Queasy like Sunday morning

The pure unadulterated love of football can sometimes, in fact more often than not, leave you with the cruel dull pain of a kick in the testicles way into the day after a game.

I’ve spent countless Sunday mornings nursing that unexplainable gut wrenching stomach pain such a blow can bring.

Yesterday we as Clarets received one of its hardest swings of the boot as Derby’s Paul Connelly’s stoppage time equaliser meant Burnley left Pride Park with a solitary point when all three looked likely.

A win would’ve taken us to within four points of second place with the cement quickly drying on a playoff place. But yesterday it wasn’t to be. Sometimes it just isn’t.

An away point at Derby in most circumstances would be seen as a good result. It’s just when something is snatched away from you at the last second that it feels so cruel. Dropping vital points thanks to a stoppage time goal often causes more devastating deflation than any recession ever could.

It’s sometimes difficult to detach yourself from the reality of what the result actually means.

I remember travelling with a couple of my mates to Bradford City to watch Stan Ternent’s Burnley squander the lead to concede a late equaliser against the Bantams who had been reduced to nine men. For the majority of the furious travelling faithful it was a gut wrenching blow, for one of my friends it was a good point away from home.

Its funny how people have different perceptions of the end result.

You can also look our Carling Cup semi final defeat to Spurs. It would’ve been easy for everyone at Burnley football Club to let that result have a negative effect on the rest of the season but it hasn’t and now we look like making the playoffs.

There will be many fans, players and managers waking up across the country this morning with the same feeling as me.

I doubt there would’ve been many Geordies who didn’t deep down believe that the Alan Shearer impact would help Newcastle get at least a draw against Chelsea.

Thousands lined the streets in Newcastle and London on Wednesday. It could perhaps be said that the protesters at the G20 have more chance of a getting a solution to their worries than the assemblage at St. James.

Nobody needs reminding about the fanciful goings on up in the North East.

Some see the clubs latest move by offering of the celestial Shearer for “eight games only” as nothing more than a PR exercise that will soften the blow of Premier relegation.

Those cynics though are drowned out by the unwavering noises of support and belief that the Toon’s hero can actually do it.

There is no doubt that Shearer will lift the team. With the capable Iain Dowie joining him to provide “not a pretty face but a fresh one”, the pair can definitely forge a great partnership.

To the press Shearer seems au fait and determined to make the players believe they can mount a serious challenge against Championship football next season, which under a week ago seemed almost certain.

Seven games with three winnable home encounters against Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Fulham will decide the clubs future.

At the moment there is hope in fool’s paradise but without results St James Park will finally fall from the air with a crashing thud.

Another two waking up feeling the strain this morning will be Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor.

The result of the pair's childish actions while on international duty with Scotland will finally be hitting home as the realisation they won’t be involved in Rangers game against Falkirk today hits home.

An all night drinking binge and swearing at cameras may seem quintessentially Scottish but for these two jocks it’s had career damaging consequences.

Banned for life from the international set up and suspended by their club, the penalty incurred by the duo shows the seriousness of their misdemeanours.

Although the life ban seems slightly harsh, the SFA must be applauded for taking real action against foolish and disrespectful behaviour.

If only the English FA were as hard on some of the divers and cheats we see weekly in the Premiership then we might get somewhere.

I’m not saying throw divers out of the game, but stronger punishments and a governing body with a backbone may help eradicate the problem.

In years gone by drinking so heavily after defeat by the likes of Holland in preparation for your next World Cup Qualifier in less than four days may have been acceptable behaviour.

It just shows how far the game has come that a game against Iceland comes before inebriation.

I recall doing a similar thing in Primary School (swearing not drinking after an important football defeat).

After being told by a stiff and somewhat evil music teacher to put our fingers on lips I decided to use the opportunity to covertly give her the middle finger and occasionally flash the V’s.

I was caught out by this eagle eyed mistress and hauled in for a Saturday morning detention causing me to miss a whole morning of kid’s telly.

Unlike Ferguson and McGregor I was a child and I just hope their case sets an important precedent to the games youngsters who like me needed to learn respect at an early age.

Whether their chastisement and ostracism from the game is a worthy of the crime who knows?

Maybe the SFA should’ve just let George Burley give them both a good, hard kick in the bollocks.