In November 2023, I announced that I would be attempting to play FM24 in real time. Up until October 2025, as FM24’s cryogenically preserved lifespan doubled beyond its expected lifespan, such has been the way I have played FM over the past two years. As my love of the game grew, and I found new opportunities to play, I found myself able/wanting to go beyond the snail’s pace that I had adopted as FM24 Touch on my Nintendo Switch just wasn’t scratching the itch.

Last season was long. It was memorable, but it felt never ending at times. I didn’t realise it at the time when I signed for Basel, but when you come to Switzerland the season starts early and ends late, even though there’s 38 league games and one cup competition. It’s great to have a month between games between December and January, but when it comes down to it, it’s only about 10 days of rest really.

An Ode to The FM Notebook and how I intend to use mine for FM26 using The Bullet Journal Method.