HERE’S to going to the football and whingeing and whining and booing and hollering.
Here’s to losing your rag, chucking your toys out of the pram and going completely apes**t.
Here’s to Nottingham Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis storming on to the City Ground pitch and throwing a wobbler at manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Here’s to Liverpool fans jeering Trent Alexander-Arnold for being a Scouser and having the temerity to want to play for someone else.
Here’s to Ruben Amorim ranting at Manchester United players, who play like princes on Thursday nights and clowns on Sunday afternoons.
Because what is football without passion? What is it all about if nobody really cares?
What sort of escapism is it if we can’t scream our hearts out and lose all reason?
And so why are many people claiming Nuno should quit over Marinakis’ little tantrum?
Why are so many berating Liverpool supporters for booing Alexander-Arnold?
And why is Amorim criticised for speaking the glaringly obvious truth that his players pick and choose which matches to turn up for?
Marinakis, the larger-than-life Greek shipping magnate who has hauled Forest from the Championship into Europe, is a controversial and often unloveable figure.
This Hellenic Captain Pugwash spent like a drunken sailor after promotion, sailed close to the wind of PSR and has been forced to walk the plank on more than one occasion because of his behaviour towards referees.
But what would you prefer from an owner?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who cuts costs and has a heart of ice, or Marinakis, who splashes out and clearly cares?
On Sunday, Marinakis confronted Nuno after the 2-2 draw with Leicester City — which simultaneously confirmed European football for Forest after a 30-year absence and seriously dented the club’s hopes of reaching the Champions League.
Marinakis was fuming about an amateur-hour episode which meant Forest briefly playing with ten men.
This was due to a communication breakdown between Nuno and the medical staff over whether Taiwo Awoniyi was fit to carry on.
The striker collided with a goalpost after a linesman hadn’t flagged for an obvious offside in another glorious triumph for VAR protocols.
Sure, Nuno could have done without a public dressing-down out on the pitch.
But he is a well-paid big boy with the placid temperament needed to work for a volcanic owner.
The Portuguese has done an outstanding job but a top-five finish was on the cards all season.
And since Leicester are both local rivals and completely hopeless, Forest’s inability to beat them at home was cause for understandable frustration.
Later in the afternoon, there was an outcry over an outcry at Anfield, when Alexander-Arnold arrived as a sub against Arsenal and was subjected to resounding boos for having agreed to join Real Madrid.
Now, Real are the one club in the world which clearly represents an upgrade on Liverpool.
The England right-back clearly fancies a pay rise, some sunshine, a new adventure and a superior chance of winning another European Cup.
But equally, Liverpool supporters cherish having a local lad in their side. Every football fan does.
When that local lad doesn’t swallow the club propaganda that ‘This Means More’, there will be indignation from many supporters.
Because, as a Scouser, Alexander-Arnold did mean more to them and they believe that Liverpool should mean more to him.
And so they booed — even after the title had been secured and ‘rivals’ Arsenal had given their team a little clap on to the pitch, because even when the entire Premier League season has pretty much flatlined, this thing still matters.
For the vast majority of football supporters, our default setting is misery, anger and frustration.
And if we don’t have our match-going release, we would end up being permanently miserable, angry and frustrated about important things in life.
On Saturday, I went with my son to watch our team, Fulham, after a very difficult week for our family.
We thought they might cheer us up a bit by beating Everton and keeping our hopes alive of reaching the Conference League.
And we really did hope for that because my boy has never watched Fulham play in Europe and it would have been fun.
But Fulham tossed away a lead for the umpteenth time this season, conceding three shocking goals, as what had promised to be an excellent season fizzles out into a pretty average one.
We howled and raged during the match, then scowled and sulked on the way home.
Because ranting and raging about something so unimportant is actually good for us.
And even when your team is half-decent, what’s wrong with dreaming for a little bit more?
Why shouldn’t Marinakis be annoyed about missing out on the Champions League?
Why shouldn’t Liverpool fans want a Scouser in their team?
Why shouldn’t Amorim tell the truth about the attitude and application of his players?
Criticise them and you fundamentally fail to understand why football matters.
