I got my sports club’s initials tattooed on my ankle

For a lot of people university is good for two things; playing sport and getting laid. OK three things, playing sport, getting laid and drinking. Fine, getting a degree as well. For a lot of us though, sport is pretty bloody important. The training, the banter, and the initia…I mean…the collecting of your sports tie in a civilised manner.

Hockey friends

There will always be some rivalry between the sports: hockey players are posh wankers, rugby players are arrogant misogynists and lacrosse, well is that even a sport? On Wednesdays across the country, if you don’t play sport then really why are you even out?

But how far will you go to prove that you love your club? As a “mature” fresher at the age of twenty-two I joined the hockey club at York and I went home at Christmas with my first, pretty terrible tattoo.

Times New Roman so it’s classy

No regrets

I’m not sure how the idea came about, but after two months at uni I was the proud owner of a UYHC tattoo on my right ankle in Times New Roman. It wasn’t until the summer when my dad spotted the ink on my ankle and questioned me off guard. I had nothing to say in my defence to which he responded: “Well you’re a bloody idiot, don’t tell your mother or I’ll get in trouble somehow”.

The two questions people ask are: “Were you drunk when you got this?” and “Did everyone else get this done?” My response to both is no. I have done stupid things while drunk but this was a sober affair. Unfortunately nobody else got it done. Despite my best efforts to make a fresher do it every year, I am so far unsuccessful.

I did also try and get my then girlfriend’s initials tattooed on me while on tour. Thank God I didn’t.

Did someone order a legend?

To be honest I forget I even have it most of the time, and its still one of my favorites, it is just a shame that the love for the club is not mutual. With more yellow cards than I can remember and what seems to be a regular meeting with the captains, coaches and presidents for my behaviour I am hardly the hockey club’s golden child.

I do however recommend getting it done, it makes for a good story. But think of a better reason other than “I don’t know. Why not?”