Tottenham Hotspur Women’s Vs Arsenal Women’s
Matchday 27 unfolded as another excursion to London, constituting the fourth game within a six-day span. This particular outing held special significance—it was the North London Derby featuring Tottenham Hotspur Womens against Arsenal Womens, marking our first Derby encounter of the 92. Notably, it was also our fourth time witnessing Arsenal Womens in action. The uniqueness of this match was further accentuated by the venue—the remarkable Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Incredibly, tickets for this encounter were priced at an astonishingly affordable £15 for myself and a mere £3.50 for Liam—truly a fantastic deal! 👌
Cardiff City Vs Birmingham City
Matchday 26 led us to the heart of Wales, the capital city of Cardiff, a place with personal significance as my childhood hometown. Knowing it was an evening kick-off, a recurring theme in this challenge, we set off immediately after picking up Liam from school, a routine becoming quite familiar. The journey was smooth until we encountered heavy traffic on the M4. Despite the congestion, we managed to maintain a speed of approximately 20 mph throughout the journey, spanning from junction 24 to 33. As we approached Culverhouse Cross Junction on the A2323, we faced more traffic, but shortly after passing it, we had only a brief distance left to the ground. Following advice from Richard, a friend of 30 years, we parked for free on a road just a 10-minute walk from the stadium.
Rotherham United Vs West Bromwich Albion
Matchday 25 presented yet another challenging traffic ordeal, requiring over 3 hours to reach Rotherham. The weather conditions added to the difficulty, with heavy wind and rain making the journey even more demanding. To compound matters, a missed turn off on the motorway led to an additional trip on the M6 toll, incurring an extra £5.60 to the overall cost of the game. For the first time, both Liam’s Nan and Grandad Steve joined us for this game. Given their allegiance to West Brom, we decided that sitting with the Albion fans would be the optimal choice for all of us to thoroughly enjoy the match.
Arsenal Women’s vs Chelsea Women’s
Matchday 24 stood out as the pinnacle among the 92 stadiums—an unforgettable visit to The Emirates Stadium in London. The anticipation for this game soared when, 24 hours before, Arsenal announced on social media that an astounding 58,000 tickets had already been sold for a womens football match—an unprecedented occurrence.
Wigan Athletic Vs Stockport County
Matchday 23 marked our inaugural venture into hospitality, a promise made to Liam at the beginning of this challenge to experience at least one stadium per year with this added perk. On a whim, we enquired about the possibility of having hospitality at Wigan, and with the assistance of Lisa from Wigan, this was promptly arranged. I must express my immense gratitude to Lisa for her invaluable assistance, making this particular match the highlight of Liam’s experiences thus far.
Accrington Stanley vs Lincoln City
Once again, our journey entailed picking up Liam directly from school and navigating the M6. Given past experiences at this hour, I anticipated heavy traffic, and unfortunately, my prediction held true.
Encountering significant traffic at three different points along the way, we managed to reach Accrington an hour before kick-off. Opting for a nearby car park with donation-based fees, I was disappointed to find most of it submerged in water. Concerned about wet shoes during the 2.5-hour drive home, I requested relocation from the attendant, who seemed a bit perplexed. Eventually, we found a small, frozen patch of grass without water.
Swansea City vs Huddersfield Town
Matchday 21 took us on a journey to the westernmost club in the UK as part of our quest to visit all 92 Football League Grounds – the Liberty Stadium, home to both the Ospreys Rugby Union side and, more importantly for us, Swansea AFC.
We kicked off the day with a hearty breakfast at Tim Hortons in Birmingham, preparing ourselves for the lengthy three-hour train journey involving two trains. The first leg, with CrossCountry Trains in the comfort of first class, was smooth, arriving virtually on time at Bristol Parkway. The subsequent Great Western service offered a relatively peaceful journey, albeit arriving in Swansea about seven minutes behind schedule, which wasn’t too bothersome.
Notts County vs Shrewsbury Town
Matchday 20 took us back to Nottingham for an exciting clash between Notts County and Shrewsbury Town in the 2nd round of the FA Cup. It was a special match, considering Notts Countys historic status as the Worlds Oldest Professional club participating in the Oldest Football Competition globally. The journey to the stadium faced its challenges with heavy traffic on the M5, M6, and M42, but despite the odds, we made it just in time for kick-off.
Oxford United vs Bolton Wanderers
Matchday 19 marked the second fixture in a 10-day period, setting the stage for a series that will eventually cover the furthest northern and western clubs. Despite the journey covering a short 1.5 hours, we found ourselves at The Kassam Stadium, the current home to Oxford United, which is slated for relocation in the summer of 2026. The drive to Oxford, though trouble-free given the time of day, had a minor hiccup when a warning light indicated low pressure in both front tires about an hour into the journey. After a quick check on the onboard tire monitoring system, I decided to deal with it after the game. Approaching the stadium, we were guided around the back of a local leisure complex, featuring a VUE cinema and Hollywood Bowl, offering ample free parking just a 5-minute walk from the ground. A stop at the club shop resulted in the purchase of our matchday scarf and program, totaling £19.
Carlisle United vs Charlton Athletic
Matchday 18 marked the commencement of a thrilling sequence of four matches within an eight-day span. Our journey took us north, all the way to Carlisle United, who played host to Charlton Athletic—a club with a Premier League history dating back to 2007.
This fixture carried an extra layer of excitement as Carlisle United had recently undergone a change in ownership. The Castle Sports Group, owned by the Piatak family from Jacksonville, Florida, USA, now steered the ship.