Ten years is a lot doing anything! 😮 And it takes real dedication to stick around so long. Luckily for me, these past ten years have been some of the best of my life, growing and nurturing Orlando City UK.
Orlando City UK has been my baby since November 2015 – a labour of love, obsession, and way too much caffeine. A little fun fact – when I first joined Twitter (X) in 2015, the @orlandocityuk handle was already taken. I reached out to the owner and explained my plans to cover the team, but he politely declined. So I went with @Orlando_CityUK – and from that moment, I was fully committed to covering all things Orlando City SC.
But life has a way of reminding you that you can’t do everything forever. There comes a time when balance matters more than ambition, when priorities shift, and the next chapter calls louder than the one you’ve been living. So here’s the big news first. In 2026, I’m going to become a DAD! 💜 Amazing, right? With Baby Williams arriving in June, our journey has been extremely difficult. But we’re incredibly grateful that our second round of IVF was successful. My wife, Christie, and I want to thank the team at Care Fertility, as well as our family and friends, for their constant support over the past four years. It’s been the perfect way to end 2025, and we’re both excited for what promises to be a huge 2026 – with maternity and paternity leave timed just right for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 😉
Orlando City UK isn’t going anywhere, but content will be far more reduced. That means no more weekly Stats Previews, live blog commentaries, and transfer articles. Instead, I’m choosing to be kinder to myself by taking more off my plate. I’ll still be around – cheering, writing, and sharing. But with a lot less energy, more sleepless nights, and an exciting new focus on our own little Lion cub. 🦁
For much of my life, I’ve wrestled with social awkwardness and a constant need to prove myself. Orlando City SC became my safe space – a place where I could be confident and truly feel at home. As a lifelong Arsenal fan, Dennis Bergkamp’s words resonate deeply. “When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history. You support it because you found yourself somewhere there – found a place where you belong.” This statement perfectly sums up why I support the Lions – and I can’t say it better! My family has been vacationing in Orlando for over 30 years, and we even had a holiday villa there. So the city has always felt like a second home. From Celebration to ChampionsGate to CityWalk, International Drive to Church Street to the Florida Mall, I’ve fallen in love with every corner – and I know I’ll be returning with my family for the rest of my life. The moment you land at MCO and hop on the airport monorail, the excitement hits like nothing else!
A self-confessed introvert, I never imagined how much joy running this fan club would bring. I’ll never forget the thrill of being officially recognised as an International Fan Club of Orlando City SC in May 2016. Or the feeling of being acknowledged by fellow supporters in Central Florida. Tailgate strangers became friends, and others became contacts you keep for life. One of the wildest moments came while walking the concourse at Inter&Co Stadium in 2022. A young girl spotted me and proudly told her dad, “That’s Orlando City UK!” Being recognised like that was surreal. That’s the magic this club, this sport, and this community can create. And it taught me something I carry to this day. You can do anything when you put your mind to it. And together, we did!
A sufferer of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with autistic traits, I’m a perfectionist through and through. It’s challenged me massively, but it’s also driven much of what I’ve achieved with Orlando City UK. If a head-to-head record against Chicago Fire in a Stats Preview was even one loss wrong, if my Legacy Kit PNG graphics were slightly too lavender, or a Walk and Talk video didn’t feel quite right, the first draft went straight in the recycle bin – and I’d start again. My love for Orlando City SC began innocently, but as I’ve got older, it’s become all-consuming. The need to follow every game, the hunger to know everything, and the compulsion to share every hot take. Like any true passion, football is addictive. Like a drug, it’s a thrilling, intoxicating obsession. Hell, I’ve written some previews knowing even the most die-hard Lion won’t read every word! But Orlando City UK has always been my escape, my focus, and my joy. Looking back, my OCD and autistic traits drove me to create, to connect, and to obsess over every detail. In doing so, it carried me to unforgettable places, forged lifelong friendships, and gave me memories I’ll treasure forever.
Over the years, I’ve meticulously crafted every news feature, live blog, unboxing video, Zoom interview, and Stats Preview with our loyal supporters in mind. Heck, I didn’t miss previewing a single Orlando fixture across all competitions, from our home game against Portland Timbers at the Citrus Bowl on 03.04.2016 to our Wild Card match at Chicago Fire on 22.10.2025. That’s 381 preview blogs in total, aside from my brief three-match boycott during the 2024 Leagues Cup. I’ve done it all – from the Player Rally Tunnel, to exclusive locker room and training ground access, meeting everyone from Kingston to Kaká, appearing on FOX 35 Orlando News, and even enjoying a crowdfunded trip to our victorious 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final. It’s still the kindest and most incredible gesture I’ve ever experienced, and I can’t thank every donor enough. A journey of highs, lows, and unforgettable moments, OCUK has been a way to channel my obsessive tendencies into something meaningful and fun. Though 4,340 miles and an entire ocean separate Orlando and London, I’ve never felt more connected to a community I know I’ll always be a part of.
