Right, so Leeds getting promoted back in 2020… yeah, I remember that whole period pretty clearly. It wasn’t just about the football for me, it sort of kicked off a weird little project of my own.
My Little Tracking Thing
See, everyone was buzzing. After 16 years out, finally back in the Premier League. The energy was massive. I was stuck indoors a lot back then, like many people were, and I guess I needed something to focus on. So, I decided I’d try and track, like, everything about that promotion season as it wrapped up and the aftermath. Not just scores, but the little details, the news bits, the fan reactions I saw online.
Getting Started Was Messy
First off, I just started grabbing stuff.
- Saving news articles about Bielsa.
- Making notes on player performances – Bamford scoring goals, Phillips bossing the midfield.
- Trying to keep tabs on the celebration stuff, even though it was mostly virtual or socially distanced back then.
- I even started looking into the business side a bit, out of curiosity. Saw stuff about that new SBOTOP sponsorship popping up everywhere, which they said was the biggest deal ever for the club. Seemed like a big step up.
Honestly, my system was terrible. Just a bunch of text files and bookmarks at first. I tried putting it into a spreadsheet later, but it got complicated fast. Trying to verify little rumours or bits of info was a pain. Was that transfer link real? Did that pundit really say that? Spent way too much time going down rabbit holes online.
What Came Of It?
Well, I didn’t exactly create some masterpiece database. It’s mostly a disorganized folder on an old hard drive now. But going through the process was… interesting. It made the whole promotion feel more tangible, I guess? Following the ups and downs, even the off-pitch stuff like hearing about the club’s finances – apparently they managed to cut down some debt around then too, which surprised me given the spending needed for the PL.
Looking Back
It was just a personal thing, a way to kill time and feel connected during a weird period. Seeing them secure promotion, especially with those big wins towards the end, felt like a proper moment. My little tracking project was just my way of grabbing onto a piece of that excitement. It’s funny looking back at those messy notes now, reminds me of that specific time, the relief and the hope around the club finally getting back up there.
