All in the number

Day -777. WorldCup2018

I had a feeling that the number 777 had some sort of significance. I also, I admit, was low on inspiration so I hoped looking up the significance of the number 777 on Day -777 would help me out. And the believed meaning of it was indeed proved correct.

According to chi-nse.com, your "Daily Dose of Inspiration", it is a number associated with good luck: "It’s like a white feather, which suddenly fell from the sky right under your nose in the middle of the crowded street." So just when I needed inspiration, Day -777 happened. and like a feather Google appeared on my computer screen.

The deeper spiritual meaning of "Angel Number 777" is that it is a positive number, and "things are about to really start working out in your favour. Seeing 777 is a sign that you’re on your authentic life path and making progress towards accomplishing your purpose. The angels, the Divine, and the entire Universe are supporting you.  Stay positive, balanced and focused upon what you’re moving towards, because the stars are aligned in your favour." (ask-angles.com)

So what does all give me for my Day -777 post? Am I feeling inspired and positive? Have I found what I was looking for, to write like I've never written before. Er......no. I'm feeling amused, because all I can think of are footballers who wear, or wore, the number 7. With teams now not sticking to the traditional numbers 1-11 on their team shirts, just imagine if a player chose to wear the number 777. I'm surprised David Luiz, with all his searching for divine intervention at the last World Cup, didn't try to wear that number.

But back to the famous no. 7's. Cristiano Ronaldo. He's made a fortune out of the CR7 brand. And he can play, but hasn't quite lit up any World Cup. He was part of the Portugal team that reached the semi-finals in 2006 and was best remembered for his wink at the Portuguese bench when England's Wayne Rooney get sent off in the quarter-final. And talking about England players getting sent off at World Cups, there's another footballer turned brand name; David Beckham, England's number 7 who was sent off in the 2002 second round against Argentina. And a Number 7 predecessor of Beckham and Ronaldo at Manchester United was one of the greatest players to never play at a World Cup, George Best. As good as he was, he unfortunately (in football terms) was born Northern Irish. Bryan Robson was another Manchester United and England number 7. He was what commentators regularly referred to as a "hard working" player. That means he was no Beckham or Ronaldo. My memory of Robson was the goal after 27 seconds against France in 1982 and his dodgy shoulder that kept popping out in 1986.

Others? Luis Suarez, who can't stop scoring goals but can't resist the occasional nibble of his opponents' ears or arms. Best World Cup moment? His "save" in 2010 for Uruguay against Ghana which denied Ghana a definite last minute winner. Ghana missed the penalty and Uruguay won after a penalty shoot out.

Kenny Daglish followed Kevin Keegan as the number 7 at Liverpool. Keegan was supposed to be the English star of the 1982 World Cup, I was told at the time. Because of injury all I saw of him was a desperate appearance as a substitute against Spain when England needed a goal to to stay in the World Cup, but he couldn't oblige. As for Daglish he was part of a pretty good Scottish team in 1978 and 1982 but, alas, Scotland could not get beyond the first round.

One of my favourites was Luis Figo. He was part of Portugal's "Golden Generation", semi-fianlists at the 2004 European Championships, but who failed miserably at the 2002 World Cup.

And I could go on: Ukraine's Shevchenko, that country's most famous player; France's Ribery and Cantona, a competition in arrogance.

Thank you number 777. Not exactly earth shattering inspiration but that white feather gave me a little something.