If a book were to be written about the 2020/21 season, the first question the author would ask themselves is “where do I start?”.

With Covid19 forcing games to continue behind closed doors, then stadiums reopening and shutting in the blink of an eye. The European Super League and Arsenal finishing the campaign without European football for this first time this millennium. So much happened both on and off the pitch.

Rather than a post-season review, Darren Berry’s Over Land and Sea (and Lockdown) Arsenal 20/21 – The Corona Diaries is a diary of the season. Documenting what happened, as it happened.

In a follow up to his popular Clickbait: Life as a Modern Football Fan, Darren’s diary of the 2020/21 season takes us a journey in a manner unique to himself.

Darren addresses every event as it happens on and off the pitch, starting with September and games beginning behind closed doors.

We quickly reach December and the return of the fans and before he has even done his Christmas shopping, games are once again behind closed doors.

The book also introduces the “Rise of the Anti-Fan”.

2020/21 became the season when some football fans took a position to continually criticise the clubs they apparently loved to appear “edgy”, “cool” and mainly in the name of retweets, followers and notoriety.

The type of people who moan the club are not spending any money. Then money when the club spends money. As Darren puts it “Arsenal could win the treble and they would say the side was overrated”.

As the year moves into 2021, with Arsenal in a “relegation battle” (we never were, it was the media hyping a story for clickbait: see Darren’s previous book) Darren sums up the feeling of probably every football fan when he says “I really can’t be bothered”.

Alongside what is happening on the pitch, Darren shares his own experiences of living (and often drinking) his way through various different tiers of lockdown as part of his Corona Diaries. Stories that everyone that lived the experience can recognise.

Lockdown fatigue has set in and Arsenal are doing little to raise an excitement.

Just as we thought things could not get any worse, in April the European Super League reared its ugly head.

Some good came out of the Super League which gave us an excuse to meet old mates in pubs around the ground before the protest.

As the season comes to a close, Darren begins to discuss his hopes for the next season with the return of fans full time and the ending of lockdown.

No matter how poor the previous season was, it is always the hope that gets you, draws you back in just as you thinking it was time to give it all up.

2020/21 was a journey of epic proportions; and there is no better way to experience what happened than through the eyes and pen of Darren Berry’s Over Land and Sea (and Lockdown) Arsenal 20/21 – The Corona Diaries.

To purchase Over Land and Sea (and Lockdown) Arsenal 20/21 – The Corona Diaries, click here.

Keenos