How to Enhance your Football League Fandom ahead of the New Campaign

The Football League consists of the Championship, League One and League Two and each division is packed with drama throughout the season. As teams in England bid to make it to the Premier League, the unpredictability that plays out on the pitch is a huge part of the appeal with millions of fans from around the world tuning in each week. The stadiums are packed and the leagues continue to go from strength to strength.

If you are keen to pay more attention to the Football League, there are a number of ways you can enhance your fandom throughout the upcoming 2025/26 campaign. This article will provide tips and guidance on how you can become an avid fan.

Watch a Live Game

Nothing compares to watching a live game and so, if you are in a position to do so, getting a ticket for a match in the Championship, League One or League Two should be your first port of call. There are a number of online resources where you can locate all kinds of football tickets from Real Madrid in the Champions League to AFC Wimbledon playing in the play-offs. It’s a wise move to put in the time and effort to scour ticket websites as there is great availability for some of the top games in football.

When it comes to Leagues One and Two, not every fixture will sell out and so it is possible to get a ticket through official sources via the club itself. It’s worth giving the team a call, an email or reaching out on social media to find out the best course of action. In some cases, it is possible to pay on the gate on the day of the match but this can be a risky move. You don’t want to travel all the way to the ground only to find the game is sold out.

In the Championship, which features big clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town and Southampton, fixtures will often sell out and so it’s worth scouring resources online and also looking in to club memberships. By signing up, there are instances where you can buy a season ticket holder’s seat on the days they can’t make it due to other commitments. Keep an eye out on club websites for the latest announcements about match tickets.

Enjoy a Stadium Tour

The next best event to watching a live game is going behind the scenes and enjoying tours of all the different stadiums. The Football League boasts 72 teams across the three divisions and each one boasts a ground which is unique in its own way. Attending a tour will give you a peek behind the curtain and here you will be able to see all the executive seating and head to the dressing room for the home team and away side. 

What’s more, you’ll also be allowed to walk out of the tunnel and follow in the footsteps of your idols. Heading out pitch-side, you’ll see close up the green turf the players take to every week and get an idea of what their routine is on matchday when they head out hoping to win three points.

Become an Expert 

Another way to enhance your fandom of all things Football League is to become a nerd and learn everything there is to know about the Championship, League One and League Two. With so many teams and players featuring every Saturday there is so much to learn. Taking steps to get a real grasp on the league will bolster your enjoyment and improve how you engage and interact with the leagues.

The Football League was founded way back in 1888 and so there is a load of history to read up on and explore. From stats, data and old league standings, it’s fascinating to look back on how the leagues have developed over the years. 

There is plenty of old footage to enjoy online too, from memorable matches to classic play-off showdowns at Wembley. Who can forget Charlton and Sunderland drawing 4-4 in 1998? And then there was Leicester’s injury-time penalty miss at Vicarage Road which led to Watford racing up the other end and scoring an incredible winner to win through to the final. The narratives produced in the Football League are unrivalled meaning there is hours of content to be enjoyed from years gone by.

Play Fantasy Football

Playing Fantasy EFL is a great way to have fun throughout the season while also boosting your love of the Football League. Taking on friends, family and even strangers in tournaments and leaderboards, it’s a great way to immerse yourself in the game beyond the ninety-minute match. 

The aim of the game is to pick a starting eleven of EFL players and you earn points based on what they achieve in the real world. So, for example, if you select Wrexham striker Ryan Hardie and he nets a hat-trick against Millwall, this will benefit your fantasy side and boost your standing. 

Overall, there are a range of activities and events to enjoy and enhance your Football League fandom. From being lucky enough to watch a game live to going on a stadium tour and playing Fantasy Football, there is so much to see and do throughout an exciting campaign.