The Pride of Vallekas

I'm on a search. I'm not searching for an answer. I'm searching for a profile, a painting of the football fan, a sculpture of the various complexities of supporting a club in Spain. In my previous project, I tried to capture that. The Hinchas y Jugadores project succeeded in bringing very different stories - those of fans, writers, players and coaches - together. But no story is complete - there will always be something left unsaid. Being a fan of a club is more than just a commitment. It is a way of life. And while it would be impossible to capture everything in one article, there are some basic questions that we often forget to ask. Think about a club. Now, try answering the following questions about the club: What sets it apart? What sets the fans of that club apart? Does its board support its ultras ? Do those ultras  even think about themselves in political terms? I know as little as you do. And I want to find out more - much, much more. This project is op...

I had something else to write for today, but I decided to shelve it for another day. Because yesterday marked 150 days since I started daily blogging. Today is 151. 150 days ago, things were very, very different... 16th February, 2017.  My palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.  My brow is tense, my hand is anything but steady.  My head is spinning, the decision that I'm making  i s major, is intense, is everything, is all or nothing. Excuses come in - where will I find the time? Will I ever get drained and pained by this uphill climb? What may I find, how will I keep up the grind? Will anyone even listen to what I have in my mind? My head, filled with dread, tried to look ahead Tried to see that some stories just deserved to be read That other people would read what I had to say As long as I said it, and just started it today No delaying and stalling and dallying was gonna work I had to start today and hopefully someday see the per...