Football may be ‘just’ a game, but for some men, it is more than just that. Last week’s conviction of 59-year-old Joanne Healey for harassing and incessantly calling her husband, Steve, 60, during a football match with his friends, has perfectly illustrated how much a game of football means to some men.
The incident happened while Steve was watching a game between Chelsea and Mnchester United on TV.
When Steve eventually refused to take the calls, Joanne rang his friends and smeared them as “paedophiles”.
For her troubles, Joanne has received a 12-month community order and fined £80 (Sh14,665). She has also been mandated to attend 20 days of rehabilitation.
The sentencing judge, Mary Garvey, issued a warning to Joanne, expressing hope not to see her before the courts again, as the incident had caused significant disruption and stress to those involved.
Now, the incident may have happened in the United Kingdom, but there are many more ‘Joannes’ here in Kenya, a country where football is an addiction for many men.
Ask any Kenyan man who loves football and he will tell you, without batting an eyelid, that football and women are not compatible. There are Kenyan men out there who, given a chance, will unapologetically skip a romantic date with their significant other for their weekly dose of football out with the boys.
Even in the home front, many nasty fights are fought between spouses over the remote, because the man wants to watch a big football match while the lady is all for some lovey-dovey Netflix series. When it gets to this point, believe you me, there is never a common ground. One thing has to give way.
No wonder poor Joanne has been convicted for harassing her football-loving hubby!
Apart from the pesky phone calls, there are other annoying behaviours that most men generally don’t appreciate from their significant others, while they are watching a football match.
So, to all women out there, for the sake of your relationships or marriage, here are some of the things you must never do when your boyfriend or hubby is watching football on TV at house:
Frequent interruptions – One of the most annoying things wives/girlfriends do during football matches is constantly interrupting their partners with non-football-related conversations or tasks. Whether it’s asking questions about the game, discussing household chores or sharing irrelevant stories, these interruptions don’t go down well with football enthusiasts.
Switching channels – A big no! Some wives/girlfriends may attempt to change the TV channel during a football match, either to watch a different show or catch up on their favorite programme. Be very careful if you suddenly get this urge while your man is cheering ‘his’ on TV. Do it and you’ll only have yourself to blame.
Criticizing his favourite players or team – Football lovers can be extremely passionate about their favourite teams and players. They take it very personal when their wives/girlfriends criticize or mock the athletes or teams they support. It can lead to unnecessary conflict beyond the football match.
Whining about the length of the match – Spending several hours watching a football match comes naturally for most men, especially during major tournaments and big league matches. Don’t even think about questioning the time your man is spending watching football on TV.
Unnecessary noise or disturbance – During those intense football moments, men usually get fully absorbed in the heat of the moment. Please, just let him be for those 90 minutes. This is not the time for you to make unnecessary noise in the house or to attempt engaging him any other way.
Now you know!
