I never really have had more than a passing interest in pre-season friendlies. I always caveat anything I write after one with something along the lines of it ‘
just being an extended training session kick-around …..’ So there’s a reason I wasn’t just up the road at Preston today for the first of L’pool’s preparation games building up to our title defence.
But today was different.
Today was FAR more than just a fitness exercise/ slowly regaining match sharpness/ team cohesion. Today was FAR more than a mere game of summer football prep. Today was our first emotional return to action since Diogo’s sad passing. So there’s little need to talk on the actual game/ Liverpool’s win/ Rio, Trey and Nallo looking PROPER players/ seeing all the new signings in Red for the first time et al.
Today was the next step in the healing process nobody at, or concerned with, LFC, should ever have to go through. But here we sadly are again. Today was about the next step forward for players, staff and fans alike to start to play again whilst the passing of the Jota brothers is still so raw with the grieving process on-going. Football never pauses. Even for death. And today was the next step in moving forward.
The first step in beginning again.
I would imagine the viewing figures on ITV are records for a friendly. As this has hit all levels of society hard. Today was FAR from a mere game of football. It was a shared, collective emotion for the tragic loss of two young lives that have affected all social spectrums like I honestly can’t remember.
Today hasn’t brought closure. We aren’t a club or fanbase that
EVER forgets our own. Today was the first step in reconnecting to what Diogo represented so perfectly. To start to make sense of something that makes no sense at all. To return to football. The very thing Diogo lived for.
Nothing could possibly prepare anyone for this. But today was the first collective step in getting back to some normality. A massive, heartfelt thank you to all connected with Preston North End for the dignified, respectful way you helped set us on the journey again.
Today was a big step in the healing process. Although I’ll defo be a proper mess the CS and Bournemouth openers if that before today was anything to go by. I was totally gone again. And then seeing the players gone at the end in front of the support …..
#20.
Forever in our hearts.
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