A Change of Plans Today we will be venturing to the Scottish capital to watch the crucial game between Hearts and Aberdeen. This will be our second trip to Tynecastle, the first review is in the link below. It details the game against Motherwell from the 2021/22 league campaign. With groundhopping, you never quite know…
Tag: Scottish football
Stirling Albion, Forthbank Stadium – Hopper Tales #69
From the Beano to the Binos Following last weekend’s trip to Dundee, home of the Beano, we were now travelling to the home of the Binos. Stirling Albion is a club I have deliberately saved for a time when we could spend a couple of days in the city. Why? There is just so much…
Dundee United, Tannadice – Hopper Tales #68
We headed north of the border for our football fix for the third week in a row. This time a trip to the home of Dundee United – Tannadice Park. This is a place that conjures up memories of European football, David Narey, Paul Sturrock and Maurice Malpas are players’ names from the past that…
Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, New Dundas Park – Hopper Tales #67
After last week’s trip to Gala Fairydean Rovers, Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic seemed like a perfect follow-up in the ‘great names for clubs’ stakes. Situated just to the southeast of Edinburgh, “The Rose” are the newest club addition to the SPFL. They won last season’s Lowland League Championship before defeating Fraserburgh (Highland League Champions) in the…
Gala Fairydean Rovers, Netherdale – Hopper Tales #66
Groundhopping Eye Candy Every now and again, as a groundhopper, you come across photographs or video that makes your head turn. I remember the first time I saw a photograph of Gala Fairydean Rovers‘ iconic main stand and I knew I would have to visit someday. Well, that day has arrived! A trip to the…
Interview with a Hopper
All too often, we see celebrities and well-known personalities being interviewed but sometimes, the really interesting interviews are the ones people don’t think to do. For instance, who better for us to interview than a fellow football-mad Hopper? Not your common or garden Hopper either. This is a Hopper who has set himself on a…
Stenhousemuir, Ochilview Park – Hopper Tales #62
A View to an Ochil Like Partick Thistle last week, we have tried to visit Stenhousemuir and Ochilview Park before. Again, train strikes thwarted us, so we would try again this weekend, successfully! Stenhousemuir… it’s one of those names I remember from hearing in the classified results on a Saturday evening. Read out by the…
Opinionated – Proposed Change to the SPFL Pyramid
The Problem In Scottish football, there seems to be a yearly event involving the change and restructuring of the pyramid system. This is in order to accommodate the ‘B’ teams/Colts/U21 teams of a handful of the bigger SPL teams. Rightly, there is a concern about the lack of opportunities for young players to develop. By…
Partick Thistle, Firhill Stadium – Hopper Tales #61
Third Time Lucky Partick Thistle… We have tried to get up to Firhill Stadium twice this season and twice we have failed. The first time, Mrs Hopper became too ill, so we didn’t travel. The second time, we were thwarted by train strikes. I contacted the club through social media and asked if there was…
Celtic v Rangers, Hampden Park – Hopper Tales #60
A Glasgow Ham Double – Part Two Life is full of strange meetings and coincidences, isn’t it? For instance, when I started playing a silly little game on my phone about three or four years ago, I never imagined it would lead to tickets for a Celtic v Rangers cup final – yet, that’s precisely…