A few years ago, when I was in school, I wasn't really as into football as I am now. I only watch football when the Nigeria national team is playing, and that happens on a rare occasion because country football is not measured by how league football is being done rampantly and continuously. During then, my friends would drag me to follow them to go out to watch Manchester United or Chelsea matches, which I didn't succumb to, even though they're to pay for the gate fee.
That's how low-key my love for football matches was during that time.
But recently, I don't know how it happened; I just found myself buried in love with football, both country football and league football(which I earlier hated). In fact, I added another style to my love for football, which is female football. Gosh! I derive so much joy from watching women play football.
I was at the peak of excitement during the previous FIFA Women World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. My friends who know me to my WhatsApp status can attest to how loud I was during the tournament on my WhatsApp status.
I don't know if one's particular hobbies grow; if that's it, my hobby for football grew before my eyes to the extent that my whole body system began to wonder how it happened. A lot of people who don't know me to be a sports person keep wondering about me today. Some even concluded that I've launched into sport betting; that's why, but that's a big NO; I don't even understand the terminologies of betting till today.
My love to watch football matches has flipped many times into my economical way of living with regards to finance. I'm the person who seldom sees the opportunity to go out in the daytime to a place where I watch football matches for free because of my work schedules, so oftentimes, I end up streaming the matches on my phone, which consumes a whole lot of data.
Image is mine
The Nigeria national team had a match yesterday, and I could not go out to watch, so I settled and streamed on my phone. While streaming, one of my neighbours returned from work to meet me outside in the compound, glued to my phone. He thought I was watching a movie, so he came closer only to find the football match on the screen.
"Is that a highlight?" He asked, thinking I was enjoying the highlight of an already-played match.
"Nop, it's a live match; I'm streaming," I answered with full concentration on my phone. And all I heard from him was, "You have data, ooo!" He was surprised that I was using data to stream a live match.
I smiled and replied, "Bro, I can't just help it; I can't see myself missing this match."
That's how it is for me; there are some matches I can't just skip, and I often end up streaming them on my phone, burning my money (data).
I mustn't lie, sometimes I get angry at myself after streaming these matches with money I was supposed to save or use for something. It becomes worse if my team loses the match 😢.
Football has been one hobby I can't do away with, no matter how much data I use to stream matches.
Since I can't do away with it, I came up with a plan to cut down on the rate at which I stream matches. Like I said at the beginning, I'm a die-hard fan of national football, which I don't miss for anything, so if any of such matches come up during the day, I mean at a time I can go out to watch in a free football center; I usually do that, and the times where I can't go out, especially at night, I sacrificially stream on my phone because they happen once in a blue moon unlike football leagues that happen every day.
For the other football matches (league matches like the Premier League, Serie A, etc.), I usually stroll out to watch in a football arena whenever I'm opportuned. These matches happen so often, and I can't see myself streaming them unless I want to be drained.
This is one of the reasons I don't support any of the 'noisy' football clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Since I don't support them, I don't usually have the urge or getting to the stage do-or-die affair to watch their matches.
Thanks for reading
This is my entry to #KISS prompt