Well the blog has now gone into its second year, and I’ve managed to give the wife the slip at least 60 times during the past twelve months!
As I’m based in Long Eaton it’s handy for most parts of the country. Living so close to East Midlands airport is also useful for regular trips to Scotland, and an annual pilgrimage to Holland.
As well as recording my travels around various stadia, the general idea of this site is to report on the availability (or not) of good ale and vegetarian food at or in the vicinity of grounds. The lack of vegetarian fayre in particular often leads me to believe I must be the only veggie in football, otherwise there’d surely be a national outcry. The real ale situation is marginally better, and I’d say that one in two grounds has at least a bottled ale on offer.
A bit about me – I went to my first match (at Filbert Street, Leicester) with my father in 1965 and followed Leicester for ten years. I always say they were ‘my dad’s team’ and when I got itchy feet (and a car) I started what I call my first tour of new grounds (1976/77), during which I went to the City Ground for the first time and got the Forest bug. They’ve been ‘my team’ ever since.
My second new ground tour started in 1987 when working in the Black Country and I followed Wolves around the lower reaches, and apart from a couple of years watching Darlington home & away (for no other reason than I loved Feethams and met like-minded souls) it’s been Forest all the way.
In 2004 I got the wandering bug again, and began my third (and still ongoing) tour of new grounds. The wife says I’m sad but it keeps me happy…
April 24, 2009 at 4:33 pm |
I loved your report of North Leigh, I went there when I was a student in Oxford (Oxford Brookes, not the posh one!). I loved the ground, completely wierd, strange people, but very, very friendly. My next trip after that was Witney Towns (Then newely built) ground, what a horrible advert it was for football, I can see why they thought it would be a great idea, but it did not work.
I just wondered what you think of my local team North Ferriby Utd. I am a Hull City fan, but the better they have got, the less I have been going, and the more I have been frequenting non-league grounds (my fioncee doesn’t understand either!) I am sick of the glory-fans Hull have got now. Where were they all when we were crap. In the pub wearing their Leeds Utd shirts, thats where!
Anyway, I am biased, and not a huge ground-hopper (30 non league grounds), however, I feel North Ferriby has everything to offer. 1) Decent football 2)Great clubhouse with decent beer 3)Cover on all four sides 4)Picturesque settings (Church, river Humber, obligatory railway line!) 5)Always 150+ fans 6)Nice village pub nearby 6)Rail station with links to Hull, Leeds, Sheffield without changing. What more could a groundhopper ask for?
Anyway, enjoy your next match, and I look forward to reading your excellent reports
PS My second favourite ground is Great Yarmouth. Get yourself there if you can, its worth a visit
June 19, 2009 at 6:00 am |
good blog
filbert street with 42000 in it was not fun !! good away days though (except bolton )-remember luton town easter 1971- hot pants an’ all
October 5, 2009 at 4:34 pm |
Brilliant stuff, good detail with stadiums. Ever been to Love Street (St Mirren’s old groud)? Absolutely Phenomenal!