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Groundhopping


Johnny D

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I've decided this season to visit as many football grounds in Scotland as I can, starting with League Two. Has anybody got any tips? My first game will be opening day match between Stirling Albion and Queen's Park.

 

Edit: this will all be done by public transport, no cars involved.

Edited by Johnny D
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Double check TV fixtures. 

 

Take a series of photographs. You outside each ground etc. Maybe you already planned that. 

 

Do some of the harder to reach journeys early. 

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I dont think tv will affect my league two plans, and yes plenty of photographs will taken and I'm also contemplating doing a blog.

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17 minutes ago, Johnny D said:

I've decided this season to visit as many football grounds in Scotland as I can, starting with League Two. Has anybody got any tips? My first game will be opening day match between Stirling Albion and Queen's Park.

 

Edit: this will all be done by public transport, no cars involved.

Sounds great, hope you enjoy.  :thumbsup:

 

As an aside, try to get a read of a book called ‘A season in the sun’. It’s about a chap who followed Real Madrid all over Spain in a season that Beckham was at the Bernabeu. It’s quite a good read imo.

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24 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Sounds great, hope you enjoy.  :thumbsup:

 

As an aside, try to get a read of a book called ‘A season in the sun’. It’s about a chap who followed Real Madrid all over Spain in a season that Beckham was at the Bernabeu. It’s quite a good read imo.

I'll have a look for it.

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Jambo dans les Pyrenees
58 minutes ago, Johnny D said:

I dont think tv will affect my league two plans, and yes plenty of photographs will taken and I'm also contemplating doing a blog.

 

Blog sounds great.  You've mentioned about transport which I think is a good idea, but I think it would be interesting to hear about pubs etc close to ground, facilities at ground etc.

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will-i-am-a-jambo

Are you trying to get round all 42 professional grounds in one season? Will be interested to see how you get on with this. It's an ambition of mine when l have the time & the money.

 

ps it's great that you are using public transport!

Edited by will-i-am-a-jambo
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BEDNAR BOY

Been lucky enough to visit all the Scottish League grounds.

All  have their own charm maybe with the exception of Albion Rovers and Edinburgh City.

Great view of The Ochils at Stirling Albion but not a favourite, reasonably new but zero at either end.

 

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Baldwigforjack
31 minutes ago, Queensland Jambo said:

 

Blog sounds great.  You've mentioned about transport which I think is a good idea, but I think it would be interesting to hear about pubs etc close to ground, facilities at ground etc.

That will all make it into the blog.

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Baldwigforjack
21 minutes ago, will-i-am-a-jambo said:

Are you trying to get round all 42 professional grounds in one season? Will be interested to see how you get on with this. It's an ambition of mine when l have the time & the money.

 

ps it's great that you are using public transport!

No, this season I'm concentrating on leagues one and two. Next season championship.

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Baldwigforjack
40 minutes ago, How's my driving said:

Will you always be in the home end?

Most likely. I may take in the odd cup game too, in which case I'll be in the away end for a different perspective. 

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Used to groundhop when living down South. Visited some weird and wonderful places like Molesey and Mangotsfield United. I recommend doing the East of Scotland league grounds and also West Juniors but if your just sticking to League one and two there are some crackers, Albion Rovers is an old relic, Peterhead has a cracking clubhouse and a nice journey on the bus from Aberdeen.  Stirling Albion is also a good one with the views from the stand and a top steak pie 

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Baldwigforjack
1 minute ago, Yoda said:

Do Servco early in the season, just in case they go tits-up again.

I won't be going to any premiership games this season, hopefully they can keep for another 2 years lol

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Baldwigforjack
1 minute ago, AW1 said:

Used to groundhop when living down South. Visited some weird and wonderful places like Molesey and Mangotsfield United. I recommend doing the East of Scotland league grounds and also West Juniors but if your just sticking to League one and two there are some crackers, Albion Rovers is an old relic, Peterhead has a cracking clubhouse and a nice journey on the bus from Aberdeen.  Stirling Albion is also a good one with the views from the stand and a top steak pie 

I love a good steak pie , looks like I picked the right first ground to visit.

