Groundhopper

Matt Coughlan steps into the wonderful world of the groundhopper: in short, the collector of football grounds. While taking a light-hearted look at this growing cultural phenomenon, can Coughlan cement his own groundhopping credentials?With the aim of boosting his groundhopping tally to at least 100 grounds, Coughlan sets out on a journey of discovery. Whether foregoing the cultural highlights of Bruges to sit in a concrete stadium, choosing the worst ground in London over watching the World Cup on TV or travelling to various footballing outposts with a vintage grandstand, he does whatever it takes to reach his milestone.Along the way, he ends up doing some opposition scouting, samples corporate hospitality, spends too long reading the FA’s ground-grading regulations and discovers a host of great non-league clubs. He joins a groundhopping weekend to try to enhance his status. But will he fall foul of the unwritten rules of groundhopping?