Football Survey 2024

This is now becoming a tradition! See past entries at #football-survey

Top 5 games of the year?

1. Arsenal 3 Bayern Munich 2, 18th December, Borehamwood (UK)
2. Germany 4 Austria 0, 17th July, Hannover (Germany)
3. Damaiense 0 Braga 4, 11th January, Lisbon (Portugal)
4. Arsenal 4 Valerenga 1, 16th October, London (UK)
5. Lewes 2 Worthing 1 (aet), 28th August, Lewes (UK)

Total number of matches?

Eight, same as last year.

First match of the year?

SF Damaiense 0 Braga 4, 11th January. I took myself off on a weekend break to Lisbon to enjoy some sunshine, and took in a game while I was there.

Last match of the year?

Arsenal 3 Bayern 2, 18th December, final UWCL group game.

Most surprising game?

The Arsenal vs Valerenga game was surprising, as I hadn't seen Arsenal play in such a swashbuckling, attacking manner in months. This was possibly related to them parting ways with the manager just a few days before and the team being let off their leash a bit; or instead, facing a team who weren't just content to sit in a low block and frustrate Arsenal but tried to make a game of it and attack!

Most disappointing?

Chelsea 3 Arsenal 1, and Arsenal were Gillingham-esque in their play.

Farthest travelled?

Parque Desportivo do Sport Clube Damaiense in Lisbon, 1920km/1140 miles from my front door.

States attended games in?

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

Stadium most visited?

Lewes's Dripping Pan, twice.

Worst injury?

Blisters on my foot walking back into town from the Germany game in Hanover.

Most expensive ticket?

Arsenal vs Bayern was £45 but due to the game being bumped down to the reserves' ground because a later cup draw for the men took priority, I got it refunded and spent £12 on the match instead.

Player seen the most?

I saw a number of Arsenal, Chelsea and Lewes players at least twice; but I saw Sjoeke Nusken three times, twice for Chelsea and once for Germany. In those three games her side won all three by an aggregate score of 10-1.

Best new discovery?

I’ve really enjoyed watching Alessia Russo play; thanks to this picture she's the best player I've ever seen wearing a Gillingham shirt. Also, somewhat begrudgingly given she plays for Bayern, enjoyed Giulia Gwinn too.

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?

No long-term friends, but due to a stunning lack of self-awareness to when other people are uncomfortable around me, and a brazen amount of confidence, I've ended up striking up conversations with people around me at most games I've been to this year. In the lounge before the Arsenal vs Valerenga game I ended up chatting to family of both the opposition keeper and their star player!

Footballers met?

I took the same train back westbound as Worthing striker Sophie Humphrey after their game at Lewes. Also shook hands with Laura Weinroither and Lilli Purtscheller after the Germany vs Austria match after ambling my way into the Austrian Football Federation part of the stand like a drunken fool.

Best souvenir from a game?

I got a scarf from the Dama game in January in club colours of maroon and dark green which really compliments my autumn tones.

Longest time in line?

I’ve not really queued up at any games.

Games seen from the front row?

I stood in the front row of the North Bank for the last game of the year; I've also not been upset with any of my views for the games this year.

Most games in one month?

January and August tied for two games apiece.

Most games in one week?

Two - a league game and a cup derby in three days at Lewes.

Biggest crowd?

Arsenal vs Valerenga was around 5,000.

Smallest crowd?

Lewes vs Worthing had an attendance of 212 people, and I'm 100% sure that I was the only person there who was not related/friends with a player. This, however, was beaten by a crowd of 78 people at Saltdean United vs South London. I counted them individually during a lull in the first half.

Any drunk encounters?

I took full advantage of the German bier culture before and during the game in Hannover, which lead to the brazen confidence which saw me wander into the Austrian FA's area post match!

Highlights:

1. One of the worst moments last year was realising that the women's game didn't need my support and plunging into a mental crisis because of it. After taking in smaller, local women's games in Sussex this year I've slightly tweaked that view, for the better. Instead of "they (women's football) don't need me anymore", it's become "they (Arsenal) don't need me anymore, but there's other clubs who are small enough that I could easily make a difference by going to a game and buying a drink (or several)". We've spent the year trying to buy a property in Worthing; it's 15 minutes walk from the Worthing home ground and so when (WHEN) we move in, I'll become a supporter of Worthing's women's side. (Every time I've made inroads into supporting them before the move, within a week a spanner has been thrown into the works of moving, so I'm trying not to jinx it!)
2. The Germany/Austria game was a highlight in a summer packed with cracking gigs. The swashbuckling attack, Giulia Gwinn, more Brand supremacy, meeting some players and holding conversations with other fans in a language not English - I had a wonderful time!
3. SF Damaiense 0 SC Braga 4. A thoroughly entertaining game which saw Braga score a penalty, get a second straight from the Dama kickoff, then lose their keeper to a blatant handball halfway between her penalty area and the centre circle - all in the first fifteen minutes!
4. Arsenal's final game of the year against Bayern in the Champions League - both teams had qualified for the next round, but whoever won would finish top of the group and get a slightly more favourable draw in the next round. Bayern would finish top with a draw, so the onus was on Arsenal to win. Due to the men's team being drawn at home in a different cup on the same day the game got bumped from the Emirates to the smaller Meadow Park, but this ended up working out for the best, as the packed ground was full of people who were up for the game and no day-trippers echoing around a half empty ground. Arsenal took an early lead to settle nerves, but Bayern equalised shortly before halftime with a wind assisted goal. They took an early lead in the second half but Arsenal fought back tooth and nail to secure the win!
5. I had a run of four games in a row where I saw a team in red playing at home against a team in blue. It wasn't planned this way, it just happened and the coincidence amused me!

Lowlights:

1. My first three games of the year saw the teams I went along to support lose all three, by a combined score of 10-1.
2. Vivianne Miedema left Arsenal. To make it worse, she went to Manchester City, who this season have a tribute kit to the playoff final where the men's side beat Gillingham. Every picture of her in that kit feels like a personal attack. (It's probably not. Probably.)
3. The Arsenal vs Bayern game was supposed to be played at the Emirates. I bought a Club Level ticket so that I could sit in a good spot and get a free beer at half time. Then the men's team got drawn at home on the same day, and the women's side got bumped out to Meadow Park. No free beer, no decent stadium, a significant downgrade and a reminder we still have a ways to go. To make things worse, Thameslink decided to cancel a swathe of services that evening, so if you didn't leave the ground with half an hour still to play, you weren't getting out of Borehamwood before midnight. Fortunately the game was being streamed so I stomped back to the station while listening to the commentary, and celebrated the late penalty on the station platform with several other sensible early leavers!