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1 minute ago, Baldwigforjack said:

I love a good steak pie , looks like I picked the right first ground to visit.

 

Nice ground with some good scenery, but couldn't you go on Saturday and support them against Hibs? 😀

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will-i-am-a-jambo
8 minutes ago, Baldwigforjack said:

No, this season I'm concentrating on leagues one and two. Next season championship.

 

Ah ok no worries. Good luck with it all. Will keep a look out for your blogs, l hope you will post them on here. Cheers.

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Baldwigforjack

I've just realised I've been replying to everyone via my phone and that's linked to my old account lol.

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8 minutes ago, geomac said:

 

Nice ground with some good scenery, but couldn't you go on Saturday and support them against Hibs? 😀

Good shout, I might just do that.

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7 minutes ago, Johnny D said:

Is there an android version?

Edit: found it

 

Yes

 

the “free” version is ok, let’s you log games that are listed from last season (or 2) and a couple of minor other things

 

i would recommend the “paid” version (4/5.99 a year) lets you search local games as well as “check in” to games and earn badges. Now I know the later is a bit corny, but something to potentially look forward to, if you log your other 41 grounds, when you get to the 42nd and final you’ll earn your “doing the 42” badge (as well as completing leagues along the way)

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37 minutes ago, Baldwigforjack said:

I won't be going to any premiership games this season, hopefully they can keep for another 2 years lol

 

Hopefully not.

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34 minutes ago, FWJ said:

Stranraer’s a weird one.  If I remember right you had to walk through a park to get to it.

Cracking ground 

 

went to the main stand. Looked like we were in Trumpton. tremendous views up the firth of Clyde to arran and beyond. Also, hmfc won 4-0 😀

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27 minutes ago, dc-jambo said:

Cracking ground 

 

went to the main stand. Looked like we were in Trumpton. tremendous views up the firth of Clyde to arran and beyond. Also, hmfc won 4-0 😀

Yup, that’s the time I was there too! 

I remember driving back up the road and it was the N Ireland sports programme on the radio.

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20 minutes ago, braveheart said:

its lost its appeal somewhat as many fans are now counting any pub team that plays on any park and counting them as "grounds"

 

Very true, maybe one one for the seethe thread but that’s an absolute massive ball ache on that front.

 

id go as low as 5th tier (lowland league) registering grounds in Scotland (and probably England) but would struggle to go past top tier in mostly any other country

 

i an a member of a group on Facebook that has similar issues, folk posting from the Belgian 10th tier, man and a dog in a field. Either that or constant “I need 12 tickets to el Classico all together can anyone help” 

 

sadly they hide quite a lot of good group posts and photos 

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13 minutes ago, BM1874 said:

Very true, maybe one one for the seethe thread but that’s an absolute massive ball ache on that front.

 

id go as low as 5th tier (lowland league) registering grounds in Scotland (and probably England) but would struggle to go past top tier in mostly any other country

 

i an a member of a group on Facebook that has similar issues, folk posting from the Belgian 10th tier, man and a dog in a field. Either that or constant “I need 12 tickets to el Classico all together can anyone help” 

 

sadly they hide quite a lot of good group posts and photos 

Football stadia and Grounds is a very good Facebook page 

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ArcticJambo
14 hours ago, BEDNAR BOY said:

Been lucky enough to visit all the Scottish League grounds.

All  have their own charm maybe with the exception of Albion Rovers and Edinburgh City.

Great view of The Ochils at Stirling Albion but not a favourite, reasonably new but zero at either end.

 

Did you mean Albion Rovers or Stirling Albion?  Cliftonhill is a proper old school ground, and the main stand to me anyway seems unique when you're approaching it.  Clyde's ground, Broadwood on the other hand is your bog standard lego-brick flat-pack stadium; though at least there's a bmx track out back!

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Footballfirst

I started groundhopping the senior grounds (SPL/SFL) maybe 12 years ago to complete my collection. 

