The greatest goal I ever saw scored - Colin Barrett slams in the second as the Mighty Reds beat Liverpool 2-0 in the European Cup 1978
As we go into Year 4 of the blog I’m still mindful of the cost element of my footy globe-trotting, but ambitious enough this year of taking a chunk out of my remaining grounds north of the border, and further hitting the grounds around London. I should also see off the rest of the Midland Football Alliance, and have my eyes on a three-day Dutch jaunt in April. I may have to seek out a new travelling companion for that one, however, as Eagle Bobster has met a woman !
As well as recording my travels around various stadia, the general idea of this blog 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…
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
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
Brilliant stuff, good detail with stadiums. Ever been to Love Street (St Mirren’s old groud)? Absolutely Phenomenal!
Ohh i remember your city when i was come from France for my first trip in England! Very close to the east middlands airport!
Hi there! enjoyable blog. Stumbled upon it randomly but will look forward to your further posts. I’ve been groundhopping through the FA Cup since August (check out the link)unfortunately it seems we’ll be off to that awful little ground at Derby! I’m glad to see you got down to Walton Casuals, nice little club and I know their left back. Andy. The FA Cup tourists 2009-10
Hi,
Exiled Clyde fan in Sheffield here! just posted a link on our Members Forum re your visit to Broadwood for the Arbroath game. Found your site via Fitba’ Daft and its a great read. Knew you must be a Forest fan when I saw your description of Derby Co in the RIP section! Now confirmed.
Hello,
Found your site through FGIF and think it’s great reading.I too was a Leicester City fan until I found the Non League Game and have been much happier since!!
Visited Belper Town on Saturday- must have the best chips in the world !!- and very friendly people.Even the team was nice- only beat us 2-1,we were expecting a real hammering!!!
Parakeets a plenty at Windsor & Eton last saturday past (11.12.10). Also green woodie and a little owl which took advantage of the floodlight failure there.
Kind regards.
Clearly Windsor & Eton is the place I need to be! The most I saw in one place was Ashford Town near Heathrow so they obviously like this part of SW London.
Venture over to Wales and be my guest at Prestatyn Town for a day. No parakeets but I’ll sort you a veggieburger and see you right for free admission and a programme.
Diolch yn fawr iawn
Mark Jones
Press Officer
Prestatyn Town FC
07753 966805
Jolly decent of you, Mark, although I always insist on paying my way, because grass roots football needs its income stream. I did set me eyes on the League of Wales a couple of years back but I seem to have been side-tracked. It’s only now that I’ve just checked your website that I realise it’s become the Welsh Premier League with just 12 teams – what happened to Porthmadoc (my adopted Welsh team)?
Hopefully I can sort a visit out before the end of the season.
I’ve stumbled across your site after a discussion of groundhopping in Rugby Union at http://www.leaguerugby.co.uk.
Although the shape of the ball is different I think we share the same experiences each Saturday – I’m currenty trying to visit all the rugby union grounds in Yorkshire whilst enjoying a pint and a good veggie meal – rugby seems even worse than soccer in that respect