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?
Matt’s debut book Turncoat received begrudging praise from friends (‘Who knew you could write?’) and was described as ‘quite good’ by his mother. ChatGPT was more effusive in its verdict: ‘He has a conversational tone and a clear, engaging writing style. He often uses anecdotes, personal experiences and observations to add depth and character to his writing. He also has a tendency to use humour and irony to keep the reader engaged.’
