Tag Archives: groundhop

People’s March

07 Tuesday Jul 2026

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Monday 6th April 2026 ko 11:30

Northern League Division Two

JARROW 2 (Barber 64 Hardie 74)

BOLDON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 2 (Laidler 45+1 Devlin 90+3)

Whitfield (assistant manager) sent off 56 (serious foul play)

Att 507

Entry £5

Programme £2

The Northern Hop’s last day has all the feel of trying to reintregrate outselves into the real world after 10 games in 4 days. Robyn and I were tasked with taking “Welsh Football” editor Dave Collins to Darlington Station- unfortunately Bank Holiday Monday and trains to Cardiff don’t mix!

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Isn’t it Iconic, Doncha Think?

02 Thursday Jul 2026

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Sunday 5th April 2026 ko 14:30

Northern League Division One

CROOK TOWN 1 (Rose 41)

SHILDON 2 (Posthill 35p Darville 50og)

Att 717

Entry £7

Programme £2

In groundhopping terms there are grounds, and then there are grounds that you drop everything for. As I’m sure dear reader you are aware there are no end of arguments to be had over all kinds of facilities, but if you walk into the Millfield and don’t immediately fall in love with the place, then I wonder why you started groundhopping?

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Billy

01 Wednesday Jul 2026

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Sunday 5th April 2026 ko 11.00

Northern League Division Two

BILLINGHAM TOWN 0

BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA 2 (Healy 18 Irvine 90+2)

Att 758

Entry £6

Programme £2

GroundhopUk’s first organisation of the Northern Hop was nothing if not ambitious, Easter Sunday is often the most difficult day to get clubs to play on, but while I’m not party to conversations in League circles, we got 3 committed host clubs and when you’re turning up for your 8th game of the weekend that is a godsend!

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Buses

24 Wednesday Jun 2026

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Friday 3rd April 2026 ko 15:00

Northern League Division Two

FC HARTLEPOOL 1 (Gavin 78p)

Cook penalty saved 77

SEAHAM RED STAR 0

Cowan sent off 78 (second booking)

Att 633 (ground record)

Entry £5

Programme £2

I did wonder what we’d find at FC Hartlepool. While I was aware that the Northern League had scheduled all the games on the hop as local derbies, I did wonder whether we’d lose groundhoppers to alternate games. The way we at GroundhopUK look at it is to see each time slot over a weekend in terms of how many alternate games are there? Obviously that will be a lot, when kick off is anywhere near 3pm, so I was happy to struggle to park when we reached the Grayfields Enclosure.

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La Grange

23 Tuesday Jun 2026

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Friday 3rd April 2026 ko 11:00

Northern League Division Two

GRANGETOWN BOYS CLUB 0

Martin missed pen 90+5

REDCAR TOWN 1 (Stares 38)

Att 531

Entry £5

Programme £3

I felt that the juggernaut that is the Northern Hop was beginning to stretch it’s legs as was headed to Middlesbrough. We passeed the Riverside Stadium, itself gearing up for a home game versus Millwall. Grangetown is reasonably close by, at the foot of a flyover- and the boys club here pride themselve on being the largest grassroots club in Middlesbrough.

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The Inferiority Complex

21 Sunday Jun 2026

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Saturday 28th March 2026 ko 14:00

Westmorland League Division One

SEDBERGH & DENT UNITED 4 (Fearn 27 64 88p Mason 84)

KENDAL UNITED RESERVES 2 (Gilbert 30 Fearnhead 76)

Att 26 at Howgill Lane

Free Entry

With Robyn and I involved in a massive Easter groundhopping extravaganza in the North East, we fancied making the week before something peaceful. I may enjoy the hops, particularly the social side but there was a lot to be said for taking a picnic somewhere scenic.

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Brazil

15 Monday Jun 2026

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Sunday 15th March 2026 ko 12:15

East of Scotland League Division 3

COWDENBEATH CENTRAL 1 (Simpson 35)

NEWBURGH 2 (Martin 37 O McCallion 73)

Att 294

Entry £5

Programme £2

When we at GroundhopUK were handed the proposed host clubs for the Scottish Hop one name stood out- Cowdenbeath Central. It was simple as to why, a club new to senior football, on their own ground, those two facts were sure to attract even the most senior groundhoppers! The club’s background though was also interesting!

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Saintly

14 Sunday Jun 2026

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Saturday 14th March 2026 ko 19:30

East of Scotland League Premier Division

ST ANDREWS UNITED 3 (Sneddon 69 Dunn 88p)

McManus sent off 59 (2nd booking)

SAUCHIE JUNIORS 1 (Elphinson 38)

Columbine sent off 67 (2nd booking)

Att 374

Entry £11

Programme FREE/ £3

4 game days are always tough, and with St Andrews being substantially further north than the other 3 games, we felt under pressure, particularly with a coach driver light. I understood all too well the East of Scotland League’s desire for the extra game- when else could we head to northern Fife?

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The Wet Patch

12 Friday Jun 2026

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Saturday15th March 2026 ko 17:00

East of Scotland League Division One

LOCHORE WELFARE 2 (Reddington 15 Kirby 70)

EASTHOUSES LILY MINERS WELFARE 1 (Hill 37)

Thomson sent off (serious foul play)

Malley sent off 90 (2nd booking)

Att 237

Entry £8

Programme £2

We arrived at Lochore Welfare to quite a throng. We knew parking was going to be an issue, the club had organised parking for the coach, and everyone else? Well that rough ground nearby proved to be handy! For those hard of geography we weren’t quite in Lochore, but in Crosshill to be exact.

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The Enclosure Act

31 Sunday May 2026

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Friday 13th March 2026 ko 19:30

East of Scotland League Premier Division

HUTCHISON VALE 3 (Forster 17 57 Wilson-Need 57)

WHITBURN JUNIOR 2 (Nicolson 66 75)

Att 246

Entry £8

Programme £2

In groundhopping terms at least, a trip to Edinburgh’s Saughton Enclosure was long overdue. We’d planned on visiting as the 4th game on the Saturday of the Scottish Hop back in 2018. That was the year of the cold snap- it was bad enough at the Oriam Indoors, so losing the game at the then titled Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale was not necessarily bad news!!

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