Good evening!
I was flicking through my memories this morning on Facebook as I do every morning and I realised it was a week that changed my out look, so let’s rewind!
I’d been in my wheelchair for four years at this point and after a couple of years of blankly refusing to go out socially except for football. It took me a lot to go back to home games and I was no where near a regular it just wasn’t a good time for me really. I’d built up my confidence enough to go though but kept myself to myself, I loved football but I was ashamed of myself and my situation.
After a long chat to some of the lads I’d known for years about how hard getting home tickets was they said to me, why not apply for away games again? At this point I gave them a “WTF” are you stupid look! I refused And carried on with life as best as I could, I eventually did go to aways ironically back to Southampton, don’t even ask!
Then a long came Cambridge in the FA cup! I applied then I got a ticket but it was a Friday, oh the pain! Now I had been chatting to Andy for a good six months I’d say and I took the plunge and said, fancy going Cambridge? He said yes!
Now I’ll say Cambridge was an experience, defiantly an experience we still talk about it now!
But that night gave me a new found confidence, I was ok at aways, people didn’t point or laugh and actually I was quite welcome. I meet lots of new people including Andy and nothing bad happened!
That really changed my confidence in going out in my chair & doing stuff with friends and meeting new people!
After that I think me & Andy have been to goodness I don’t know how many aways & home matches. We’ve also exploded many European city while going to see united, the last adventure being Valencia & the next being Paris.
Going back to football & meeting close friends really helped with my acceptance of the wheelchair & my new life with disability, don’t think I’m saying I’m totally ok because sadly I’m not with my anxiety just sitting on my shoulder it sometimes comes out at football and away from football I’m not as confident as I may appear, but by god has football & friendship changed my life.
Vicky xx
