It’s December, so I’m contractually obliged* to point out I have two ideal stocking fillers for sale… amzn.eu/d/6BWui3s amzn.eu/d/9LIKN38 *It’s not actually in my contract, but I feel compelled to do it anyway 🎅🏻🎄🎁

Completed all the grounds in the greater St Neots area with Eaton Socon tonight. Not something that’s going to attract a Futbology badge anytime soon, although I deserve it for enduring a poor game in the cold.

Really enjoying the new Bunch of Amateurs series, which is worth checking out, especially if your game is postponed today. Personally quite relieved not to be standing in a field watching u10s this morning. youtu.be/wMPPo8a4qxI?...

Let’s go for a nice gentle ride in the Lake District while travelling up for a meeting we thought…

A rare gig outing for me and Mrs C tonight at The Hyde Park Book Club. Some great 80s inspired dreamy pop from Roller Derby. Well worth checking them out.

The rugby is an ideal way to tick off Everton’s new ground. It beats u21s or a friendly, and since I got away with including rugby in my #groundhopping book (barring any library copies with remarks in pencil, or it being the reason for my anonymous 1 & 2 star reviews) I’m counting it!

One of those non-league games tonight where it felt wrong not to be friends or family with one of the players. Harrogate Railway beat Nostell MW on a pitch suitable for rugby, with one cracking goal and one calamitous OG. Always good to get to a new ground though. Nice elevated view and hot choc.

Nice to see Harrogate Railway going well. Not least as my kid’s various clubs are limiting where I can get out #groundhopping. It was the very definition of a hard fought win tonight as they clung on to a 1-0.

My 137 game run since I last saw a 0-0 came to an end, but I had the consolation of a penalty shootout as Harrogate Railway progressed in the league cup.

In a weekend of sporting highlights I’m glad I went to this even if it wasn’t the result I was hoping for. I suspect it will largely overlooked, but RL once again proving what a great game it can be. These highlights only cover half the incidents. youtu.be/2PlApYGthEM?...

Blog post on following this season’s FA Vase… mattcoughlanbooks.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/g...

A topsy turvy tie in the Alan Turvey trophy as Kingstonian came from behind to beat Merstham 4-2. Game was most notable for the best football pie I’ve had south of the Watford Gap and a couple of well taken goals.

Successful day. Cricket team promoted without playing. Spotted my book in the wild. Continued my FA Vase journey seeing Newcastle Benfield beat Boldon CA 3-0 without succumbing to trench foot.

Loved this… youtu.be/nLrC53pszaA?...

Another Rhinos game for me tonight. It was armed forces night. Unfortunately, the only military inspiration Leeds had was the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. A dismal loss.

Wasn’t in the mood for groundhopping tonight. Maybe these will help.

I said I would write something for Groundhopper Weekly and ended up writing something that doesn’t technically count as #groundhopping but check it out anyway and subscribe for more groundhopping content groundhopperweekly.substack.com/p/are-revisi...

Looks like I’m off to Newcastle for the next round of the FA Vase after Newcastle Benfield’s comprehensive 6-1 win over Ilkley. Look out for a less than comprehensive write up soon.

Can’t help falling in love with that Leeds Rhinos performance, as they left Hull KR all shook up. Will it be Heartbreak hotel in the playoffs or will the Rhinos bring the Grand Final trophy back to the green green grass of home?

Harrogate v Barrow for me tonight. Same fixture that featured in the book 2 yrs ago. Same 1-0 home win. Better game, better under the lights, and I made a better choice of pie. Might have to go more often, especially if there’s more £10 ticket offers.

With the football season about to start in earnest, my cricket season comes to an end, so here’s a blog on it… mattcoughlanbooks.com/2025/08/15/c...

Another Harrogate Railway game. Another 3-0 win. Could get used to that.

Yes, it’s nice to get updates about how my nephews are getting on playing football, but I can’t really post the clips and dissect the defending they were up against to promote the book on here. His sighting of the book in Liverpool Waterstones on the other hand…

Most notable things from Clapton’s surprise defeat to Basildon were not missing anything going to the bar during a stoppage (for one of many fouls), and the visiting GK deploying clearances out of that Bryan’s Gunn compilation late on. Atmosphere made the trip worth it as always.

Couldn’t get away early enough to play cricket, but did catch the opening league game for Harrogate Railway, who won by a cricket score. More specifically one of my cricket scores. 3-0 and a good start to the season.

