Column: Have you got post-season blues?

The incessant monotony of transfer speculation, the will-he/won't-he sagas that seem to stretch out all summer, coupled with a drought of any genuine football to excite the senses, can drive any hardy soul mad.

Throw in any lingering frustrations from the season before: the dropped points, the goal that never was or that wet and windy night in Stoke where everything went against you and your team (even your new trainers falling victim to a muddied puddle) and it is enough to besiege a mind that is eager to move on and once again retain some sort of positivity for the new season ahead.

There is an actual term for this. In a recent study commissioned by Gillette, an estimated 73 per cent of football fans suffer from 'post-season blues' and are at a loss as to how to occupy their time once the season finishes. Having come across the bizarre, yet realistic statistic it got me thinking about the many hurdles a football fan (in particular an LFC fan) has to overcome in order to survive the summer.

The further I looked into this study, the further it rang true. Other findings revealed that six out of 10 fans dread the end of the football season and the 'replacement' activities they would have to participate in. Off-season fears include having to go shopping with their partners (16 per cent), not having an excuse to go to the pub (13 per cent) and a shocking six per cent fearing having to spend more time with loved ones and partners.

The man behind the study, Dr David Lewis, describes how the excitement of a hard-fought match, and especially their team's victory, releases a cascade of potent 'feel-good' chemicals coursing through the pleasure centre of the fan's brain. Among the most powerful of these mind-altering chemicals is the neurotransmitter dopamine. This is capable of generating feelings not just of excitement but also of euphoria. As a result, when the season ends, they experience 'withdrawal' symptoms including agitation, irritability, anxiety and a sense of emptiness in their lives. The fan's sleep may also be affected, with early waking becoming more common.

Now, I can't speak for you, but I certainly know that I have been there before. Re-living what could have been in 2008-09 had we drawn fewer games at home or if Federico Macheda had not weaved his way through the Aston Villa defence and curled a proverbial dagger into the hearts following the ecstasy that was Fulham away.

But as the summer kicks into full swing, the proverbial and literal rays of light soon follow.

One of them is undoubtedly mid-June when the fixtures for the forthcoming campaign are released and the excitement begins to build. The mind fantasises of last-minute winners at Goodison, a Steven Gerrard special against Manchester United and even a storming finish to the season which ends in a top-four finish. Such thoughts surface as the eyes rapidly scan through the list that determines where and when you'll be travelling in hope and expectation at what might be over the next nine months.

Then by early July and with pre-season in full swing, the itch for a return to the terraces begins to surface. Memories of wild celebrations amongst a heap of flying bodies and bruises obtained from falling over plastic seats after a Liverpool goal stir the soul and release an urge to do it all again, even if it means having to swap shifts in work or cancel any plans that you may have had with the other half.

Although the monotony of rumours and needless gossip still loom large like devils waiting to torture the poor and fragile mind of the average fan, the fact that the real action is not far away acts as a shining light and offers reassurances that normality will be resumed.

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However, at this point there remains one more hurdle to climb with regards to the rehabilitation process - friendlies. While they may matter little due to the lack of entertainment on offer, they give the fan a chance to get re-acquainted with old flames that provided many a happy moment throughout the last 12 months as well as possible new romances that may capture and enthral in the months to come.

All of which comes down to the first game of the season.

Like a kid on Christmas Eve you are too excited to sleep. Eagerly waiting for the moment that you arrive at the ground - be it home or away - and then re-acquainting yourself with the seat that you have kicked countless amounts of time in frustration, yet nearly snapped it off its hinges in the midst of a late winner or crucial strike against the enemy.

Normality is once again restored, and the rollercoaster gets underway...

Follow the author @joelrichards91.