The Beginner's Guide to Groundhopping in the UK

At some point, the match stops being the only thing that matters. You start noticing the ground. The floodlights cutting through the winter sky, the smell of the concourse, the way a terrace hums before kick-off. That's the moment groundhopping begins.

Groundhopping is the hobby of visiting as many football grounds as possible — ticking them off, collecting experiences, and building a personal record of everywhere you've been. It's huge in the UK, where the sheer density of clubs and grounds makes it one of the best countries in the world for it. This guide will get you started.

What actually is groundhopping?

Simple version: you go to grounds, you log them, you try to visit as many as you can. There's no official rulebook. Some hoppers only count a ground once they've watched a full match there. Others count pre-match visits. It's your list — you set the rules.

What makes it compelling is the variety. From Wembley to a windswept non-league pitch in the ninth tier, every ground has its own character. The history behind the stands, the clubs that call it home, the supporters who've been coming for decades. That's what you're collecting.

Start with the 92

The most well-known groundhopping goal in English football is completing the 92 — visiting every ground in the Premier League and the English Football League (Championship, League One, League Two). It's the obvious starting point for most UK-based hoppers.

There are two catches. First, clubs get promoted and relegated, which means grounds cycle in and out. Second, some clubs move grounds or share, so your 92 can shift over the years. That's half the fun — it's a moving target.

Understanding the English football pyramid

Knowing the pyramid helps you plan. The professional game runs from Tier 1 (Premier League) down to Tier 4 (League Two). Below that is the vast non-league system, which goes down to Tier 10 and beyond.

How to get started

You don't need a plan. But having one makes it more satisfying. Here's a practical approach for your first few months:

1. 1
   Log everywhere you've already been Most people have already visited several grounds without thinking of it as groundhopping. Write them all down. It's a better starting point than you think.
2. 2
   Pick a regional target Instead of trying to cross the whole country, focus on grounds within an hour or two of home first. Local derbies and neighbouring clubs make for easy early hops.
3. 3
   Mix the tiers Don't only chase Premier League grounds — they're expensive and hard to get into. Lower league and non-league grounds are often more rewarding per visit.
4. 4
   Go with a plan B Matches get postponed. Always have another fixture nearby in mind, or go early enough to have options if the original gets called off.
5. 5
   Track as you go The log is half the hobby. Keep a record from day one — it's frustrating to reconstruct from memory later.

What to bring on a hop

You don't need much, but a few things make the day better:

• Cash — many non-league grounds still don't take cards, and the tea hut usually doesn't either
• Your ticket or confirmation — and check if it's e-ticket or physical before you leave
• A layer or waterproof — open terraces can be brutal in February
• Your phone — to log the ground the moment you're there, while it's fresh
• Match programme — optional, but they're great records of when and where. Non-league programmes are particularly good

Don't overlook non-league

Non-league groundhopping deserves its own mention. Below the National League, you'll find hundreds of clubs with grounds that often have more character than anything in the top four tiers. Rickety stands, hand-painted hoardings, a bloke on a PA system reading the teams out from a sheet of paper. It's football as it's always been.

Entry is cheap — often between £5 and £10. You can usually just turn up on the day. And because the grounds are smaller, you get closer to the action.

The Step 3–6 clubs (National League North/South down to the regional divisions) are a particularly good sweet spot: proper semi-pro football, proper grounds, and easy to get to across most of the country.

Keeping track of your groundcount

A spreadsheet works. A notebook works. But when you're 50 grounds in and trying to remember if you've been to Vale Park, you'll want something better. TheFans lets you log every ground you visit, search across the full UK ground database, and see your stats — groundcount, countries, leagues covered, and more — all in one place.

You can also discover upcoming fixtures at grounds you haven't visited yet, so planning the next hop is built in.