Football is the game that gives.
It gives people a common language, a shared history, a reason to get up early, or to stay up late. It gives joy and it gives pain.
A reason to message, to post, or to phone, whether it is to boast or to groan.
The chance to reunite and remember, even if you may prefer to forget.
When the temperature at stadiums drops, so the stakes on the pitch rise.
As the year ends, so football gives us the chance to make new memories, revive old friendships, or renew past rivalries.
It’s only a game. But it’s our game. And this game is a gift.
So - 39 matches, 19 days. Don’t miss it.