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!

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.

Football Survey

For the last decade, if not longer, I’ve done an end of year gig survey, giving a bit of an overview of the gigs I’ve attended this year. For the first time since I had a half season-ticket for Gillingham’s glorious promotion winning season of 1999-2000, I’ve attended more football matches than gigs in a calendar year - so I thought, why not rejig the survey for football? 

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Top 5 games of the year?

1. England 2 Germany 1 aet, Wembley, 31st July
2. BSG Chemie Leipzig 1 Berliner Dynamo 1, Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark, 13th March
3. Arsenal  7 Aston Villa 0, Meadow Park, 1st May
4. Germany 4 Denmark 0, Brentford Community Stadium, 8th July
5. Arsenal 2 Ajax Amsterdam 2, Meadow Park, 20th September

Total number of matches?

Eleven, first year in ages I’ve hit double digits!

First match of the year?

Chemie Leipzig 1 Berliner Dynamo 1, 13th March

Last match of the year?

Arsenal 1 Everton 0, 3rd December

Most surprising game?

I honestly didn’t expect England to come out on top in the Euro 2022 final!

Most disappointing?

England 0 Czech Republic 0, 11th October. I’ve had hangovers more fun than that.

Farthest travelled?

Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark in Leipzig, 600 miles/1,000 km from my front door.

States attended games in?

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

Stadium most visited?

Amex/Falmer Community stadium in Brighton and Meadow Park in London, both three times.

Worst injury?

I had a horrible attack of hay-fever during the second half of the Germany vs Denmark game that sent me scrambling for antihistamines in a nearby Sainsburys afterwards. This was mid July, in the middle of a hot spell that I thought had burnt up all plant life in the country, and after not being affected by hay-fever all year prior to that I thought I was safe - evidently not!

Most expensive ticket?

The Euro 2022 final ticket was £25, that was my highest. The perks of watching women’s football! (Or 4th tier German men’s football)

Player seen the most?

I saw Lena Oberdorf play four times for club and country - the first two, in club colours, I didn’t really appreciate her style, but I came around quickly after she tucked Pernille Harder in her pocket for Germany! I think Leah Williamson and Beth Mead top her with six appearances apiece. Shoutout to Karen Holmgaard who was the only player I saw play twice for two different clubs - Turbine Potsdam in May, and Everton in December. She didn’t make it off the bench for Germany’s massacre of Denmark, otherwise I would’ve seen her play three times for three different teams, with a combined scoreline of 0-9 in those games! 

Best new discovery?

Definitely Lena Oberdorf! Her tough-tackling style, complete with Wob buying up two of my other favourite German players (Merle Frohms and Jule Brand), plus my partner being in awe of Wassmuth’s cheekbones and Jonsdottir’s...general awesomness, means that I’ve been streaming more Wolfsburg games than I expected this autumn.

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?

I don’t know if they count, as I knew Joel online before the matches, but in May I flew to Cologne all alone for the German cup final (Wolfsburg vs Turbine Potsdam). A 50,000 seater stadium, and I knew only one other person there. Walking out of the toilets before the match, guess who I bump into? We sat together and had a great time, even if the result didn’t go our way. Two months later, having sat with Jamie, Mary, Adam and friends before the match, I made my way around the Wembley concourse to find my gate for the Euros final when I hear my name shouted from a queue. Guess who it was?!

Footballers met?

Tricky, in this post-COVID era, and with the general increase in popularity of the women’s game this will become rarer. But after the Arsenal vs Villa game at the end of last season I met and got a photo with then-England keeper Hannah Hampton - a player I’ve both enjoyed and been frustrated by watching whenever she’s played against a team I like. 

Best souvenir from a game?

My Chemie Leipzig scarf is soft, comfortable, and confuses the heck out of people as it’s green and white. (”Who’s that? Celtic? Plymouth? Yeovil? St Etienne?”) 

Longest time in line?

Aside from Wembley, I’ve had very little queuing.

Games seen from the front row?

Arsenal’s games at Meadow Park I’ve seen from my favoured spot on the front row of the northern terraces. I was pretty far forward for the Wolfsburg vs Turbine game and as a consequence couldn’t see much action in the opposite goalmouth. 

