School ended, but the football game was just beginning.
For generations of children, the hours after school have been some of the most important football memories.
Books were dropped at home.
Shoes were changed.
And then everyone went outside.
The game rarely needed planning.
Someone brought a ball.
Someone found a space.
Teams were chosen.
And the arguments began.
Who scored?
Was it a foul?
Was the ball out?
Was the goalkeeper allowed to use their hands?
These small games taught children how to compete and how to forgive.
You could be angry one minute and teammates again the next.
There were no trophies.
No cameras.
No commentators.
Yet those games remain deeply important because they were ours.
They belonged to childhood.
They belonged to friendship.
And they belonged to a time when football was simply something we did because we loved it.
