- Joined
- Dec 31, 2000
- Messages
- 17,098
Hopping Mad
Further research on the FA’s website reveals a spirited attack on the notion that that groundhopping - the pursuit of watching football at as many different clubs as possible - is in any way ‘sad’.
Unfortunately, they’ve chosen to do it by highlighting the following utterly normal examples:
* “A hopper known as ‘Tram' travelled 250 miles to watch a Kent League match at Greenwich Borough FC. Tram specialises in touching both crossbars at every new ground he visits. But at Greenwich Borough, he couldn't reach the woodwork. He subsequently complained to the referee, alleging the crossbars were 10 feet off the ground. The kick-off was delayed by seven minutes whilst the crossbars were pulled down and repositioned.”
* “Some hoppers don't count a visit to a ground if they have seen a goalless draw there. One intrepid gentleman has travelled from London to Stenhousemuir three times and still hasn't seen a goal.”
* “Pete Llewellyn and Dave Jolly combine their groundhopping hobby with a passion for botany, seeking rare alpine flora on their trips to new grounds.”
* “ Sussex hopper Barry Perthen took flying lessons so that he could photograph non-League grounds from the sky.”
* “Hertfordshire-based groundhopper Dave Roxborough makes it his business to touch the match ball at every ground he visits. Dave usually stands near the corner flag, hoping to throw the ball back when it goes out for a corner. He says: ‘When I arrive at a new ground, I walk around trying to work out where the ball will easiest be retrieved by me.’”
Not sad at all, are they?
Further research on the FA’s website reveals a spirited attack on the notion that that groundhopping - the pursuit of watching football at as many different clubs as possible - is in any way ‘sad’.
Unfortunately, they’ve chosen to do it by highlighting the following utterly normal examples:
* “A hopper known as ‘Tram' travelled 250 miles to watch a Kent League match at Greenwich Borough FC. Tram specialises in touching both crossbars at every new ground he visits. But at Greenwich Borough, he couldn't reach the woodwork. He subsequently complained to the referee, alleging the crossbars were 10 feet off the ground. The kick-off was delayed by seven minutes whilst the crossbars were pulled down and repositioned.”
* “Some hoppers don't count a visit to a ground if they have seen a goalless draw there. One intrepid gentleman has travelled from London to Stenhousemuir three times and still hasn't seen a goal.”
* “Pete Llewellyn and Dave Jolly combine their groundhopping hobby with a passion for botany, seeking rare alpine flora on their trips to new grounds.”
* “ Sussex hopper Barry Perthen took flying lessons so that he could photograph non-League grounds from the sky.”
* “Hertfordshire-based groundhopper Dave Roxborough makes it his business to touch the match ball at every ground he visits. Dave usually stands near the corner flag, hoping to throw the ball back when it goes out for a corner. He says: ‘When I arrive at a new ground, I walk around trying to work out where the ball will easiest be retrieved by me.’”
Not sad at all, are they?
