NORTHERN PLANNER

You may have noticed I keep going on about heroes. Now David Beckham ISN’T one, for a host of reasons I shouldn’t need to explain. However, you’ve got to admire the way he’s bounced back again.

Back in 1998, after THAT World Cup sending off, he was probably the most hated person in the country. But in the space of a couple of years, he was national hero, admired as much for his iconic status as his free kicks.

Today, after the humiliation of losing both his England and Real Madrid shirts, he’s the prime mover in Real’s return to form, playing the football of his life and back on the England squad.

The man just seems to thrive on proving people wrong. He’s a living example on how best to channel resentment and the burning need to have revenge. Bearing a grudge and spending all your energies trying to get even doesn’t work. You may get to even the score, but you’re left with nothing. However, if you use that searing rage, channel it, to spur you on, to show people how wrong they were, it can motivate you like nothing else. And you’re not left with an empty shell at the end, you’ve done something great.

Last week was an important week for me. A very hard one, but the end result was winning a pitch that put one or two demons to rest, some quite long term- mostly about proving some people wrong; about me and also some of the people I work with. And you know what? Now I couldn’t give a monkeys about one or two who helped me focus, if you know what I mean. I’m just proud of myself and the some of the people I work with. Pretty good that. Would the same result have come about without their ‘help’? I’m not sure, but they certainly helped me make sure damn sure it did.