Groundhopping

losthorizon

I wonder do we have any Groundhoppers here? It seems to be really popular in Germany and Belgium and to a lesser extent Britain. While I am an Irish football fan I will if I am on holiday go and see a match if i can (I had to become an Ajax member years ago to see them play). Even if I'm in a town or a city and theres no match on I will often check the stadium out if its near. Funnily enough I like the tiny little grounds the best - they seem to have the best character.

http://groundhopping.over-blog.de/

http://hoppysnaps.blogspot.com/

Paully D

http://www.ninetytwoclub.org.uk/index.htm

frantic190

Always get to a game when I am away, there is great banter to be had with the home fans of football clubs across Europe and elsewhere. I was in Toronto last summer and planned to attend their Champions League game, but ended up attending every home match that they played while I was there

Over the past few years we have had groundhoppers in Dalymount from Holland, Luxembourg, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Wales (not the Rhyl lads that usually come over), Canada, the US and probably more. Not to mention a groundhopper from Cork thats been around a fair bit. Always great to have a chat with them in the bar in Dalymount, been a lot of interesting places. This season we have had a few lads from St. Pauli who were doing a ground hopping tour, some Portuguese lads who were over for the Europa final who went to Pats and Shels aswell AFAIK and an English fella who has been in every ground in the UK.

We have also had this German fella with us in Dalymount, on our away trip to Rhyl and for a Shels game a few years ago.
http://groundhopping.de/bohs-fkriga.htm
http://groundhopping.de/rhylfc.htm
http://groundhopping.de/bohs_eng.htm

Also:
http://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/afibinirland2010/2010/05/31/ground-hopping-part-ii/

All these groundhoppers love the grounds over here (although one English fella said Dalymount was a bit "run down" :pac: ).

Another interesting one is this guy from Northern Ireland who films his ground hopping exploits: (Mainly Northern Irish grounds, but he is starting on Ireland now)
http://www.youtube.com/user/UlsterGroundhopper

Zebra3

Wouldn't call myself a groundhopper, but any time I'm abroad I'll go take in some local action.


Maybe even a game or two. :pac:.

shanec1928

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.ie&sl=auto&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php%3Fkategorie%3D3&usg=ALkJrhgE1O4L5J-hB8BZj97kg-nTDqa51Q

proper groundhopping

Jelle1880

I'd class myself as a little bit of a groundhopper (Not to the extent of the link above though, bloody hell ).

Been to Germany, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Holland and planning a few more trips this year as well.

stovelid

Wouldn't say I'm a ground hopper but I would always go to a game of any league level if I was visiting somewhere.

_blank_

I've been to a match in most cities I've visited.

Went regularly to Sydney FC in the A-League when I lived there

The_Kew_Tour

Been to local derbies in Brazil, Argentina, Japan and even Pakistan. Was at Rome derby in 2008. My previous job I traveled quite bit so this was a plus point

Been to plenty other games maybe the most bizarre was when I was working in India for few reasons.

losthorizon

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Been to local derbies in Brazil, Argentina, Japan and even Pakistan. Was at Rome derby in 2008. My previous job I traveled quite bit so this was a plus point

Been to plenty other games maybe the most bizarre was when I was working in India for few reasons.

Pakistan? Wow! Was there many at the game?

frantic190

forza rovers wrote: »

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.ie&sl=auto&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php%3Fkategorie%3D3&usg=ALkJrhgE1O4L5J-hB8BZj97kg-nTDqa51Q

proper groundhopping

He's been to a few Irish games:

Shelbourne FC - Longford Town FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1653

Cliftonville FC - Portadown FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1616

Bohemian FC - Drogheda United FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1615

St. Patricks Athletic FC - Bohemian FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1478

St. Patricks Athletic FC - Dungannon Swifts
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=956

Republic of Ireland - Slovakia
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=957

Great site though, don't think I have found that one before. Cheers!

losthorizon

frantic190 wrote: »

He's been to a few Irish games:

Shelbourne FC - Longford Town FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1653

Cliftonville FC - Portadown FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1616

Bohemian FC - Drogheda United FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1615

St. Patricks Athletic FC - Bohemian FC
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=1478

St. Patricks Athletic FC - Dungannon Swifts
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=956

Republic of Ireland - Slovakia
http://www.tornadosrapid.at/matches.php?match=957

Great site though, don't think I have found that one before. Cheers!

I always think that Tolka Park looks great especially when there is a crowd - proper stadium. A bit like Turners Cross. So many Irish Grounds look a bit unfinished. Thats a great site.

I always like looking at German stadiums. Its a real football culture from the very best of the best stadiums to the tiny tiny stadiums where just one man and his dog attends all connected together in a huge pyramid system.

Oat23

Black Stars Africa v FC Windhoek in Namibia would be my strangest..

But Pakistan?

Lawrence1895

I kept it local within Germany, apart from some trips to Italy, France, Austria and the Netherlands with Borussia Dortmund.

The strangest grounds, I visited were in Bavaria and Eastern Germany though

3hn2givr7mx1sc

I've been to only 3 club stadiums I think. United, Rovers and UD Lanzarote. Lanzarote were on an unbelievable bad run up to when I went to see them and everyone was like "Why the **** would you bother going to see them at 10 on a Sunday morning?". Then they beat Tolido(iirc) 2-1 when we were there. Decent game, 2 good goals and a sending off. I'd say about 1,000 at it. Absolutely boiling stone bucket seats! Passionate crowd too.

I love the idea of 'Groundhopping'! I plan on going to every stadium in the LoI Premier and First Division anyway! Wouldn't mind trying to do the 92 in England too.

The_Kew_Tour

losthorizon wrote: »

Pakistan? Wow! Was there many at the game?

Sorry only getting back now...

It was between Afgan fc and KRL Fc..as far as I know they are not full time professional but found the game entertaining some decent open football..

As for crowd about 5,000 maybe bit more at it..Stadium is not great though seats were even bit dodge

Jelle1880

My list for the coming season is coming along quite nicely

Sheffield derby
West Ham - Millwall and maybe the fixture at Millwall too
Old Firm game
Rome derby and probably a Lazio home game in the Europa League

Third_Echelon

Yeah, when i'm away I tend to check out local fixtures and see who is playing and go along to the local team's match. I do some travelling with work, so it's a nice excuse to get out of a hotel for an evening. I would do this with both football and rugby... If there isn't a game on, i'd at least visit the stadium and do the tour if there is one.

Charisteas

I will always make time to visit a stadium if i'm visiting a new city, just four weeks ago whilst on a weeks holiday in Eastern Europe I made time to visit the Puskas stadium in Budapest.

I'm not a 'hopper' but i've been to around 50 around the globe. The biggest stadium i've been to is the Maracana, the smallest i've been to is Torpoint Athletic in Cornwall, but my all-time favourite is Highbury.

Jelle1880

This weekend two new additions to the list, Easter Road and Tynecastle in Edinburgh :cool:

Mr. Denton

Goto Malta. 6 of the 12 teams share the one stadium. You could probably get the whole league done in a day.

The_Kew_Tour

Jelle1880 wrote: »

This weekend two new additions to the list, Easter Road and Tynecastle in Edinburgh :cool:

Hope you have a decent Scottish accent for that one or else keep very quiet...

Jelle1880

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Hope you have a decent Scottish accent for that one or else keep very quiet...

My Belgian team are playing a friendly there, I'll be in the away end doing anything but keeping quiet