I've been playing football for years now. The indoor 5 a side on a Monday at 8pm and then the 11 a side on Wednesday at 9pm. The organisers send a text out to a pool of around 60 lads and whoever replies first is in for the game. Now over the years there has been a core set of players who would play most weeks so tranches were set up so the OG;s would get the text before the newbies so to speak. So what used to be the 6pm text is now the 5.50pm text the night before the game.
The teams are usually the same in both matches but if anyone can't make it we have a younger lad come and take his place. This is good for injuries and holidays etc. But it was funny how I first started playing this football. I had just come back from working abroad in Germany and Spain and I got a random text off an old school friend of mine if I would like to play an 11 a side. I jumped at the opportunity for a game of football so of course I said yes. He said he would collect me. I said "Grand". So he collected me and we were chatting and when we got there, I got out but he drove off. So I went up and introduced myself to a couple of the others and one of the lads said to me.
"Oh your Eggy's replacement. He's knee is fucked. "
And that was it. It was the last time I had ever seen Eggy to this day. 10 years ago now. But I am thankful for it as now I am part of the football group. So we have the bibs and the non bibs and I am one of the bibs. The bibs are green to differentiate from the the non bibs and we have had some epic battles over the years. Now the quality of the football is interesting. We have some players that have played at a very high level. Scottish John for example played on the Rangers reserves team. Another lad called Ollie played with Northampton town and we would normally get the Hunt brothers in for a game when they come home in the summer. 
Every year we have 2 events. We have the summer barbeque in which the WAGs are allowed come to. Then the Christmas party in which the WAGs are strictly prohibited for some reason. I do enjoy both immensely and it's a date on the calendar that I made sure I am free for. So that is the 11 a side. One of the lads writes a report every week about the match and it is always funny so we await this at the weekend. He should join Hive.
The Monday night is the 5 a side which is kind of a soft fork from the 11 a side. It is more selective but alot harder on the body because it is indoor. You can spot anyone that plays Monday nights because they are skinnier. The amount of sweat you build up on Monday indoor is unreal and it would be the equivalent to 3 nights in a Gym on a treadmill. But the body would be killing you the next day. Anyone that plays Monday Night Football is fit as a fiddle and it is this night that is fast becoming my favourite. Monday nights is only 5 a side so more running , more tackling, harder ground. It is just intense. On Wednesday nights 11 a side I might only touch the ball 20 times. But here you could be like Maradona.
Rows rarely happen at football but since the quality has gone up and it has become highly competitive , there is now a little niggle that has crept into the game, We have 2 ex provincial goalkeepers in goal who have a screw loose and wouldn't be long about bollocking a defender out of it if they make a mistake. They is the subject of controversary as the player who is getting the bollocking is not a serious football player ergo why should he get a bollocking. The keeper would want to watch out because they could be caught for speeding on a random day the next week from the policeman who received the bollocking. We started off having players who could barely kick the ball but these days the play is very fast and some of the younger lads coming through are skinning the older guys alive with their speed and strength. Irelands pub culture is well and truly gone and you can see that in the younger lads coming through who are built like fridges and its all muscle. I was normally the fastest in the group and I take pride in none of these little bastards out pacing me but the other night one of the young lads who just came back from trials with Bolton. Kicked the ball past me and he was gone!!! Like gone gone. The fucker had left me for dead. I am now an auld lad getting beaten by a young up and coming generation. One of the other old lads who can't run loves playing against these young players because they run around like headliess chickens and a simple flick has them going for a doner kebab or getting a taxi and there is a big Gee Up. I am now one of them now. I have to use my brain more than my running ability which is a new way of playing in itself. On the positive note we have a 68 year old still playing with us as a Centre Half and he is still quite good so there is 20 years still to play in me yet. I will keep plugging away until health intervenes but for now I am enjoying it immensely.