A Season I’ll Never Forget:

I’ve tried to start writing this about a hundred times, but honestly, I still don’t really know what to say. In my head, I’m still in Lisbon, watching my club win the Champions League, surrounded by some of my favourite people in the world. I don’t think that feeling will ever fully sink in.

This season has been an absolute whirlwind. So many highs and lows, unforgettable moments, new friendships, and memories I’ll hold onto forever. I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve written over 50 pieces, been to 32 matches, and watched even more from home. And now that it’s over, I weirdly don’t even feel excited for the Euros - I just want more club football. More Arsenal.

I wasn’t really sure what this piece should be. Should I write about the trips? My favourite games? Favourite players? A tribute to Renee Slegers? Maybe break down the tactics from the final? Honestly, I think it’s just going to be what it needs to be - emotional, honest, and real. Because this season wasn’t just another season. It was THE season. The one that changed everything for me.

Arsenal are European champions. Let that sink in.

A Journey Written in Fixtures:

Around halfway through the season, I started keeping track of all the games I’d been to. I use this brilliant little app called Momento - it lets you add pictures, tag friends, and turns everything into this living, breathing highlight reel (not an ad…but honestly, Momento, if you’re reading this - my inbox is open). I’ve also kept a running list in my notes app, constantly updating it. Match after match, city after city.

The final in Lisbon was my 32nd game of the season as a fan in the stands. Thirty-two. That number still blows my mind. Last season, I only managed 12 because of other commitments. This year, I had more freedom, more space in my life, and I grabbed that with both hands. I travelled more than ever before, and I loved every second of it.

Meadow Park. The Emirates. Manchester. Crawley. Stamford Bridge. Walton Hall Park. Lyon. Villa Park. Lisbon. That’s not even the full list, but it paints the picture. 

The season didn’t start easy. I was at the Champions League qualifiers against Rosenborg and Häcken, both at Meadow Park. Then came that underwhelming draw at home to City. I missed a few games around then - Leicester away, Everton at home, Bayern away - and something just felt…off. Even that Chelsea defeat at the Emirates didn’t shock me. I was numb. The atmosphere wasn’t clicking, and neither was I. I still loved the club, always will, but the connection wasn’t there. The excitement, the passion, it felt like it had faded.

I’ll never forgive myself for missing Renee Slegers’ first match in charge. At the time, no one really knew what to expect. It felt uncertain. But my favourite player (Emily Fox) scored her first goal for Arsenal that day, and something inside me shifted. There was a flicker of belief, of hope, of something building. After that Valerenga match, I only missed four games for the rest of the season. That says it all really - I was hooked.

The last one I missed was Valerenga away in December. From that point on, it was 24 games in a row. Starting with Liverpool away on December 15th, ending in Lisbon on May 24th with a Champions League final. 

Of course, the final stands above everything else. But a few others are etched in my heart too - Tottenham away, Bayern at Meadow Park, Lyon away. Different feelings, different memories, but all part of the same beautiful chaos.

That Night in Lisbon.

Most people didn’t think the odds were in our favour that night. Truthfully, neither did I.

I’ve seen us take hundreds to Madrid, thousands to Lisbon. I’ve seen the Emirates packed to the rafters, watched us outnumber home fans in their own grounds. But I’ve never witnessed anything like what I saw on Pink Street, before the game, after the game, all of it.

I’ve always known Arsenal are massive. I’ve seen what we build, week after week. But now the world knows too.

Everyone gave everything. The players. The manager. The staff. The fans. Somehow, everything aligned. Everything clicked. And it became the best moment of my life.

If you’re a die-hard football fan, you’ll get it. There’s nothing quite like it - singing in the streets with people who feel like family, standing on tables, flags draped over railings, banners hung from the bridge above. Banging on the walls, voices echoing through alleyways, stickers on every lamppost like a breadcrumb trail of belief.

Thousands became one. One voice, one heartbeat.

“My Arsenal. My club.” - Leah Williamson

The Heart Behind the Badge:

First and foremost, I’ll always be a fan. That’s where it all begins. I love this club with everything I have - for what it’s given me, for the way it’s shaped my life since I started going to more games. Through Arsenal, I’ve found my best friends, formed bonds I never expected, and fallen in love with the game in ways I still don’t know how to put into words. I’m endlessly grateful to everyone I’ve met along the way, and to those I’ve grown closer to. You’ve given me purpose, something to believe in, beyond just the badge I tap on my chest every weekend.

But this season, I also took a leap in a different way, by writing more than I ever have. This little email newsletter has grown into something so much more than I could have imagined. It feels like a real community - a space filled with people who care about my words, who care about Arsenal Women, who want to talk, share, and feel all of it together. My piece on Renee Slegers meant the world to me. I’ll always remember how deeply it was received. Honestly, I should go back and read it now that we’re Champions League winners, just to see how many of us believed. (Spoiler: a lot. And I love that.)

To Layth, Freddie, Izzy, Suzy, Lumi, and everyone at The Gooner - working with you this season has meant more to me than I can say. From podcast episodes and writing the pieces I’ve always wanted to write, to putting together fanzines that made me so proud. I truly believe we’ve helped grow something special for the Arsenal Women’s community. But this is only the beginning. I’m excited to keep pushing, keep building, and keep giving this everything I’ve got.

Every day feels a little bit like dreamland - that this is my life, that I get to do this. I want to keep growing, learning, and giving back to the club and community that has given me so much.

Thank you will never feel like enough. But it’s a start.