Football and Religion - Why Do They Matter So Much?

Why do some moments in our lives stand out with particular significance? Why do some times in the history of our families and nations carry meaning in a particularly concentrated way? This is highly relevant to the Christian story in which the life of Jesus and the early years of the church have a hugely disproportionate weight attached to them. How and why does this happen? Before answering the religious question, there is a basic and universal question about meaning and significance. So yesterday, on the last day of the football season, I asked myself: why does an Aston Villa (or Leeds United) goal matter so much to me?