For me, it goes back a quarter-of-a-century ago when my big brothers took me to the stadium to watch Accra Hearts of Oak. The cornucopia of success Hearts will enjoy in the last part of the 20th century had not even begun. But still I was enchanted.

As a kid, I had heard the names of Ablade Kumah and Shamo Quaye blasting from radio sets owned by the big men who played “dummy” on Sundays – and it felt like these two names were the only things coming out of that simple yet loud small set followed by a huge roar of goal.

So when I had the chance to go watch these men whose names kept popping out of radio sets everywhere in the country, I just could not decline.

We lost 0-1 at home that day and even I did not see the goal. That’s my first lesson at the stadium – always keep your eye on the ball. Yet, I was not perturbed following the defeat knowing or rather hoping that we would be there again for the next game. I waited for long. It never came. My brothers never took me to the stadium again.

I had to enjoy the new found successes of the club vicariously. And oh, what a golden period of success it became. Six consecutive league titles. Eight league titles in 10 years. Two back-to-back domestic Doubles. One historic Treble including the big one. The one they had waited for for 35 years. And I cried when it came – overwhelmed by emotions not for the longevity but just that it had happened in my lifetime.

Four years later came another one. The defining one. The one that sealed and ended all arguments and put away the shreds of doubt that lingered as to who or what was the greatest club in the country. It’s the trophy that God himself handed to Hearts; it’s the trophy that rewarded our patience; it’s the trophy that said you could take our best player but you could never take the soul of our club. The V-I-R-G-I-N CUP.

But in between the continental conquests and zenith of success came the Pyrrhic victory that still makes it impossible for me to look at the Conference Hall end of the stadium without feeling sullen. That debacle took away the love. Hearts, our dear club, continues to suffer to this day because of that unforgettable incident.

Somewhere in 2005, I fell in love again. I left Accra for school in Kumasi, and all the things I took for granted about the club finally made sense. Obuasi became our home. I saw us beat Etoile du Sahel 1-0 and listened on the radio as we eliminated them in their backyard. It didn’t last. We were mortified on the continent but we came back to win the league in impressive fashion.

Another heartbreak season followed (Won 10, Lost 10, Drew 10) but we made that up by claiming the title in 2009. It’s my last year in Tech, and I witnessed, live-and-color, Hearts win for the first time in 10 years at the home of Kotoko. After that year, I never missed a Hearts home game in Accra having known what it felt like not to be able to see your team play consistently.

I made a vow to give something back to the club. I did not have money. I did not have the capital but social media (Twitter) was taking over the world. And so six days after the club’s 100th anniversary, I created @HeartsEleven on twitter to bring the supporters closer to the team. It got assimilated by the club a year later. And that’s the birth of Hearts on social media.

For seven years, I lived the dream I had always dreamt – to work for Hearts. It never mattered whether I was paid or not nor even how much I was paid. All that mattered was to put Hearts on the map and in a good light. All that mattered to me was to give something back to the true love of my life.

There’s a new hiatus again in my love affair with Hearts. But when the blues end, it’s going to continue again. Nothing! Absolutely nothing compares to Hearts.

May we find success in the coming year and May we reclaim our lost glory.

Happy birthday, Glorious Accra Hearts of Oak!!!! Proud to be a son of the Oak tree.