Football Manager 2008 made me obsessed; Iceland made me humble.

Iceland. A land of fire, ice, and surprisingly intense football grounds. Most people think of volcanoes, mountains, glaciers, or perhaps puffins when they hear the name. I think of grass (sometimes AstroTurf), football clubs, and a laptop humming in the corner as a younger version of me conquered the Icelandic leagues in Sensible World of Soccer & Football Manager 2008.

Truth be told, I came here because the RAF sent me out on a job. But during downtime, I did what any reasonable human would do: I maximised every single day off to see as many football grounds as I could.

This mini-series is my pilgrimage — part travelogue, part digital nostalgia, all obsession. Over four stops — Najvorik FC, Keflavik FC, Valur and KR Reykjavík — I walked the pitches where legends both real and pixelated played, breathed in the locker-room smell of ambition, and witnessed communities living, breathing, and supporting football in a way only Iceland can.

I came to see the grounds. I came to see the clubs. But mostly, I came to see what happens when childhood Sensible Soccer 1996/97 obsessions, mixed with Football Manager 2008 addictions, meet grown-up reality — and to confirm that sometimes, the games we play on screens are only half the story.

So insert coin and enjoy. My Pixelated Pilgrimage starts here.