Paul’s Soccer Stories
Shrewsbury Can Wait
I finally hit the pause button here in Crewe. Groundhopping is a fun hobby, and I've done more than my share of it: nearly 200 games in just over eight years. But it's been about 40 games in the last four months, in England, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Italy, back to England, back to Italy,…
England supporters and the World Cup: Inside the wacky minds of football supporters
Being in England during a World Cup is like being at a family reunion where the favorite son is the life of the party one day and an alcoholic the next. As an outsider, I find it somewhat comical, but also a window into the mind and soul of football supporters everywhere. So, as one…
At the Seville Derby: Look Out when the Rocket Lands
Sometimes, in the middle of a big crowd, during a big game, in a stadium filled with emotion and a city gone briefly mad, there are some very fine lines to walk. Tension is high, things can easily go off track, and people who might be sane for 363 days of the year should not…
Paul’s Groundhopping Adventures So Far
Greetings from the #groundhopping road, where I am actually on a bit of a break right now after three hustling weeks of games all around England. So far I've seen eight games, including three straight home wins after they failed to win in the first five, scoring only four goals in the process. So maybe…
Back to Barnet FC
Heading into injury time at Barnet FC, with the home team down 3-0, I found myself thinking about curses. There were plenty of them around, since I was in the home section; they were aimed at their own players, the result, the referee, Barnet Football Club's owner, the soccer gods, really just the whole world.…
Groundhopper Paul’s English & European Soccer Adventure, 2021-22 Edition
It's finally time to go groundhopping again! Groundhopper Soccer Guides founder, Paul Gerald, shares his plans for going to football games in England and Europe during the 2021-22 season. Updated 1-29-2022 with recent results and (mostly Covid-related) changes. Skip ahead to my schedule. Here is Paul's 2022-23 trip and his 2023-24 plans. For months now,…
A Festive Diary: Watching Soccer in England Over the Holidays
While it wasn't quite as fun and festive as years past, for reasons I need not state, my experience of watching English soccer over the Christmas period was nonetheless enjoyable. Here's a diary of my experience. If you are considering coming to England for a soccer-focused trip over the holidays in 2022, I can't recommend…
MLS Cup 2021, or Losing, Winning, and Wondering Why
What is it that makes us sports fans sign up for all the ups and downs, the emotional and financial costs, the abuse, and the exhaustion? Is it the chance at joy? It must run pretty deep, like into our DNA, because there seems no shaking it, no matter how often we say we’re done.…
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…
