How to go Groundhopping
I am always dreaming of my next groundhopping adventure.
 In fact, I hope to be back on a plane to Heathrow in about 10 days, enjoying that lovely view to the right. So I am in Full Planning Mode. And if you're even thinking about making similar plans -- like for next season, which starts in August -- then this issue of The Groundhopper is for you.
Let me start by offering some basic starter tips, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions for would-be groundhoppers, such as "Are hooligans going to kill me?"
For some folks, groundhopping is simply a matter of adding a game or two to an already existing English vacation. Maybe all those folks need is a little help picking which game to go to; it just happens I have a formula for that. They might also want some basic travel advice for getting around London, including some tips on random places I have come across while hitting 95 games at 59 different grounds.
 Or it could be that all you really want is to see the big Premier League clubs, so you just need tickets -- which can be hard. That could mean getting a membership, which you might as well have for a club you support. It could also mean buying a hospitality package so you don't have to wander into the sketchy world of StubHub, etc.
And then there are other questions you might not have even thought of, like where to sit.
I also dream of helping you plan your adventures.
If the above seems like too much, you can always just reach out to me, and I'll help.
I can sell you a book, quote hospitality or tickets, answer all your questions, suggest a whole itinerary for you, be your personal guide, or connect you with a Groundhop Crew and we'll all go to a game together.
Here are all the ways I can help.
Meet a New Club: Leyton Orient FC
 It's time to bring back my "say hello to a new club" feature. For this one, we are staying in London but venturing down the pyramid -- not just into the lower reaches of the Football League but out of it entirely, into the world of non-league football.
Out on the east end of London, in a formerly industrial and now rapidly gentrifying area called Leyton, there exists a club with a rich history, dedicated fan base, and goofy name. They are currently on hard times but, I think, soon to get back in the groove under new ownership.
Until they were relegated last season, Leyton Orient were the second-longest-serving Football League club in London, after Fulham.
I took a Groundhop Crew of eight there on New Year's Day, so follow along and say hello to the O's.
|
