In a recent article, Max Rushden humorously laments the overflow of football players occupying his mental space, suggesting a need to archive the entire 1987 QPR squad to the cloud. The sheer volume of footballers, particularly the emerging young talents, overwhelms his memory, prompting the need for digital assistance.

Rushden illustrates his point by recalling a moment watching Match of the Day without knowing the scores beforehand. He was particularly struck by Loum Tchaouna's audacious goal from distance in the 68th minute, a shot that announced Tchaouna's presence into Rushden's consciousness. Such memorable moments, however, come at the cost of overwriting other information, like details of Ian Juryeff's performance.

The constant influx of new, younger players, some so recently born that Rushden is unfamiliar with the pop culture of their birthdates, contributes to the feeling of being overwhelmed. This experience, he suggests, might be a hallmark of aging – a perpetual encounter with unfamiliar faces and names.

Rushden playfully considers setting higher standards for new players before committing them to his "Rolodex" of footballers. He imagines a bouncer guarding his mental cortex, regulating the entry of these young athletes, enforcing a "one in, one out" policy.

The piece reflects on the challenge of keeping up with the ever-evolving landscape of football and the struggle to retain information about past players amidst the constant arrival of new ones. Rushden's humorous take on this phenomenon offers a relatable perspective for any football fan grappling with an increasingly crowded mental archive. He jests about managing storage in his brain like one manages storage on their phone, suggesting deleting old WhatsApp conversations and duplicated photos, or saving the entire 1987 QPR squad to the cloud. He even jokes about paying £3.99 a month for another gigabyte of brain storage.