Unusual title? You got me. And call me what you will but I am loving the newest football season! Am I into football? Not a jot. No interest whatsoever. Couldn’t give a fiddler’s.

But I live with Alpha Male (AM) and for him football is in his blood.  A major part of his life. Not only is he a fanatical Manchester United supporter but he also used to play football semi-professionally. So football really is a huge part of who he is. In football season I groan regularly/constantly at the heated commentary most of which turns the air blue.

To his joy we moved to Manchester a year ago. Didsbury – it really is the loveliest place to live. So many great options for food, drinks and shopping, we’re spoilt for choice. Is AM interested in that? Sure. But the best bit for him – it’s only 5 tram stops to the Theatre of Dreams! (Man Utd’s football stadium).

And I love it. Why? Because to me every match means some precious time out. Me time.

I can do what I want, when I want. Or not do anything at all.  Quite often I take the chance to catch up with friends and have a few hours to sort out our entire lives over brunch, coffee, walks or wine. Sometime I catch up on work, occasionally I watch rubbish girly TV without the annoying background comments, I shop online, clean, don’t clean, just do whatever I want really.

Most importantly I can catch up on some essential ‘grooming’. All that maintenance that AM is totally oblivious to. Hair dye, nails, tan, epilating, plucking, tweezing, exfoliation, moisturising. It takes a lot of work to look this natural! The football season ended a whole month ago. Hands up, things were becoming a tad unkempt. The World Cup couldn’t have come soon enough.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when it drives me nuts. Pretty much all of  our plans revolve around the United fixtures. Birthday weekends are interrupted by matches, much of Easter was spent alone. But he appreciates it. He loves the fact that he’s never seen as much live football in his life. He’s mightily impressed that I have every Utd match in my Google calendar, not realising that it’s because I have my own plans made. I was gutted when he came home straight after the match one afternoon, expecting to have Saturday night TV, the sofa and some wine all to myself. He roared laughing when I jokingly complained that he’d ruined my night.

But now it’s the World Cup. And for the next whole four weeks, there’s going to be a whole lot of football. Which means a whole lot of me time. To do with what I will.

I’m a football widow and I love it.