Hi I'm Barney. I'm an Everton fan, although after watching David Moyes team of robots kick the ball towards the corner flags for the last five years, the word 'fan' is probably overstating my affection for the Blues.

I'm 39, read World Soccer regularly, but not religiously. I find much of modern football, with its emphasis on money and the transformation of sport into entertainment, quite depressing. The culture of cheating doesn't help either. I think the creation of the Premiership is the worst thing that could have happened to English football. Similarly, I oppose the creation of the Champions League for the way in which it makes the rich richer.

I also deplore the way in which footballers, especially in England, have become celebrities. Beckham, all style over substance, seems a perfect sporting icon for our vacuous times. I'm disappointed that international football appears to be on the wane because so much of my early footballing memory comes from watching the World Cup. But, alas, I can think of nothing that will stop this inexorable trend from country to club. All in all I'm a bit of a miserable git, I suppose.

Having said that, the lover of football in me finds it difficult not to get reeled in each season and although I've tried to kick the habit, I find it's something I can't shake off.

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