The anticipation of a new football season is intense. You’re just about over the previous season as the new one gets started. Emotions of lost games, sweet victories and heartbreaking decisions are still fresh in the mind. There comes a time however where you need to dust yourself off and move on and there’s nothing quite like the purchase of a new home or away shirt to get you into gear for the new season. I mean go ahead and wear last seasons look if your team won something. If not, burn it. I mean why look back? Why wear a jinxed shirt? Why start the season off on the wrong foot? Why put your own team’s destiny in jeopardy? Why wear a losing season kit?
Another great way to prepare for the new season is to keep yourself informed of the summer transfer market. You need to know who’s moving where, especially when it comes to your own team. News of transfers break so fast on the Internet these days. The cool thing about new media is how you are able to communicate with fellow supporters, columnists, bloggers and mankind in general. Years ago we suffered in silence and couldn’t be heard. Getting through to your favourite radio station to complain about the referee or those missed chances was tough going. Now, you can feel part of the whole experience by blogging and posting comments on any given subject. Like me, it could be that nobody on earth hears you. However, there is a comfort in knowing your thoughts are in ink for the InterUniverse to read.
Anyway, I need to run as I’ve got much to do to prepare for the new season. I need to catch-up with the transfer gossip on eyefootball.com, bbc.co.uk, and newsnow.co.uk. I have to read Four Four Two for the inside scoop on which teams and players to watch for next season. I’ve got to look at the schedule to ensure I have no plans or conflicts when the biggest teams in Europe are playing. I need to call Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports to ensure my subscription is all up-to-date. I need to be prepared for all the international World Cup qualifiers coming up. And I will listen to World Soccer Daily on Sirius whenever I can.
How do you prepare for the new season? Do you have any rituals? Any anecdotes from old seasons past? Are you new to this? Help me, help you…
There’s nothing quite like preparing for a Premiership football game on Saturday. The only difference now is that I don’t go to the games, I watch them all on TV. Even though I have TIVO, I still get up to watch the 4.30am games live. You feel more involved when you watch it live. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe I ever got out of bed at that hour for Bolton vs Reading! That’s the kind of fixture where TIVO comes in very handy. Which teams would drag you out of bed at 4.30am? Who is deserving of your attention at that ridiculous hour? How much of a soccer tart are you? 
I am a Brit living in the United States. I grew up in London watching the beautiful game. Arsenal is my team. I had the privilege to watch them play at Highbury for many years. Then I moved to the States. Luckily, Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports have given me my weekly Premiership fix. My fix also requires the images and sounds of La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and the Bundesliga. ESPN came to the rescue too when they started broadcasting the Champions League in High-Definition. Life got better that day. I am also a huge fan of international soccer, especially European and the flare of those exquisite South American teams. Brazil and Argentina have been an art form for decades.