And yes, I’ll admit it. For many years, I secretly hoped that all this might one day lead to a dream job at Orlando City SC itself. Before I met my wife, there were countless lonely nights when I’d daydream about moving to Orlando to work with the club full-time. That never happened, but honestly, I loved the “unofficial” role I carved out on this side of the pond. Meeting like-minded UK fans, helping guide British holidaymakers, and sharing the Lions’ MLS journey? I wouldn’t trade a single second of it. Talking of secrets, did you know I was actually selected for Orlando’s #FaceOfCity directive in 2020? Unfortunately, the campaign required me to be in Orlando for a special photoshoot at Inter&Co Stadium. Although I was living in Toronto at the time, I was unable to make it. 😔
Ever since we held our first-ever Watch Party in April 2016 – for City’s 2-2 draw against New England Revolution – things have grown in ways I never imagined. What started as a small gathering of 7 of us quickly began to gain momentum, as you can see from the image above. Over the years, Orlando City UK has introduced me to incredible people who’ve turned this into more than just a fan club. I can’t possibly list everyone without missing someone, but there are a few individuals who deserve a special mention. To David, Andrea, and Luke Manock – your hospitality and generosity over the years has been nothing short of incredible. Thank you for always putting us up and for becoming true lifelong friends. To Samuel Reda – your support and guidance in the early years of Orlando City UK was fundamental. Thank you for helping amplify my early messages through OC Lions Fan, and for being a great friend (and fellow Gooner!). To Michelle Serowchak, Josh Gumbel, and Allison Freebern – I truly thank you for handling all my merchandise enquiries, and for always producing jerseys to a standard that satisfies my obsessive tendencies! And to the Queen of Orlando City SC, Kay Rawlins, and Kirk Chin – for always opening your door to me and my family, and for making our trips to the States extra special. Kay, you just ‘get it’, and being a fellow Brit made our experiences that much richer.
To everyone else who has supported, guided, and celebrated alongside me – Alex Wolf, Jarrod Dillon, Phil Rawlins, Luke Boden, Miguel Gallardo, Evan Weston, Gabrielle Amado, Patti Henderson, Jonathon Rogers, Kristian Heneage, David Valentin, John Rawlins, Luis Carlos Pineda, Gavin Rushnell, Kirstin Delgado, Calen Carr, Tom Traxler, Jeff Radcliffe, Eddie Cruz, Mike Spillane, Moraima Diaz, Frances Mocnik Wilson, Ana Kennedy, Kyle Butler, The English Lion, Logan Miller, Zach Bartkus, Jeff Thompson, Tesho Akindele, Cheyenne Foster, Jessica Charman, Andrew ‘Barney’ Barnard, Charlotte Patterson, James Graham, Elliot Holman, Henry Hewitt, Julia Poe, Paul Shaw, Arthur Fernandes Trilles, Jared Ambrose, Elodie Touzet, Josh Keeble, Jay Taylor, the Euston Flyer pub, and so many others. You know who you are, and you’ve meant the world! And finally, to our SEVENTY-ONE (71) loyal and devoted Orlando City UK members. Thank you for believing in this community, for joining the journey, and for making this fan club so meaningful. Do you remember our COVID pub quiz from April 2020? Even small things like this make me proud of what we built together.
And the moments! Watching Orlando City SC lift the 2022 U.S. Open Cup in person, standing in The Wall at Inter&Co Stadium, walking on the pitch, helping with card stunts, witnessing Facundo Torres become a legend, attending the 2019 MLS All-Star Game in Orlando, and following the Lions on the road at CF Montréal and Toronto FC when I emigrated to Canada. These are all memories I’ll treasure forever.
I’ll never forget settling into my seat on an Aer Lingus flight back to the UK after seeing Orlando lift the U.S. Open Cup in September 2022. Just before take-off, a wave of emotion hit me, and I couldn’t hold back the happy tears streaming down my face. In that moment, it all started to sink in. I’d just watched my team lift a trophy live, surrounded by the kindness of the #OCTwitter community – aka, my extended family. Man, it felt like the culmination of so much hard work. A true pinch-me experience, I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.
I’ve had the absolute privilege of turning my obsession into a decade-long journey that inspired a global community. But life moves on. Responsibilities grow. And now, I get to step into my biggest challenge yet – FATHERHOOD. 💜 I’m nervous, excited, and everything in between. And Orlando City UK will adapt with me. It won’t be at the same pace, but it will still be part of my life.
So before I sign off on this chapter, here’s a little snapshot of what we’ve built together:
Orlando City UK by the numbers
- Stats Previews: 381
- Twitter (X) Followers: 4,924
- Blog Posts: 920
- Individual Tweets: 20,000+
- Live Blogs: 151
- Interviews: 48
- Trips to the United States: 11
- OCUK Watch Parties: 5
- OCUK Members: 71
- Orlando Jerseys Bought: 40
- Apple TV Renewals: 2
- Lifelong Memories: Countless
To everyone who’s followed, liked, retweeted, or left a positive testimonial – thank you from the bottom of my heart! You made it all worth it. The laughs, the tears, and the late-night match recaps – I’ll never forget them. And while I’ll be sharing less, Orlando City UK will always be here – cheering, celebrating, and savouring every Orlando City SC goal and win, this side of the pond. Here’s to the next chapter – for me as a Dad, for Orlando City UK, and for the club that brought us all together. It’s been one hell of a decade.
Vamos Orlando!
Defy Expectations!
Forever Our City!
Dale Mi Amor!
