--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (in those days, before Gazza, before…" description: "\"“(in those days, before Gazza, before cynical and meaningless pre-season tournaments which somehow still offer a methadone alternative to the real comp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/nick-hornby-325_football_in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynica_325561.png" --- # (in those days, before Gazza, before cynical and… ![“(in those days, before Gazza, before cynical and meaningless pre-season tournaments which somehow still offer a methadone alternative to the real competitions to come, before the ludicrous freneticism of the contemporary transfer market, the newspapers went weeks on end without even mentioning…” quote by Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/nick-hornby-325_football_in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynica_325561.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/nick-hornby-325_football_in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynica_325561.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/nick-hornby-325_football_in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynica_325561.png) > ““(in those days, before Gazza, before cynical and meaningless pre-season tournaments which somehow still offer a methadone alternative to the real competitions to come, before the ludicrous freneticism of the contemporary transfer market, the newspapers went weeks on end without even mentioning football)”” [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects on how football’s history has been diluted by commercial and trivial events, lamenting loss of authenticity. **In simple terms:** Critique of modern football. Key Takeaway Recognize authentic experiences. Themes sports commercialization nostalgia Mood reflective critical Type literary analytical When to use this quote - football fandom - sports journalism - media consumption Key Concepts media influence authenticity culture Questions to Reflect On - How has commercialization changed your sport? - What authentic aspects remain? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures can obscure core values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Vacuum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vacuum/) ## Related quotes > [A vacuum can only exist, I imagine, by the things which enclose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-fitzgerald/a-vacuum-can-only-exist-i-imagine-by-the-things-which-enclose-it/) [Zelda Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-fitzgerald/) > [“I’m not about to let somebody stick a Bissel vacuum attachment up my cootch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-r-smith/i-m-not-about-to-let-somebody-stick-a-bissel-vacuum-attachment-up-my/) [Benjamin R. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-r-smith/) > [My first project was to build an ionization gauge control circuit for Professor Edgar Everhart's Cockcroft-Walton accelerator. In those days, vacuum tubes were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee/my-first-project-was-to-build-an-ionization-gauge-control-circuit-for/) [David Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee/) > [There are two kinds of people in the world - those who have a horror of a vacuum and those with a horror of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-in-the-world-those-who-have-a-horror-of/) [Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/) > [Nature abhors a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/nature-abhors-a-vacuum/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [If there was ever a man born tA vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-williams/if-there-was-ever-a-man-born-ta-vacuum-is-a-hell-of-a-lot-better-than/) [Ted Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-williams/) > [If love really is in the air, then I guess I'll try to use a vacuum .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darkl0ver/if-love-really-is-in-the-air-then-i-guess-i-ll-try-to-use-a-vacuum/) DArkl0ver > [“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-weir/yes-of-course-duct-tape-works-in-a-near-vacuum-duct-tape-works/) [Andy Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-weir/) > [There is a God-shaped vacuum in every heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/there-is-a-god-shaped-vacuum-in-every-heart/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“If the vibrant and frolicking merry-go-round of our daily living has been ousted by an eerie void of an intractable vacuum, only inspiriting memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/if-the-vibrant-and-frolicking-merry-go-round-of-our-daily-living-has/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [I am Woman, here me roar...of is that my vacuum cleaner?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carpenter/i-am-woman-here-me-roar-of-is-that-my-vacuum-cleaner/) [Liz Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carpenter/) > [Media outlets do not exist in a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-simonyan/media-outlets-do-not-exist-in-a-vacuum/) [Margarita Simonyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-simonyan/) > [In space, you don't get that much noise. Noise doesn't propagate in a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/in-space-you-don-t-get-that-much-noise-noise-doesn-t-propagate-in-a/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Speeches in our culture are the vacuum that fills a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/speeches-in-our-culture-are-the-vacuum-that-fills-a-vacuum/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) ## More by Nick Hornby > [You can wait forever for the muse to sit on your shoulder, but most of the time you know what has to be done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/you-can-wait-forever-for-the-muse-to-sit-on-your-shoulder-but-most-of/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > […I've had a bad week." What's happened?" Nothing's happened. I've had a bad week in my head, is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-ve-had-a-bad-week-what-s-happened-nothing-s-happened-i-ve-had-a-bad/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“When they – I cannot bring myself to use the first-person plural in this instance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/when-they-i-cannot-bring-myself-to-use-the-first-person-plural-in/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“What you don't ever catch a glimpse of on your wedding day - because how could you? - is that some days you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/what-you-don-t-ever-catch-a-glimpse-of-on-your-wedding-day-because/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You've got to kick off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/a-good-compilation-tape-like-breaking-up-is-hard-to-do-and-takes-ages/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I'm still not a very good white wine, but I'm drinkable - you could put me in a punch, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-m-still-not-a-very-good-white-wine-but-i-m-drinkable-you-could-put/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I never mind the accusations of domesticity, as long as people recognise that all of us, even the luckiest, will live lives in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-never-mind-the-accusations-of-domesticity-as-long-as-people/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I wasted the 1980s. I wasted every minute at Cambridge talking to people who knew more about music than I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-wasted-the-1980s-i-wasted-every-minute-at-cambridge-talking-to/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I took her outside on to a little roof terrace that looked like it never got the sun at nay time of the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-took-her-outside-on-to-a-little-roof-terrace-that-looked-like-it/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I feel as though I have been having conversations like this all my life. None of us is young anymore, but what has just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-feel-as-though-i-have-been-having-conversations-like-this-all-my/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I'm OK. Really. I can find people. I'll be all right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-m-ok-really-i-can-find-people-i-ll-be-all-right/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“Read any women's magazine and you'll see the same complaint over and over again: men - those little boys ten or twenty or thirty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/read-any-women-s-magazine-and-you-ll-see-the-same-complaint-over-and/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“Defansçılar her zaman forvetçilerden daha iyi analizcilerdir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/defans-lar-her-zaman-forvet-ilerden-daha-iyi-analizcilerdir/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [On New Year's Eve he ould make a resolution to recover some his previous scepticism, but until then he would do as the Romans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/on-new-year-s-eve-he-ould-make-a-resolution-to-recover-some-his/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [It's no good looking to writers for definitions of what constitutes proper writing, because you will drive yourself crazy, and you won't find anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/it-s-no-good-looking-to-writers-for-definitions-of-what-constitutes/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) [Explore all 645 Nick Hornby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/) Brendan Mundorf > [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“(in those days, before Gazza, before cynical and meaningless pre-season tournaments which somehow still offer a methadone alternative to the real competitions to come, before the ludicrous freneticism of the contemporary transfer market, the newspapers went weeks on end without even mentioning football)”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Hornby" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynical-and-meaningless-pre-season/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Football" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynical-and-meaningless-pre-season/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/nick-hornby-325_football_in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynica_325561.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/nick-hornby-325_football_in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynica_325561.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/nick-hornby-325_football_in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynica_325561.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“(in those days, before Gazza, before cynical and meaningless pre-season tournaments which somehow still…” — Nick Hornby", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nick Hornby", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“(in those days, before Gazza, before...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynical-and-meaningless-pre-season/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/in-those-days-before-gazza-before-cynical-and-meaningless-pre-season/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```