Amsterdam with the Ex-socs
Thursday, June 21st, 2007 
It was a difficult match we had just finished. We had lost 4-6 after a fiery match and, even worse, three of our players had been injured. Franz, our goalkeeper, had broken his finger, Sepp torn his muscle badly, and Horst, worst of all, had broken his colarbone. It was hot when I entered the changing rooms and the over-blown emotion was still there. You could feel it on your skin. Heated discussions were going on and the atmosphere was aggressive. After having shed my boots, I headed for the shower to cool myself off and get a little distance between myself and the heat of the previous match. It is like shifting a gear: when I enter the pitch, I am in soccer-mode. I cannot escape it; it has been installed over so many years of ambition, competition and struggle on the pitch. Sometimes it scares me. Still I see my games with the Ex-socs as a way of coming to terms with this over-the-tops soccer-mode. It is getting better gradually. What helps a lot is that we do not play for points any more, that we do not participate in a league with other teams. It’s just friendlys we play and most of all it is about meeting each other, playing a game and enjoying a few beers afterwards. 
Since at that time our team had seen a development towards a more agressive and ambitious stance, which, as it were, took its toll, I felt that it was time to introduce, yet again, a more social and laid-back approach. I hadn’t planned it, it was just following an instinct. “What about going to Amsterdam for a friendly there?“ I shouted into the room. No reaction. “Hey, listen, I know two guys there who play in a team the strength of ours. I could arrange a match. And Amsterdam is a superb city.“ Some began to cock their ears and started to ask question. (more…)
