No doubt, it has been a long and arduous 18-month of no live football for this Southern-based Supporters branch of the 'Network'. As a founder member of the LUSN, the branch committee has been preparing for the upcoming season. The Government have lifted all legal requirements of social distancing and attending Elland Road to watch Leeds United in the Premier League now has its members counting down the days.

Adey Curd, the branch Chairperson, reflects on the missed promotion matches towards the end of the 2019-20 season. 

''It was such a shame that this pandemic took away what would have been a great day in the history of our football club. We would have had a Party at Swansea City when we clinched promotion as we would have played those rounds of games on the same day as the other Championship fixtures''.

With Leeds United making a remarkable first season impact back in the top flight, branch members had to watch the Whites play on Television or dodgy links.

The Thames Valley members began the first part of the 2020-21 season social distancing at Didcot Town FC large function room with a hired giant Television screen. With sold-out signs displayed, the membership tried to recreate that Elland Road atmosphere. One bonus was they were back home a lot earlier than they would have been if they had attended the games. One member stated that the venue was the next best thing to being at the game, and with around 100 members, it made for a great day and atmosphere. Sadly with the impeding second lock-down, the venue had to be shut down. 

The membership has stayed in contact with each other through the Branch Whatsapp group, which became very popular during the live games. The banter was good, and it also became a source of contact for those having to 'Stay at Home'.

As the country edges towards normality, TVW has identified Loughborough as the test for travelling to games on the coaches. With the first games of the season being Old Trafford, followed by Elland Road, the membership will need to re-acclimatise those long trips up the M1 motorway and almost 8-hour round trip journeys, usually broken up with a pub stop here and there. 

New member Michael Jones told us that he had recently joined the branch after moving to Reading, Berkshire, from Wakefield. He was surprised to see a fully organised Supporters Club in the area and that they regularly travelled to every home and away game by coach.

 ''I was thinking of giving up my Season Ticket at the time as I thought driving up and down to Leeds would be too much so when I saw the details of the branch, I gave them a call''. 

One of the fundamental advantages of joining the Thames Valley Whites is that new friendships are formed. Travelling alone by car or train can be pretty lonely, but the branch members are friendly and make new members very welcome on the bus. There is never a dull moment with all the banter.

So while Marcelo Bielsa prepares his team for the season, the TVW's also join him with a practice run to Loughborough.