Romance and Tragedy: Irish football in Shakespearean terms
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It's very unusual to see the Airtricity League connecting with the work of William Shakespeare, but Renaissance literature guru Dean Hayes manages to combine the two in his season preview.
“There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune…”
So here we stand, at the precipice of another season, ready to face all the triumphs, trials and tribulations that lie in store. It’s a serene time, the calm before the storm. Shakespeare used this allusion to illustrate that the choices we make when faced with a great challenge, shape our paths to success or failure.
Every season is a rebirth, hope and positivity abound as fans across the country look forward to a year of success and silverware. Negativity takes a temporary place on the dusty shelf at the back of our minds, belief reigns supreme. The memories of previous seasons are filed away and the bad times dismissed as mere blips, lonely vessels lost in the sea of our reinvigorated optimism.
But optimism can only go so far. A mere handful of clubs can achieve true success each year and what divides these clubs from the rest is often the tiniest of margins. A slice of luck, an individual decision, mistake, moment of inspiration…the little things make a big difference.
“Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries…”
How often have you found yourself looking back at a season thinking about little moments that could have changed it all? A miss that could have sealed three points; confidence, momentum and set your team on a roll. A miss-hit clearance that allows the opposition an undeserved goal. Football is, at its core, a game of momentum.
The same set of players that couldn’t string three passes together get a lucky goal and suddenly look a different team entirely. Confidence plays a huge part, and it is so fragile a slice of bad or good luck can totally transform it.
This is why the tiniest of details can go on to have profound effects on a club’s season and influence its successes and failures.
“On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose the ventures before us.”
And so here we are, preparing for another season and all the highs and lows that follow with it. Each of us will experience these small moments which will add up to help define our season, all we can do is be there to share them with the clubs we love. As Shakespeare so aptly summarised, the timing of our decisions can determine whether we progress or perish. So the very best of luck to every fan and team for the new season, you may need it.
“There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune…”
So here we stand, at the precipice of another season, ready to face all the triumphs, trials and tribulations that lie in store. It’s a serene time, the calm before the storm. Shakespeare used this allusion to illustrate that the choices we make when faced with a great challenge, shape our paths to success or failure.
Every season is a rebirth, hope and positivity abound as fans across the country look forward to a year of success and silverware. Negativity takes a temporary place on the dusty shelf at the back of our minds, belief reigns supreme. The memories of previous seasons are filed away and the bad times dismissed as mere blips, lonely vessels lost in the sea of our reinvigorated optimism.
But optimism can only go so far. A mere handful of clubs can achieve true success each year and what divides these clubs from the rest is often the tiniest of margins. A slice of luck, an individual decision, mistake, moment of inspiration…the little things make a big difference.
“Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries…”
How often have you found yourself looking back at a season thinking about little moments that could have changed it all? A miss that could have sealed three points; confidence, momentum and set your team on a roll. A miss-hit clearance that allows the opposition an undeserved goal. Football is, at its core, a game of momentum.
The same set of players that couldn’t string three passes together get a lucky goal and suddenly look a different team entirely. Confidence plays a huge part, and it is so fragile a slice of bad or good luck can totally transform it.
This is why the tiniest of details can go on to have profound effects on a club’s season and influence its successes and failures.
“On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose the ventures before us.”
And so here we are, preparing for another season and all the highs and lows that follow with it. Each of us will experience these small moments which will add up to help define our season, all we can do is be there to share them with the clubs we love. As Shakespeare so aptly summarised, the timing of our decisions can determine whether we progress or perish. So the very best of luck to every fan and team for the new season, you may need it.
About Dean Hayes
Dean covers Waterford United and, due to a challenge from Gareth, writes in an increasingly Gonzo style. Having found himself with a considerable surplus of a culinary herb, Dean founded sister 'site extrathyme.ie some years … View Full Profile