My Idiot-Proof Guide to Making That Timeline
Okay, so yesterday I got this itch. Wanted a dead simple timeline for the Sunderland vs Coventry match. Just the key bits, ya know? Goals, subs, maybe red cards if someone lost their head. Something so easy my nan could follow it without asking me “what’s offside?” for the hundredth time.
First thing I grabbed my laptop, obviously. Opened up the Football League website – figured that’s the place to start. Loaded slow as Christmas, totally froze up twice. Nearly threw the thing. Finally got the match page open. TMI. Way too much junk – possession percentages I didn’t need, pass accuracy stats… just buried the actual events.
Fine. Hopped over to the BBC Sport live text. Scrolled through like a maniac. They had the timeline mixed in with pundit blah blah, reporter comments, emojis… felt like finding a needle in a haystack. Saw someone mention a goal in minute 13, then scrolled past five paragraphs of tactical analysis before seeing another event. Messed up.
Right, time to get scrappy. I opened Notepad. Just a blank file, simple. Then I went back to the BBC text and scoured it again, ignoring all the noise. Every single time I spotted something important happening?
- Minute 8: Coventry got a yellow card (why? Dunno, didn’t care yet).
- Minute 13: BOOM! Sunderland scored. Noted it.
- Minute 34: Coventry made a sub. Scribbled it down.
Kept scanning up and down the page like crazy. Noticed the order seemed backwards sometimes? BBC puts the latest thing at the top. Dumb. Totally messed me up. Almost missed a Sunderland yellow card from minute 40.
Saw I needed another source. Pulled up the official EFL match centre. Their events feed was actually okay. But even then, stuff like “Corner, Sunderland” every few minutes cluttered things. My list only needed important changes, not every time the ball went out. Started picking out just:
- Goals (obviously!)
- Substitutions (who came on, who went off)
- Yellow/Red Cards (who got booked/sent off)
Pounded that list out in Notepad. Minute by minute, just the action. Cross-referenced between the BBC and the EFL site to make sure I didn’t miss big stuff. Found a Coventry goal minute 65 at BBC, but EFL showed minute 67. Panicked for a sec! Checked a third source (Sky Sports News highlights on their app – finally, a video clip showing it was indeed minute 67. Dodgy BBC timer! Phew. Fixed my list.
Organized it all chronologically. Minute 8, Minute 13, Minute 34… right up to the final whistle. Kept it bare bones:
- 8′ Yellow Card: Player (Coventry)
- 13′ GOAL! Player (Sunderland)
- 34′ SUB: Player OUT ➡ Player IN (Coventry)
Checked it twice. Made sure every single event had the minute first, then exactly what happened, then the team/player. Super clear, zero fancy words. Tested it on my brother: “Can you read this?” He got it instantly. Success!
Slapped the final list into a document. Called it done. Honestly, the websites make it way harder than it needed to be. Just find the actions, ignore the noise, list them simply. Saves your bacon. Feels way better than getting lost in stats nobody asked for. Next time? Might even include missed penalties if they’re dramatic. But that’s it. Simple wins.