I have been to watch a couple of lower league football matches for the first time in my life.

I was struck by the enthusiasm of the small numbers of supporters for each team and the proximity of the seating areas to the pitch.

This grassroots football has an energy and a dynamic which surprised me and I think, on reflection, that it was because supporters were able to interact with players by calling out in support of them.

The banter between opposing fans was in the most part, friendly, personal, witty and honest made me feel a deep connection to the intensity and desire for their humble teams to succeed.

The sounds were not lost in the roar of a full capacity stadium, at grassroots, you could see and hear the breath of the players, hear the appeals for the ball, sense the energy and the effort and the fatigue which the players were experiencing towards the end of the game.

This grassroots football  reminded me of what it is like to connect with, and be a part of, something bigger than self.

I had a sense of self, being in full connection with the space occupied by the supporters in the terraces, and also the players on the pitch, and the staff in the kiosks and turnstiles.

I found it helpful to connect with a new experience, to be reminded that I am connected to the environment I occupy, not in isolation, but in a sequence of individuals who  share a passion for grassroots football, who share a passion for living, who share a passion for celebrating success and if necessary, supporting each other in defeat.

My next blog will be: Brexit

William Defoe