Not just for the glory

On Saturday Joanne and I went my football club's end of season awards dinner. Well, I say dinner. In the end, when we left at 10 the aroma of savouries was just beginning to fill the air but by then we'd committed to finding something to eat elsewhere. But that's not why I'm telling you about the evening.

There was ten or thirteen or so senior teams that are part of our club (as well as innumerable kids teams) and so there were a good number of players and their partners present. The main part of the night was made up of each team's results being read out and then the awards being presented to each team's player of the year and players' player of the year. Then we got around to the golden boot awards for the top scorers of the season. There was one award for the women's teams, one for the men's upper grades and one for the men's lower grades. And it turns out that I'd won the last of these. My 17 goals this season was the most scored for our club by anyone else in the lower grades (whatever they comprise). Which was a nice surprise.

I went up and collected my trophy and medal and had my photo taken and everything. I had to then hand the trophy back (something to do with it being really difficult each year tracking them down from previous winners) but got to keep the medal. For my first season back playing competitive football for over 15 years I'm quite happy with how it all ended, especially since I'm not as fit as I could be. Pre-season training starts now.