Clubs in the UK
Groundhopping at Ipswich Town FC
A lot of English people look at me kind of funny when I say things like, "I really enjoyed seeing a game at Ipswich Town." But it's true! I genuinely like places like Portman Road, where history trumps glamour and any support for the club is long-time and legitimate. The town of Ipswich itself has…
Groundhopping at Colchester United
Colchester United won't be high on many groundhopping lists, but the club is based in a nice town not too far from London, and it's a trip into the kind of small-time English football where some different kinds of fun can be had. I went out there as part of a three-game weekend in East…
Groundhopping at Peterborough United
Seeing a game at Peterborough United is, for the groundhopper, a great combination of history, atmosphere, quality and – if one is traveling from London – convenience. Known as “The Posh,” which we will explain in a moment, Peterborough as club and town are anything but – which is why we think it’s a great…
Groundhopping at Blackpool FC
Let’s take a trip to Blackpool and see a game at Blackpool FC. Just understand, as we depart, that much around here seems to be about the past, some of which is to be celebrated and some, well, forgotten. Blackpool is a city many visitors to England might not think about, because they didn’t grow…
Groundhopping at Fleetwood Town FC
Going to a football game at Fleetwood Town is a chance to see a small club that got big quickly, step just off the tourist path for a truly local experience, and – lucky for me – witness the kind of magic that only live sports can produce. For many newcomers to English football, Fleetwood…
Groundhopping at Northampton Town
Northampton Town has been in the third or fourth tier of the English Football League since 1967, so seeing a game at their Sixfields Stadium is truly a trip into a non-glamorous world. In fact, in my experience going to games in England, the thing most fans seem to associate with Northampton Town is that…
Groundhopping at Brentford Community Stadium
When I visited Brentford Football Club in West London in 2021, they were having probably the grandest days in their history: playing Premier League games in their shiny new stadium. Here's what it's like to go groundhopping at Brentford Community Stadium. It's hard to imagine a better scenario for what is basically a local community…
Groundhopping at AFC Wimbledon Plough Lane
Even if you didn't know the amazing backstory of AFC Wimbledon, seeing a game at Plough Lane would be a great introduction to watching soccer in London. Greater London is really a sea of neighborhoods, little clusters of houses and shops and parks arranged near train and Underground stations, and it seems every one has…
Reader Report: Pitchside at Tottenham Hotspur
After having their trip for March 2020 postponed due to Covid, the Garno family traveled from the US to England for a groundhopping adventure in August 2021. They went to an EFL Cup game, a League One game, and a Premier League season-opener featuring Manchester City at Spurs on Sunday, August 15. They purchased six…
English Football Fan Chat: Reading FC
“Fan Chats” is our series of videos in which we meet supporters of English football clubs. This episode features Dave, a longtime supporter of Reading FC. The Royals have played in the Championship in 12 of the last 13 seasons, having reached the Premier League for one season in 2012-13. Dave tells us about the…