All I want for Chrismas is . . .

All Mariah Carey wanted for Christmas is “you” whilst Spike Jones & His City Slickers kept asking for their two front teeth. I’m a man with a much more refined palette however so when I sent off my list to Santa this year, I asked for these five things under my tree on Christmas Day.

Fans back in grounds

I’ve actually not minded watching games without fans on TV too much but it’s definitely not the same and the sooner fans up-and-down the country can return to stadiums the better for both the clubs, but also the fans who are missing out on something they love.

A change to VAR

Limited fans watched Brighton & Hove Albion v Sheffield United.

People more qualified than myself have said plenty about VAR but I think it’s clear to everyone that something needs to change or at least be improved to make the system more efficient. It hasn’t led to a complete elimination of human error in the decision-making process, but the game has definitely suffered as a consequence.

A glorious footballing summer

The World Cup summer of 2018 was glorious at the time but I’ve gained a further appreciation of it in this COVID-19 world we now live in. Nothing would help the mood of the nation more than a summer where the sun shines, we can return to our favourite boozer’s and the England team go on a great run in the Euro’s.

Change how fixtures are decided

A worry I have about the impact of the current pandemic is that, with no fans, in the grounds, TV companies have been allowed to move fixtures to stupid times so they can show as many games as possible. Fans are continually not considered when these decisions are so I hope that when things return to normal, we can start to see some sense applied.

More footballers leading the way

Whether it be Marcus Rashford’s tireless campaign for free school meals, or players standing up to racism by either speaking out or taking the knee, we’ve seen this current generation of professional player redefine what it means to be a footballer. I personally hope it continues and they use their platform to not only stand up for important issues but also act as role models to children.