Culture
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…
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…
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…
Match of the Day: A History and Appreciation
Match of the Day is as much a part of English football culture as Monday Night Football is to that in the United States -- in some ways, even more so, as it largely stands alone in its field, and it even draws us back into the past. Its music is recognizable to probably everyone…
From Our English Soccer Guidebook: The Standard Northern English Town Story
Paul describes his experience and knowledge of the typical northern English town. As I have travelled around, going to games and exploring random corners of England, I have seen this in every northern town I’ve visited, and you will as well, so we might as well get it out of the way. There was a…
Watching Soccer: England vs Spain
I have seen more than 250 soccer games in the UK, so I think I know my way around those leagues and clubs pretty well. As I now expand my groundhopping into Spain, I am already seeing some differences. This is not a "which league is better" post, though. It's about how going to a…
