Culture
Is There Regular Football During an International Break?
Aside from the various international competitions, is there football during an international break? In other words, if your trip to the UK or Europe happens to fall during an international break, is watching World Cup qualifiers, or whatever, your only choice? It's not. There is regular league football during international breaks -- just not in…
Map and Photo Tour: Where Are the Liverpool FC Murals?
Many of our clients, after going to a game at Liverpool, told us they wished they had a map of the Liverpool FC murals around Anfield and Liverpool. So, since many people want to know where to find Liverpool FC murals, we created this map and photo tour. First, full credit to the blog This…
What is Walking Football?
Here is an introduction to the new sport of walking football, which got its start in Chesterfield, England. By Groundhopper Guides newsletter reader Mike Firth, Heron Publications. Chesterfield FC (read our club profile) has hardly set the soccer world alight in the 139 years since the club was formed. The Derbyshire team has generally spent…
What is the Community Shield Game?
The FA Community Shield is the traditional opening game of the English football season. But what is the Community Shield, exactly? Who plays in it? And when and where does it happen? Let's break it down. First, the FA is the Football Association, the governing body of English football. They run the FA Cup and…
Groundhopper Paul on the “Because Football” Podcast
This week Groundhopper Paul was a guest on the "Because Football" podcast to talk about his personal soccer story, the formation of Groundhopper Guides, and how to get English and European soccer tickets to the biggest clubs. (Watch the episode above) Because Football is a podcast and YouTube storytelling outlet with a passion for exploring…
Groundhopper Paul on the “Crossing The Pond” Podcast
This week Groundhopper Paul was a guest on the "Crossing The Pond" podcast to give his unique insights gathered from groundhopping around the UK. Gary is a Brit with a soccer background who moved to America years ago, and his podcast is all about those transitions and the lessons learned along the way. As an…
English Soccer Games In Person:
So Much More Than Seen On T.V.
Why go see English soccer in Person? We asked that question of Chris Larson, a video producer for Groundhopper Soccer Guides, after he had been to a few games with us. We have some thoughts on why Americans, in particular, will love English soccer. Here is Chris's experience from a game at Chelsea. The first…
13 Ways That Watching Football in England and Europe are Different
What are some of the differences between watching soccer, or football, in England vs watching it in Europe? Here’s an attempted answer from an American who’s been to nearly 200 games between the two. First, let’s acknowledge that “Europe” is an awfully broad term. A game of Fußball in Deutschland is quite different from una…
Ways that Brits Say “That Game Sucked”
Here are a ton of ways that British announcers will say a football game was terrible. Let’s face it: not every game is a thriller. In fact, some of them are really no fun at all. At a game like that, other than the supporters having a go at one another, the only fun thing…
Groundhopper Guides’ “Rules” for Attending Soccer Games in England
Heading to a football (soccer) game in England? Want to make sure you don't commit any faux-pas, social or otherwise? Well, we have been to more than 250 games around the UK, so read on to see our advice for attending a game without annoying your neighbors or getting in trouble. Get there well before…