Most games in one month?

July had four, a result of my country hosting an international tournament.

Most games in one week?

Two! Austria vs Norway and England vs Spain within five days of each other.

Biggest crowd?

Wembley, for the Euros final! 87,192 in attendance, the largest crowd for a European Championship game ever, of any gender. 

Any drunk encounters?

I took advantage of being able to drink beer in the stands at the two games in Germany. The England vs Czech Republic game was so dull I made good use of Harvey’s being on tap in the lounge nearby, too. I also had a fun encounter with a drunk Portsmouth fan at the England vs Spain game.

Top 5 best 2022 footballing moments:

1. There were three iconic goals that did the advancement of the women’s game in England no end of good this summer, and I witness two of them in person! Chloe Kelly’s winner against Germany in the goalmouth at my end in the final is an obvious one, as well as Russo’s cheeky backheel in the semi. But Ella Toone’s equaliser in the quarter final against Spain was just as important. This was the first of four quarter final matches, and after a rampaging group stage the Lionesses had really captured the attention of the country. Had they gone out the first time they played a decent team it would’ve deflated the mood; attendances probably would’ve dropped, the usual sexist bores would’ve trumpeted the usual remarks, and it would not have come home. With Toone’s header - and Stanway’s winner - they really got the country behind them!

2. For sheer luck, bumping into the same person in crowds of 50,000 and 87,000 on separate occasions was great!

3. Chatting to a drunk Portsmouth fan next to me at the England vs Spain game. I was wearing an old Germany away shirt, for fun.

"So, <cod 'allo 'allo style accent>, ver you 'oping vor Germany tonight?" 

Me: "No, my friends thought it would be funny if I wore a Germany shirt to the game."

After discussing the tournament so far: "What was the last club match you went to?" "Wolfsburg vs Turbine Potsdam in the German cup final" "Is that your team then, Wolfsburg?" "Nah, I'm a Gillingham fan!" I genuinely think I broke him. 

Me: "Weird seeing a match from this angle, it's like a Football Manager game!" Him: "Dare I ask which team you're managing?" "Pisa, in Italy" "You fascinate me, man"

4. On the subject of Football Manager - in March 2020, Red Bull Leipzig were getting a lot of puff pieces in the English press, as they were due to play Spurs in the Champions League, and so the media were fawning all over how they had bought out a village team, renamed them after a soft drink and shovelled millions into the club built a team up from nothing to be title contenders. When lockdown hit, and I was bored, rather than spend my time improving myself as a person I decided to prove that it could be done properly - I took over an actual Leipzig side, then languishing in the 5th tier, and with only my skills and no influx of cash beyond what I could earn from promotions and player sales, tried to make them bigger than Red Bull. In that save my Chemie Leipzig side have won ten times more league titles and four more Champions League than RB. In real life, they’re in the German 4th tier, but while nearby on holiday in March I took advantage of the fixtures and went to see them grind out a 1-1 draw against the league leaders. It was cold, I missed both goals queuing for beer, but the atmosphere was amazing and I was so glad I got to see my beautiful football boys in the flesh! 

5. Steve Evans and Gillingham parted ways. I had been boycotting my childhood club while that odious crook was in charge, so I was glad to call myself a Gills fan again. 

6. BONUS! While on a run in a tiny Czech industrial town I found the football stadium. And broke in (went through an open gate) to take a picture of me in the main stand! 

Top 3 worst 2022 footballing moments:

1. Prasnikar’s goal for Frankfurt against Potsdam in the league at the end of May. A point for Potsdam would’ve probably seen them qualify for the Champions League - the influx of cash certainly would’ve helped keep the team together. Instead, following a 4-0 hammering in the cup final, a large number of players left, to be replaced by recruits from the 3rd division; they were followed by the manager and president. Turbine are now bottom of the league, and this once great club who play in blue and white are now odds-on for relegation. Remove the “once great” part and it could describe Gillingham’s season too - clearly I have a type!

2. I regret wearing my Germany shirt to the Wembley final.

3. I regret going out into the cold to watch England 0 Czech Republic 0.