Flip a coin or kick a ball?

Can a game of football determine the future?

David Beckham has an injury and is potentially out of the World Cup but his career is far from over as some may speculate. He may not be playing but I'll definitely be watching World Cup 2010 and having my regular games (real football fans know what a football feels like to kick too)

I played my usual game of football tonight and wasn't sure if I wanted to go after last week's events with the bank - but it's the only exercise I get. Also I wanted to vent and expend some energy that had been pent up, so I said yes. After all it's only a meaningless kick around with friends.

On the way there I'd decided this game would decide how much passion I still had left to be in business and life. As soon as I had that thought, I wished I could take it back. Once you think or say something (even to yourself) you can't take it back, as the universe hears. I was in trouble now.

What if I got hurt? What if I lost? What would it mean if it was a bad game for my team? I could just flip a coin and if I didn't like the result, we could do best of 3 or best of 5 or (Ad infinitum)...
I told myself I'd have fun regardless and see how it went. Pretend it's just a game.

When I arrived I was put on the side with 3 top strikers. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but they're the kind of guys you have to tackle to get the ball from if you want it, even if they're on your side!  I may as play against them if I have to fight for the ball so I asked to go on the opposing side but it was a firm no... time to play.

One of our main strikers got injured and substituted.  I got laughed at for not having my regular football shirt but a crew shirt instead.  "Millionaire Mind crew?" he said, "More like cabin crew!" Oh, the usual witty banter we have, I was getting some thrown back at me today.  Later one of their best players ran around me in circles and I twisted my ankle and fell.  Surely this was going to determine the rest of my game now. I felt silly at the injury and hobbled on knowing it would get better, as I often do. After all, someone has to play the part-time super hero.

I'd show them, talk is cheap. Then I got a goal in... and then another. Then a clearance from the half way line ended up in the back of the net! My team were as surprised as I was, since I'd not had this good a game for a while - I usually play defender as I have a powerful kick (toe poke it like Bobby) or mid-fielder and set up the other players as I believe there shooting is much more accurate.

Then something strange happened. My team started passing to me more frequently and as often as I set other players up for a shot, they did the same. These guys were looking for someone to play with that was in the zone and on top of their game.  I stopped counting after scoring my second hat trick. As the final whistle blew one of the guys on the other team said "You're going to go home happy tonight." And it was true. Winning feels so much better than getting beaten, especially when the other team are also happy for your achievement.


Can a game of football determine the future and decide who goes home happy after that game? Most likely... if only wars were fought on the football pitch with a ball too.

Was it game over for me in business? Not at all, I was on fire and ready to carry on playing... Do your worst because whatever team you put me on, we will come together and aim to score every time AND win!