Whilst scrolling through social media we came across a new page on Facebook called 'Girls Go Groundhopping' and watched one of their short Vlogs on a recent ground hop to a non-league game, we thought it was a great concept and was wonderful to see a dad taking his two daughters to the football.
We got in touch with Tony the father of Freya and Scarlett and asked him all about Girls Go Groundhopping.
What inspired you to start up your Facebook page with you and your two daughters?
My eldest Freya started playing football for Widnes FC and I wanted to take her to some games so she could get a sense of what football is and the community and friendship it will bring her.
I wanted to share our experiences with people in the hope it would inspire other parents to take their kids.
My sole aim as a parent is to introduce my girls to sport and communities around the country. Football in particular was massive for me as a child and it really helped build my social circles.
This day and age we are all guilty of spending too much time on our phones or watching games on TV. We hope to inspire parents and children to get out and participate/watch sport at grassroots level.
My inspiration for doing this channel/page was Darren Ashley (Dash71) who makes videos for Facebook and YouTube. Just watching him and his passion for watching football and making friends pushed me to start sharing our journey with others.
How long have you been groundhopping with your girls?
Our first Game was 12th of July whilst out in the USA we watched New England Revolution at the Gillette stadium in Massachusetts.
The girls loved the whole experience from the fan zones to the American way of chanting.
Once we returned I wanted them to experience grassroots football at our local club (Runcorn linnets). Our first Game was Runcorn Linnets vs Newcastle Town on the 22nd of August which I would say was the PROPER football start to our ground hopping journey.
How many grounds have you visited so far?
As on 2nd of May 2024 we have been to 42 Games at 30 Different grounds,
and after the bank holiday weekend it will be 44 Games and 32 different grounds!
What do your daughters most enjoy about groundhopping?
Freya loves the goalkeeper shirt colours, making friends and taking her football with the hope of going onto the pitch at half time.
Scarlett equally loves making friends and loud atmospheres, she always likes to stand with the ultras and learn some chants.
Do you all support a particular football team?
Me personally (Tony their dad) I'm a Liverpool fan but I lost the love for the game after Liverpool won the champions league in 2005 because it then became unaffordable for us to go (me and my dad). So for years I've followed football from afar with no real interest. My love for football has never dwindled but my obsession for one club did.
The girls are both FC ST Helens women fans mainly because there is a player called Freya who obviously shares the same name as my daughter. The club have also gone above and beyond in making the girls feel welcome every time they go and also allowing them to walk out on the pitch with the ladies team
On a weekly basis the girls ask are we going to watch Freya this week.
Do you all have a favourite particular ground hop?
The one that stands out for the girls is Blackpool at Bloomfield road Vs Peterborough United because the atmosphere was unreal and they had a chant that was just simply 'SEASIDE' and the girls loved it.
My favourite ground hop was probably Witton Albion for a couple of reasons, first being they are a fantastic community club, they instantly noticed that they hadn't seen the girls before and made us feel really welcome, we even got DM from the chairman after the game. Lastly sitting in the stands it was the first time I probably realised just how good this was for me and the girls.
Best food you've experienced at a ground hop?
Well if you check out videos out you'll see we mostly just get a cup of tea and chips. So if you are Asking for the beat chips then 1874 Northwich is number one. Home made chips by some lovely old lady.
What do you think of the modern-day game and the Premier League?
All being honest I've got a total disconnect to top level football now. My dad always used to say to me even though we see this great style of playing out from the back, when you break it down teams play not to lose rather than to win the game.
It's only when you start going to league one games and below you see just how much winning actually means to people.
Nothing beats a long kick up the park, a flick on and a dink over the keeper for me.
What do you most enjoy about nonleague football?
The communities and the access to players.
Have you been to any grounds outside of the UK?
We recently went to CF Benidorm which is now owned by David Villa the Spanish legend!
And as I previously mentioned, New England Revolution.
I'll also include Cliftonville, just because we jumped on a plane to Northern Ireland.
What ground is on your bucket list to visit?
UK I'd say Brighton, Abroad I'd love to go to Mainz ground in Germany
What are your plans for next season?
Currently I'd like to go to a game at every level North West Counties (or southern equivalent upwards) up to the premier league.
It would be nice to complete one of the North West counties divisions and watch as many women's teams as we can.
What is the best way for people to follow you and the girl's groundhopping adventures?
A big thank you to Tony, Freya & Scarlett for sharing their story with us and we hope this inspires others to follow suit and we look forward to seeing the future adventures of Girls Go Groundhopping!