Once more we find ourselves at the dawn of a new football season, and that can only mean one thing – fans of the beautiful game the length and breadth of the country will be eagerly anticipating the big kick-off and, of course, daring to dream once again.
Do you know what you don’t see a lot of anymore? Players kissing the badge on their shirts, whether it be celebrating a goal or after a big victory. Is this a time honoured show of passion that we miss? Or is it not bothered with as our own cynicism won’t allow us to enjoy it anyway?
This summer we have been blessed by the proverbial footballing feast that has been on offer. A European Championships, an Olympics on home soil and now we find ourselves just a couple of weeks away from the start of a new season.
Olympic fever is well and truly here, there may be complaints over tickets, corporations and other little gripes, but for lovers of sport at least, the positives surely outweigh the negatives for London 2012. On Sunday I had my one opportunity to see the games up close and personal, and aptly enough that included Team GB at Wembley Stadium.
Last season, as Rangers became engulfed in the financial mire that would rock Scottish football to its foundations, Celtic purposefully went about their business, ultimately drifting towards the SPL championship as their great rivals lurched along, their very survival under threat.