Schlagwort: Groundhopping

Groundhopping Part IV

Thats the final groundhopping part, therefore I have something special for you!

David, Oliver and me organized a day trip to Glasgow and we visited the Celtic Park, home of the famous club Celtic Glasgow (eng. Celtic FC). It took some time to find the stadium and unfortunately we missed the last tour trough the ground. But! On this day we were really lucky guys, a security guard allowed us to have a quick look inside the stadium!
And you may know that I falling in love with this kind of stadiums from former groundhopping parts and the Celtic Park surely drives me crazy, I would like to marry this awesome place! (sry babe ;))

It was a great feeling to get inside the stadium and to see the new green grass! Just take a look on the pictures.




Our hole group were impressed and we agreed to visit the stadium on a match-day in the near future.

More information about the Celtic Park:

  • Architect: Archibald Leitch
    Dedication: 1892 (!!)
    Capacity: 60.832 Seats
    Owner: Celtic Glasgow

That is the last part and I hope you enjoyed it!

Groundhopping Part III

On a really rainy sunday, Oliver and me visited another football ground here in Belfast.

We talking about Glentoran F.C. and their famous stadium „The Oval“. The club is located in the north-east of the city. You may remember the Groundhopping Part I when I visited the home of Linfield FC? Glentoran’s biggest rivals are Linfield. Linfield and Glentoran are nicknamed Belfast’s Big Two as they have traditionally dominated local football in Northern Ireland.
The Club colours of GFC are green, red, and black.

Unfortunatly the Oval are more like an army base. With really high walls and barbed wire. Therefore it was quit difficult to take any picture inside the stadium.

Oliver and me tried our best, I hope you like it!

Just take a look at the MAIN entrance! You may remember the entrance in Daylmount Park, they are so different from germany.

Another big different to germany is the location of the stadiums. In Germany most of the football grounds are in outlying districts or far away from the city center. In Ireland and N.Ireland you walk through the streets and if you turn around the corner you stands infront of a big stadium. If you don’t look up and maybe notice the big floodlights, by the way they are so cool, you don’t even expect to see a stadium. One reason for this is, most of the grounds a smaller refer to stadiums in germany. For example the Oval have a capacity of 15.000 people.  (Windsor Park:  20.332) I am still addicted to these kind of stadiums!

After we get back home, totally wet, we prepared ourselfs for the first groupe stage match for Germany against down under. Means we tried to get dry.
Then it was time for Pub Hopping! We conquered the Botanic Inn and annexed it. We won 4-0 and celebrated the victory late into the night.

Stay tuned!

Groundhopping Part II

On saturday 29-05-2010, David and me traveled to Dublin to met some of our guys down there. You may read his post and I don’t want to bore you with things you already know.

Lets talk about the important things, the football!


Bohemian FC – Shamrock Rovers

We visited the big Dublin derby between Bohemian FC (Nickname: Bohs) and Shamrock Rovers (Nickename: Hoops). It’s a match of big rivals and it was perfect football weather, rain. We were looking for some seats at the Jodi Stand. It’s the name of the grandstand at Dalymount Park. We found some beside the Bohs – supporter. Therefore we could listen to their chants the hole match. This chants were ironic, funny and rough, vulgar (I mean, it’s still football ;)). Here an example:

On the Banks of the Antartica, where the white have never been,
There’s a great big f*ckin Polar bear, half shagged to death by a football team,
We are the perverts of society, we are the worst you’ve ever seen,
We’re a shower of loud mouth b*stards, we are Bohemian Football Team…

We are very well renowned for raping little kids, steeling old age pensioners and little boys toys,
We are the Perverts of society, we are the worst you’ve ever seen,
We’re a shower of loud mouth bast*rds we are Bohemian Football Team…

Good guys ^^

Unfortunatly the match wasn’t so good. In the first half both teams were very nervous and they don’t create any clear chances. The seconnd half was a bit better. More aggressiv and especially in the last few minutes with many scoring schances. After the finale whistle both teams clashed against each other but no one get hurt. By the way the game ended in a draw (0:0).

Stadium Daylmount Park

I‘ am still in love with the awesome stadiums in UK and Ireland. It’s only a stone’s throw from your seat and the pitch. The supporters getting really furious if some of their players getting tackled right in front of them. Great atmosphere! It would be perfect if we would have those grounds in Germany, without fences, trenches etc.
Stadium impressions

„When I die they won’t remember who I dated, the fights and the car crashes because they’re not important. They will remember the football.“

George Best, 1946 – 2005

Groundhopping Part I

May some of you know, I am a football fanatic! It is my duty to visit as many football grounds as possible.

I really like these britsh football stadiums. There are five teams located in Belfast: Linfield FC, Glentoran FC, Cliftonville FC, Crusaders FC and Donegal Celtic FC.

Unfortunatly all there grounds are scattered to the four winds and therefore I could only visit one stadium today. I choose the Windsor Park, home of Linfield FC.

Logo of LFC

Linfield FC is the most successfull team in Northern Irish Football by wining the nationale league title 49 times. Linfield’s home ground is Windsor Park, which is located in south Belfast.

Unfortunalty the season in northern irland is all over and I hoped this will not deter me from getting inside. Of course it did not 😉  So I can show you some pictures:

Way to Windsor Park
Inside the ground
Windsor Park
Windsor Park

It was an awesome atmosphere even without any fans. I really like it and hope to watch some matches in Irland as soon as possible.

Best regards to my guys in Dublin and Belfast 😉 Pictures of other grounds will follow! If you are interested in higher quality and more pictures write me a mail!

PS: Sorry for being late, watching the Europe League – Finale between Fulham and Atlético Madrid with my spanish housemates 🙂