By Mubashar Rehman, Faisalabad
I started playing football in 2004 accidentally when I received a football in my birthday gifts. I liked this game and kept on playing eventually buying many more footballs from my pocket.
It was the summer 2004, I was in my 8th grade when I stepped to play football with just four or five mates in front of a crowd packed with cricket players and I can bet they were never less than sixty and seventy. Like any Pakistani boy I also played cricket however I liked football and stuck to it. It was after one year when we were a complete team with one or two club boys too :-).
In spring 2006, we went to represent our school team in inter-school tournament after seven years (as school football team was dissolved after heavy 7-0 defeat) and we were defeated too but in a fighting 3-0 game. The winner against us in the very first match was the ultimate champ of the event so it was not too much regret for us. But the nightmare that was the cause of our defeat was the “off side” with which we were not familiar before and we were trapped almost five to six time in the match. It took us almost six months to decide whether the correct word is “half side or off side” and an additional six month period to learn what it really is. That’s why you will find me blaming local school and club coaches for the non professional game, as it has left a great impact on me and left me away from the game for almost next two years (the time of my FSc studies).
Hello ladies and gentlemen, I am Mubashar Rehman from Faisalabad and now doing my bachelors degree in medicine from Sargodha University. About me, the main thing that I want to tell you is that I do like playing but rather more I wish is to be a football team coach. I have been playing a football managing game at www.soccermanager.com and have collected 120 points with each single point raised after one or two weeks depending on your team performance. I will also refer you people too to play, it is free.
Our Pharmacy department in Sargodha University shares a great tradition of football and has won two finals out of total five Intra-university tournaments and has never ended below semifinals. It was my first year when I played for the reserve side against my department team and got the attention of and appreciation from all the players and teachers. Up till now I have played two tournaments as goalkeeper in the department team and I hope so I will make third appearance in March 2011 although I will prefer the role of a coach and will let some one else play for me.
I have also organized three intra department football events in which all five sessions represented their teams and we had a great fun although the quality was compromised but it certainly helped in player watch and increased responsibility among players when only four or five good players have to lead their
team in the game. It is a unique competition in the sense that there is no event of this type at least in my university. I acted as captain and coach of my team and tried many tactics and most of the time they worked. I will provide you with full photo coverage of the next event and hope you will enjoy the mixed players, fans and the decorated department notice board. I also made a free website for the event but the domain is blocked to be bought, however you may try www.pharmacyfootballleague.ning.com.
When you talk about world football, it is mostly that you are discussing English premier league big four or the Spanish giants. I do
respect Manchester United as they probably have the greatest coach of all time, Chelsea who have recently been champions of England, Arsenal the regular contender for title without too many big names are the big English trio. Real Madrid and Barcelona the Spanish giants with much stronger sides are there. Internazionale the Champs of Europe and other French and African sides are well known. But on my side, it is Everton which is the most discussed and watched because of its fighting spirit. I might be the only one in Pakistan to follow Everton but i am its fan and used to predict the match day squad, possible tactics and formation, result of the game and the scorers. I love this because it provides too many things to learn and the mistakes that should not be made on pitch, how to control different conditions in a match and in the club as a whole. (In this picture Everton players are celebrating FA Cup semifinal win over Manu)
I started visiting FootballPakistan.com almost two years back, liked it and than started commenting. I have got many things to learn about football and about Pakistani football. The website was really active and exciting especially in Asian Games event and I got encouraged too whenever I reply or got replied. My final term exams of forth years continues but somehow I have managed time to write about the beautiful game. It is my first writing attempt so please feel free to comment. I will like to thank all the personnel and the officials of the FootballPakistan (on the website, on facebook and on twitter) for this marvelous forum and arranging competitions among fans.
I am 23 and really ambitious to start coaching, but recently I am focusing on the final year of my studies. “Mujhe sar otha kay jeena hay“, “football is in my blood” and “I am born to win“, I have narrated these three from the slogans of my organized events, and I promise you all I will gather up all my powers soon for the football and will play my part in making Pakistan a much more stronger side on the international frame.
(the writer is a regular follower of FPDC and one of the most respected members, the website staff acknowledge his contribution to the site)
