O for a muse...

The only time I could have been considered a sports writer was when I worked in radio journalism.

It is a funny business, journalism. You have to become a 30 second expert in everything. Or at least, the thing you are writing about. When I worked with 2UE in Sydney, if you could take out breaths and umms, 20 seconds was even better.
 
Cricket was particularly dodgy. I spent years writing about ‘avoiding the follow on’ without ever really knowing what it meant. But then, my financial summaries – guided by the wire service – were just as authoritative with no impingement of personal knowledge.
 
This weekend sees Leyton Orient play its last game of league football for 112 years at its Brisbane Road home.
 
I started going there when I moved to London’s East End about twenty years ago, hacked off, to be honest, after a few games at Upton Park.
 
I have met some wonderful people there. Sadly, in my role as a priest, I have had to officiate at some of their funerals, most notably Arthur Broom, whose ashes lie beneath the centre spot.
 
I have also been delighted to officiate at weddings and post-wedding events of people, great and small, associated with the club. (Interestingly though, no baptisms.)
 
Tomorrow I will take my seat in the West Stand in the Forest of Daves – all of whom have an additional tag so we know which one we are talking about – and watch our last League game. I will do so from the same seat where I have seen highs - equalising Arsenal in the FA Cup fifth round - and lows - too many to mention.
 
Smarter people than me – one, a sports journalist, who was a student sitting in the row in front of me when I first met him– can explain what has gone on.
 
One of the things a fan and a priest have in common is about being present - up and down, high and low, good and bad, you hang in there. Keep the faith. Keep your eyes on the prize. Attendance matters over results.
 
I have not written a sports story in over 25 years. I have written a lot funeral addresses. Tonight I am don’t know which I should be considering.
 
This is about as good as I can offer.
 
Up the Os.