we are. You only have to look at the faces of players or fans when they win or lose, in any league, in any pay bracket, to see this. Of course, there are more important things. Football isn’t necessary but it does have meaning. Enough to raise it above the cold stats and give us a glimpse of glory.

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