This has been a special European Championships - it has felt like a throwback to simpler times when money didn't complicate football as much.
Crowds coming back have given the tournament a huge lift, fresh off the back of that European Super League nonsense and given the direction the club game seems to be going in.
It makes you think about why you love the game in the first place, why it is so important to everyone who cares about it.
The answer is simple enough. Football is about passion, it's about rivalry.
Money is destroying those vital ingredients, creating a massive divide between supporters and players.
Yet in these Euros we're seeing players more focused on playing for their country in a passionate way for once than on their own image or on money. It's refreshing, a reminder of the way things should be.
The Wembley atmosphere on Tuesday was unlike anything I've heard in a long time - and, in the 75th minute, it was amazing to see Kieran Trippier waving at the crowd, riling them up.
Even before Covid struck, that reaction wasn't a commonplace thing. You don't see that passionate rivalry, the undertone you'd get in games.
You don't really see that anymore but that's how the game was before money and profile began to dominate, before real rivalries somehow became a thing of the past and you went to war in every game, it was blood thunder every time and you dished it out and got it back.
Nowadays everyone likes everyone and it's all compliments on social media. That stuff is just drivel.
There's a lesson in all this for SSE Airtricity League clubs.
Thankfully we don't have that huge separation between players and supporters, the League community is unique in the sense it is closely knitted together.
Supporters have a relationship with players because they live close to them, they know someone who knows someone who is pals with a player. They are representing their community.
But I see a double-edged sword here now. Clubs have started to realise the benefits of the community-based model, which is hugely important as clubs look to grow their support base and create a sustainable future.
But as clubs become more professional, I'm also seeing things I don't like as much and that, ultimately, is leading to that separation of supporters from players.
For example, a number of clubs are shutting down media access to players, with one or two made available for interview during the week or the all or nothing weekly press conference.
Coming from a time and a culture when players could be called up by journalists at any time, to me this stifling attitude is destroying the connection between the fans and their players.
A lot of players appear to be under the impression they can only say certain things and I don't want to listen to or read these interviews any more.
It's something clubs should really look at because before now, supporters had a real interest through the media, even apart from that fact that you had Roddy Collins, Dermot Keely, Pat Dolan, Pat Fenlon and Damien Richardson going at each other through the press.
People felt connected to it, to the rivalry that existed between their clubs. We need that back.
So give players a bit of leeway, let people get to know them. Let's hear what they have to say - and give up the pre-prepared word salad that does no-one any favours.
Clubs have a responsibility to develop players as people, not to shackle them in a repressive way.
Free-kicks a dying art
The art of the free-kick needs serious re-invention.
Zico and Maradona remain the world-best specialists to my mind, whatever about Ronaldo changing things up more recently.
But it feels like goals direct from free-kicks have become a rarity, the whole process a frustration.
Now we even see teams defending a free-kick by having one guy covering behind the wall by lying down to prevent a low shot when those in the wall jump.
You know what, I'd love someone to smash a free at that player on the ground...'that'll show you'!
At least it would take away from the frustration.
Dundalk collapse is Brad news for Rovers gaffer
When I played in the League there was always a number of teams in the mix with Shels - usually Bohs, Derry, Pat's or Cork - and there wasn't much between them all.
But that trend ended around the time Dundalk came into the ascendancy and they had one main rival - first Cork City, then Shamrock Rovers - to push them.
And now I think Rovers are struggling a little because they don't have a direct rival.
Of course Rovers lost Jack Byrne and Aaron McEneff in the close season. But I think Dundalk's start of season collapse took Rovers by surprise and on a subconscious level, not having that main rival took their eye off the ball.
Sensing that, other teams have raised their game and the result is a really competitive title race, which is great to see.
It just seems to be a much more level playing field. Some teams, too, might have developed more confidence in trying things with no crowds present.
However we've got here, long may it last so we have three, four or five teams competing for the title.
A Rich vein of form en route
It's nice to see Richie Towell back as he prepares for his Shamrock Rovers debut.
Usually the best players move on to carve out a career across-channel but we're seeing him return at an age where he's capable of finding that form he had at Dundalk.
Yes, he's obviously older, but Rovers could do with an injection of something different.
Europe is huge for them this year and their focus needs to be on that, for financial reasons especially, but they've been pushing in the last couple of years.
Richie can be a big addition as they try to get there.
