It is a problem when the majority of your heroes are obscure non-league footballers. Even back in the glory days of league football, a sighting of a Lincoln City player would often go under the radar of many a passer by, with only me there waving frantically like an excitable child hoping they would nod back and accept me as a fellow living, breathing creature. But back then it wasn't quite as embarrassing. We had stature a few years ago, we were going places, and I knew at least a few other people with similar interests in the success of the local football team so I would have someone else to talk to it about. Now there is none of that. Had my idols consisted of A list actors or pop stars or even sport stars of a higher caliber then I would have been just fine in expressing my obvious glee for seeing one of them. I could have posted a Facebook status saying, "Just seen -insert famous name here- outside Tesco Express" and within minutes I would have gained around seven "likes" and a few comments from some hardly known friends saying, "OMG ur seh lucky!xxx" and I wouldn't have replied because you never spoke to me in school so why the hell should we speak now? You're only using me for my celebrity friends and I refuse to accept this.
However, today I saw Sam Smith.
Most of you reading this won't have a clue who Sam Smith is. For that matter if I ever re-read this in a few years time, I may too not have a clue who Sam Smith is. By then he may easily have faded into the echelons of Lincoln City players past, surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds of unknown footballing entities that once graced the Sincil Bank grass only to be instantly forgotten as soon as we realised they couldn't run, pass, tackle or shoot. Some of them may be regarded as cult, for they had a larger than life personality, although eventually even they will be cast aside as nothing more than someone who made up the numbers. Only people who have made a mark retain a place in my memory. But my memory and the memory of the people I know are completely contrasting creatures. If I were to post a Facebook status now saying, "Just seen Sam Smith outside Tesco Express" I would receive maybe one "like" from some other nutter who knows who he is and maybe a comment expressing the obvious that "Yeah, I see him too. He lives in Lincoln which is really quite a small place so it's pretty likely you will spot him from time to time" and then I would get upset that my achievement had been shared by somebody else and I'd probably delete the status out of shame.
So today when our current top scorer with a grand total of 8 league goals (4 more than the million pound flop we had last season achieved in his entire City career) walked in front of the car as my flatmate and I returned from the shops my exclamation of excitement was met with the sort of response any excitement about seeing a non-league striker should be met with:
"Who is he?"
It summed up the situation perfectly.
