⚽⚽⚽

Quick history lesson, I grew up supporting West Bromwich Albion. My dad would drive 8hrs (round trip) to go to The Hawthorns, as well as across the country from quite a few away matches and I know what losing feels like. I also know what winning feels like (see pic below – not me looking so smug at 13 in 2008 😂), but it was far and few between.

The England Men’s National Team needed to have just given up in the quarter final’s last year. I genuinely didn’t think I’d ever want to watch football ever again after that tournament and it’s my favourite sport. I don’t watch anything else! I felt sick every time I watched them. I was rooting for them to lose and we did not deserve to get to the Final.

I watched a couple matches in the 24/25 seasons, but I just wasn’t interested.

And I feel it in my bones that that is going to change for the 25/26 season!

What I want to do for the two leagues that I previously watched most consistently, is to randomly choose a team to support. And depending on how this goes, I think I’ll keep doing it each year. There are two teams which I already want to support, and I’ll explain those in their own section. All tables shown are for the 25/26 seasons – they all start off in alphabetical order before the matches start.

I will watch any football match and I don’t need to support either club, as I’m mostly just watching for the sport. I don’t care about stats and often don’t really look at a table throughout the season. I doesn’t help that my memory is so bad that I don’t remember who wins titles.

That being said, of the two spinner wheel’s that are included in this post, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa FC will not be making an appearance. I’ve not kept up with West Brom, but it is engrained in my being to want to see these clubs’ downfall. The thought of having to ‘root’ for the Wolves… Absolutely not.

---

Barclays Women’s Super League

The Women’s Super League is a professional league and the highest level of England’s women’s football. It was only recently founded in 2010 (I hate the FA and UEFA) and consists of only 12 clubs. I believe that there are league affiliation fees (don’t quote me on that) and it’s often larger male clubs that can only also afford a professional women’s team.

Due to the Euro’s currently taking place and a substantial amount of players competing from the WSL, the 25/26 WSL league will be starting on Saturday 6th of September.

In the past few seasons I’ve been watching Arsenal games quite often, there are so many players in the squad that I love! So, I will still be making time for some of their matches irrespective of what the the Spinner Wheel chooses.

I won’t be showing the badge, as that would spoil the wheel, and I’m hoping the WordPress settings don’t either!

---

The Premier League

The Premier League is the highest professional league in England’s men’s football and consists of 20 clubs. It was founded in 1992 by UEFA and many of the clubs in this league take part in both European and National cup challenges throughout the season. Before 1992, the top tier was the First Division and was overseen by the FA.

I have a love-hate relationship with the PL. I hate the money element of men’s football. It’s honestly obscene and the betting culture around it is so prominent and unhealthy. And I also don’t like a lot of the elements of the style of play, in terms of diving/tactics and VAR. We, as a nation, are shit at VAR. Sometimes I’ll watch a Bundesliga match and VAR does not disrupt the flow of the game as much or at all in some cases. However, I’m one of those people who thinks that Football is really not that serious. Yes it’s a professional sport, but technology should not need to overshadow the game and actual humans on the pitch. I hate it so much.

I wish they were all tougher as well. I hate men rolling on the floor after being lightly tapped or not even touched at all (although that is entertaining). Like grow up and start fights more. It’s a contact sport, people.

And on the flip side, I love the pace and skill. Which yeah, sounds a bit pathetic because I could rant for hours on the things I dislike 🤡 I promise I love football.

The 2025/26 season begins on Friday 15th of August.

In the past couple of years, I have really gotten attached to Man Utd. I know, it’s a cliché, but they’ve been kind of rubbish and I root for losers. I also love Bruno Fernandes. That little Portuguese man moans so much and I love it. The squad has changed a bit and if he does get transferred, I probably won’t watch them as consistently as I did before the men’s Euros ruined football for 24/25 for me. If he doesn’t I think I’d still keep up with them as much as I can/want to.

As previously mentioned, the Wolves and Aston Villa are not on the spinner wheel, don’t come for me.

---

EFL Championship League

The Championship League was founded in 1892 as the Football League Second Division and has had several name changes since its iteration. Three teams from the Championship progress upwards into the Premier League, while the bottom three of that league get relegated down into the Championship.

There are 24 teams that play in the Championship and the 25/26 League begins on the 8th August.

For this league, I won’t be doing a spinner wheel. I want to get back into knowing West Bromwich Albion. The issue is that their games aren’t necessarily always shown on tv, so I think I’ll be getting to know radio football better, as well as live updates on the West Brom website.

---

Isthmian League: South East Division

I want to try to watch some football matches in person as it really is such a fun experience, however, it’s so much harder as an adult with a dog and without my dad driving me round the country 🥲 I think the closest clubs and ‘easiest to get to’ from the WSL, PL and EFL are in London or Brighton, which would still mean a couple of hours travel. Plus, trains to and tickets for professional football matches are expensive.

So, I know nothing about semi-professional football, but the closest football team near me is Deal Town. They are in the Isthmian League, which was founded in 1905 and is split into four divisions, Deal Town being in the South East Division. Deal Town FC was form in the early 1900’s.

Deal also has a women’s team, but there was no information on their website about fixtures, but I will keep an eye out for any developments there. I couldn’t find much information on 25/26, I think they are part of Division 2: South East Counties Women’s Football League, but I can’t guarantee that’s accurate information.

The Isthmian League: South East Division 25/26 season starts on Saturday 9th August.

---

Overall, I’m looking forward to getting back into watching football. I’m not sure how, or if, I will incorporate this into my blog. If you have any suggestions, do let me know!

Thank you for reading!

I hope you’re having a lovely day and staying safe 💖