Jen Maskill (Derby)
I was born and brought up in Coventry .My Dad was a sports freak and coached his local youth side to the European Championships back in the '60's.Hence I loved footie and would watch any match I could. My Dad was a lifelong Coventry fan ,but ,I didn't want to tie myself to them as I just wanted to watch all teams and couldn't at that time be faithful to any team.
We moved to Derby when I was 10 years old (some 20 years ago)
It was in 1994 when the bug really hit me .My sister and her friends were Popside s/t holders, I lost my Mother in March and then my Father in September and was very down .I started to follow Derbys' results for something to do and also so that I had something to chat to my sister and her mates about. I realise I had become a fan when I was chatting to people and was picked up on the fact that I just said , "We were great today weren't we?" You know you are hooked when 'they ' turns to 'we'.
I have been a Ramsnut ever since.
I can't really explain what it is ,I think you don't know how it feels to be a fan until you are one.
Sometimes I feel a bit false .I was so scared of going to a match for real. My sister would come round with horror stories of life on the terraces and I decided it was safer to stay at home and share the experience with Messrs Hall and Richards .
My first outing to the BBG was a reserve match against Liverpool. We beat them 4-0 and I have a great memory of a blasting free kick from Paul Simpson.
My 2nd 'live' match was Martin Taylor's Testimonial v Everton .That was a great laugh.
My first league game was that infamous first game at PPS V Wimbledon ,I was told that maybe I shouldn't go again! , But I have and although I can't get to many matches I have been to as many as possible in the last three years .
I have seen some crackers too and some nightmares (L**d's 15/3/1998)
I shocked everyone this season when i decided to go to the Bradford match at PPS by myself !
So that's my story .
c2001 Jen Maskill