Took my son out on his 🚲 at lunchtime. When I asked why he wasn’t using an easier gear to get up a hill, his reply could’ve been a motivational quote from an old school #TdF rider: ‘If I can get up there in this gear, I know I can get up there in all the others.’ Now checking his room for Pot Belge

Today’s big sporting drama was returning a racing pigeon. It got lost on a short training run near Whitby. As far as debuts go that’s like Woodgate’s Madrid debut and then getting lost in the tunnel and ending up at a chicken coop in Siguenza

I do like it when a cricket club has a bar in the pavilion that welcomes members of the public. Enjoyed a couple of pints watching Harrogate’s midweek league game, mixed with umpiring my kids playing in the nets. I’ve now had to look up the rules around sledging.

As much as I’m looking forward to the new football season I can’t bring myself to be excited about friendlies. Not when I can cycle to a couple of village cricket matches and a vineyard.

Always liked to answer Q&As in a matchday programme as if I was a player, and here I have that opportunity as a writer (only without having to give the seemingly obligatory answer that Phil Collins was my favourite musician).

Which grounds are you looking to get to this season? For me it’s… 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Ayr/Morton/QoS 🐇 Northern League Hop 🏺Several rounds of the FA Vase 🏡 More Railway games 🏟️ Great Yarmouth 🥀Avro/Bacup/Colne 🔙 Clapton #groundhopping

Took a southerner to their first rugby league match. Rhinos laid on plenty of points and we got to sing along to Marching on Together without supporting the football team. Success.

Lovely little documentary this 👇🏻 youtu.be/APsxoepGybU?...

Catching up on various football content on YouTube and to paraphrase Barry Davies, I have to say this is magnificent… youtu.be/mRT9aSpXGK0?...

A new blog that’s a mish mash of musings on a new writing project, a come and get me plea to magazine/website editors, and repository of photos I had left over. mattcoughlanbooks.com/2025/06/06/f...

I’m up to 132 grounds now, so perhaps I’ll have to think of some sort of follow up 🤔

Just the one error that’s bothered me since recording this. When asked about a favourite anecdote I didn’t use the one with the rhubarb and casual sexism. Enjoyed other episodes in the back catalogue too, which are a treasure trove for #groundhoppers.

Dropping Sunday 🎙️ @mattcoughlan.bsky.social joins me to discuss his second book, all about #groundhopping Here's a snippet where we discuss the world's oldest football ground, @hallamfc1860.bsky.social 🏟️ Sub/catch up wherever you get your podcasts...

Most European football seasons are over, but the podcast keeps coming over the summer, including: 🏟️ #Groundhopping w/ @mattcoughlan.bsky.social ⚽ Football and Colonialism w/ Ronny Blaschke 🏆 Copa Libertadores w/ Luciano Wernicke 🇺🇾 Uruguayan identity 🇮🇪 Bohemians 📣 South American fan culture

youtu.be/cZk2jV5gJbM?... This might just contain the secret to me getting out on my bike more this summer

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Getting ahead of the curve for end of season reviews with a summary of my season in #groundhopping mattcoughlanbooks.com/2025/05/10/g...

A write up of last weekend’s #groundhopping trip abroad, featuring my worst game of the season and a rogue tambourine. mattcoughlanbooks.com/2025/05/09/g...

With my football season over these are 4 of my favourite new #groundhopping ticks, at Everton 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Raith 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, STVV 🇧🇪, and Bathgate 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. What are some of yours?

In addition to all the usual football podcasts on the way home, really enjoyed this one about a lesser known UK cycle race… podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Some groundspotting while in Brussels, with not so much a magic door, as wide open gates, trim trail, and invitation to wander all around. Only someone practicing javelin deterred me from getting on the pitch

🇧🇪STVV v Beerschot - Rounded off my groundhopping weekend with a 2-1 win for STVV that could go a long way to keeping them up. Both sets of fans were pretty impressive and I liked the old south stand. Game showed why they are in the relegation playoffs.

🇧🇪OHL v KVM - Chris Coleman’s Leuven lost 2-1 in the conference league playoff group partly due to some atrocious refereeing and partly due to not containing Mechelen’s wide players. Game also notable for a spell with a missing corner flag, and drumming.

🇳🇱MVV v Jong Ajax - A last min winner for MVV preserved my 120+ games since a 0-0 after one of the worst games I’ve ever seen. A dead rubber. An argument against B teams. An atmosphere like a dismal T20. The MVV fans even started singing ‘You’re f-ing shit’. Nice night out mind