Football survey 2023

Started this last year, so why not make it a tradition?

Top 5 games of the year?

1. Arsenal 3 Chelsea 1, 4th March, Selhurst Park (Continental Cup final)
2. Haywards Heath Town 2 Chatham Town 4, 12th November, Hanbury Stadium (FA Cup 1st round)
3. Valerenga 4 Avaldsnes 0, 17th April, Intility Arena (Toppserien)
4. Arsenal 2 Bayern Munich 0, 29th March, Emirates Stadium (Champions League quarter final)
5. Arsenal 2 Wolfsburg 3 (aet), 1st May, Emirates Stadium (Champions League semi final)

Total number of matches?

Eight, slightly down from last year but life got in the way (also there wasn't an international tournament hosted in my country).

First match of the year?

Gillingham 2 Grimsby Town 1, 14th February (yes, I spent valentine's day in the most romantic place on earth!)

Last match of the year?

Gillingham 0 Crawley Town 2, 26th December (yes, I spent the day after Christmas at the most magical place on earth!)

Most surprising game?

Arsenal 2 Wolfsburg 3 (aet), given Arsenal's injury woes I wasn't expecting them to run Wob so close!

Most disappointing?

The first half of the Gillingham game vs Grimsby - this was my first men's game in England in nearly five years and the quality of football was 10x worse than the women's game I was used to for much more money. It was cold, abject and nearly turned me off men's football for life. If it wasn't for the next train being cancelled I would've left at half-time - thankfully I stayed, saw a significant improvement in the second half and a last minute winner!

Farthest travelled?

Intility Arena in Oslo, around 1000 miles/1,600km from my front door.

States attended games in?

Cheerful, grateful, euphoric, bored, knackered and achy.

Stadium most visited?

Gillingham's Priestfield stadium and Arsenal's Emirates, both twice.

Worst injury?

I got surprisingly sunburnt for the Champions League semi-final in May.

Most expensive ticket?

Gillingham, for £22. This was cheaper than a Champions League quarter final (£9) and semi final (£20, in the club lounge!). I can't even bring myself to joke about paying more for quality.

Player seen the most?

I saw a number of Arsenal players at least three times.

Best new discovery?

I've really enjoyed watching Victoria Pevlova play.

Bands seen this year that also broke up this year?

I’m not sure how to make this football related, but I’m open to suggestions.

Friends made at games?

None, I've kept myself to myself this year.

Footballers met?

After the Valerenga game I saw while on holiday, which they won 4-0, they had a meet-and-greet with the entire squad in the stadium canteen afterwards. I got chatting with the American goalkeeper as we were both quite pleased to talk to someone in our native language and joked about her having a quiet game ("I let them have a corner because I was bored"). Due to the post covid landscape, and an abundance of small children holding suspiciously well written signs begging for players' shirts, I've not met any at English games. However, while out for my morning run around Brighton earlier this year, I passed a number of the Man Utd squad (including Leah Galton and a pre-Arsenal Alessia Russo) who were out for a stroll ahead of their FA Cup game at Lewes.

Best souvenir from a game?

I didn't get anything from games, but the new Gills home shirt really makes my eyes pop.

Longest time in line?

I've not really queued up at any games.

Games seen from the front row?

Arsenal’s game at Meadow Park I’ve seen from my favoured spot on the front row of the northern terraces. I spent the second half of Haywards Heath Town vs Chatham Town on the barrier, close enough that the Chatham players could hear and follow my joking time-wasting suggestions!

Most games in one month?

March and November tied for two games apiece.

Most games in one week?

Two - a Thursday night game Continental Cup game at Meadow Park, then a Sunday lunchtime FA Cup game at Haywards Heath Town, both in November.

Biggest crowd?

Arsenal vs Wolfsburg in the Champions League semi final at the Emirates set a record for a domestic women's game in England, at 60,603 people.

Smallest crowd?

If Haywards Heath vs Chatham broke three figures I'll be surprised. It's more likely that more people finished ahead of me at Lancing parkrun - one of the smaller ones in Sussex - the morning before, than were in the crowd.

Any drunk encounters?

I did not get to drink at my annual game abroad, as the Valerenga game only had alcohol-free beer. I did take advantage of attending a non-league game at Haywards Heath Town and was pleasantly merry for the start of the second half.

Top 5 best 2023 footballing moments:

1. An injury hit Arsenal taking Wolfsburg to the last minute of extra time despite having about three fit players at the end.
2. Making a women's game abroad an annual thing
3. Seeing matches across five different competitions this year (League 2, Continental Cup, Toppserien, Champions League, FA Cup)
4. The Youtube algorithm seems to keep showing me Argentinian games live whenever I have the TV to myself for an evening!
5. Taking in a football match with my dad for the first time in a decade.

Top 3 worst 2023 footballing moments:

1. I've been on holiday to Italy three times and still not managed to see a Serie A game. The original holiday was booked to coincide with a Gillingham friendly there but was postponed due to a family tragedy (the second of the year). We rebooked it for early September, thinking that the season will have started and at least one of the three clubs that play around Milan would have a home game, only to find that the season didn't begin until October. Maybe next year?
2. As mentioned above, the first half of Gillingham vs Grimsby was dreadful. Even by Gillingham's standards. Especially by Gillingham's standards.
3. More of a personal one than a footballing one, but after the Arsenal vs Bristol City game in November, I happened to notice a tweet comparing the turnout for a midweek cup game - which was a sell-out weeks before the game - with an equivalent fixture in 2019, which was sparsely attended. My initial positive thought about the growth being good for the women's game quickly saw my mood plummet when I realised that it didn't need my help any longer and led me down an existential rabbit hole when I realised how little difference it would make if I didn't attend any of the matches/gigs I've got lined up next year - after all, Taylor Swift isn't gonna see a space in the crowd and think "wow, James isn't here, I hope he's ok", is she? Thankfully I managed to snap out of it, get some sleep and park that train of thought to pick up again with a therapist in the new year, but it was a concerning thing.