The whistle effect.

There is a whistle, a special whistle with a special pitch,
that hits the right nerve to rewire our brain.
It echoes in some deep cavity of ourselves and awakens an ancient, forgotten creature.
It is the whistle of football.

Football, I believe, has little to do with the foot or the ball.
It is not about the 90 minutes.
It’s not a tackle, a dribble, no shots on target,
and definitely not someone rolling on the floor.

The goal is not the ball hitting the back of the net.
It is your gut running up your throat, expanding every cell,
letting your voice go. Goal!
Real football starts after the whistle blows.

The whistle splits through social structures,
and the cracks release feelings we learnt to hide.
The paradigm flips - at least for a while.
When everyone is going wild, it is quite rude to be polite.

The whistle sets the tone.
For the streets, and for the people in it.
To be out there.
To be us.

So, football fan or not, be ready.
Stretch your chordal notes.
Warm up your hugs.
Pack up the tension you want to let out.

The world cup is coming soon.
Let the whistle blow your mind.


*The photos are from the Euros 2021 when London was alive and football was coming home
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