 

Since then I started on the junior grounds (East and West regions) and the non league seniors (LL/EOS/SOS). 

 

I've now completed all the above but there are new grounds to visit each new season, e. g. Edusport's Alliance Park at Bothwellhaugh, Lochar Thistle  in Dumfries and Kilwinning have also moved for this season. 

 

I've only done a couple of the Highland League grounds though. 

 

I don't like the "community" grounds very much with their standard 3G pitches, green wire fences and little or no comforts, cover or seats. 

 

I must say that I enjoy the longer trips, leaving early, a wander round the towns and a bite to eat, sometimes a pub lunch if I'm not driving. 

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I hope to consider myself later in life as a bit of a groundhopper. Been to quite a lot of grounds, but nowhere near as many as I'd like to.

 

Not many grounds in Scotland that I want to go to. Cappielow I think is the one I want to visit for an away day most. I'm going to Shielfield on Saturday for the 1st time.

 

Would like to get to more grounds in England, but this year I visited a few stadiums abroad which is a great experience.

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Not a groundhopper as such but like visiting different football grounds and especially abroad

 

Recently visited borough Briggs (Elgin) beat a young Aberdeen side 8-1. Was great as a casual spectator. Best steak pie I've ever had at a football ground as well.

 

Get an Instagram. Document it all there with photos.

Edited by Alan_R
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Also why limit it to spfl? You'll probably find you can do lots of junior/east of Scotland teams locally very easily on public transport. Likewise with train to Gateshead, South Shields, Sunderland etc going south

Edited by Alan_R
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18 hours ago, braveheart said:

its lost its appeal somewhat as many fans are now counting any pub team that plays on any park and counting them as "grounds"

 

Easy way is to have any pro/semi-pro team plus any amateur team that own their pitch or lease it exclusively.

 

That would pretty much eliminate all pub teams but still allow for the really small clubs bobbing along?

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scott herbertson

Nice idea - I used to like going to away games with Kingstonian - not travelling on the team/ supporters bus but making my own way , often by public transport. Some great grounds

 

I enjoyed eg a cup game at Guildford Spectrum athletics and football track where the club officials had occupation of a little catering block and inside there was a big guy with a CAMRA tshirt and a keg of the local brewery (Hog's Back)'s summer ale at £2 a pint. Sitting in the sunshine on a grassy bank with a pint was a real pleasure, plus the crack from the locals

 

A nice little book to take along with you available cheap second hand

30362630502_2.jpg

 

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I've drafted a preliminary schedule where the games fall on the weekends I get paid. I've included a "winter break" due christmas and stuff.

03 Aug Stirling Vs Queens Park
24 Aug Stenhousemuir Vs Edinburgh City
31 Aug Cowdenbeath Vs Brechin City
21 Sep Albion Rovers Vs Edinburgh City
26 Oct Edinburgh City Vs Stenhousemuir
30 Nov Annan Athletic Vs Cove Rangers
18 Jan Brechin City Vs Queens Park
15 Feb Cove Rangers Vs Edinburgh City
14 Mar Elgin City Vs Brechin City
18 Apr Queens Park Vs Brechin City

resulting in seeing each side the following amount times, its just a coincidence that my most local side will be seen the joint most.

4 Edinburgh City
   Brechin City
3 Queens Park
2 Cove Rangers
   Stenhousemuir
1 Stirling
   Cowdenbeath
   Annan Athletic
   Elgin City
   Albion Rovers
 
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13 hours ago, Footballfirst said:

There are loads of friendlies on the go just now. They are usually good value too. Check this website for some games that might interest you. 

 

https://scottishfootballfixtures.wordpress.com/scottish-pre-season-fixtures-2019/

I want to  maximise my chances of being entertained, so no friendlies for me except liverpool v Napoli. 

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15 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

Gala's stand was closed for H&S reasons when I was down there last season. Don't know if it has reopened yet. 

The problem. With the stand is, it is listed so can't get knocked down and rebuilt. It is the only concrete cantilever stand in Britain I think.

Used to watch fairydean growing up if I couldn't get to see hearts.

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