31 August. It is the footballing circus that is transfer deadline day. I am currently sat in front of my TV glued to Sky Sports News, refreshing BBC Sport's deadline day live text and checking Twitter periodically for any sniff of a rumour. Why? Well, to be honest with you, I can't answer that question.
On the face of it, there should be nothing exhilarating about Stoke City parting with £4 million for Midfielder Charlie Adam. Fulham purchasing Manchester United outcast Dimitar Berbatov for a, supposedly, measly £2 million should not garner excitement. Certainly, Fulham swooping to sign previously unknown 19 year old Chris David should not set pulses racing, but incredibly it does.
Every year, it is the same furore, with players moving left, right and centre. What is the fascination with these transfers that have, quite frankly, no bearing on myself or any ordinary fan watching the days thrills and spills? It is perhaps understandable that if a player is moving to your club, you are entitled to a little bit of excitement, a sense of optimism for said player to pull on the shirt. But I cannot put my finger why so many people across the country spend an entire day sat in front of the TV listening to vague, often nonsensical reports of potential deals.
The big winner out of all this commotion is without a doubt Sky Sports News. Garnering their highest viewing figures of the year on this day, they squeeze every last drop of juice out of it. Reporters around the country, various pundits doing shifts in the studio with the ever-excitable presenting duo and the bloke at the 'Sky-pad' who rounds up everything that everybody before them has exhausted entirely. Perhaps the most remarkable example of the pomposity of deadline day is the footage of presenter Jim 'Deadline Day' White arriving at Sky headquarters at 1:30pm, five hours ahead of when he's due to begin his stint. It is perhaps the most striking example of the absurdity that surrounding the Premier League circus in the year 2012.
Despite all this, it is undoubtedly one of the most exciting days of the football calendar. It is a time to forget the ludicrous transfer fees involved, the fact the on the face of it, none of it truly matters and the that your side might not sign anybody at all. It is a day to become engulfed in and to not be taken too seriously.
Now, did someone say West Ham were in for a player?
