Groundhopper Day at St Paul’s- Saturday 13 October

Calling all groundhoppers – St Paul’s football ground needs you!

Everyone loves a bit of groundhopping. It’s a permanent awayday, travelling light, visiting strange new places, standing on unfamiliar terraces, tasting the local culinary delights on offer in the clubhouse (Fisher’s legendary meat pies are talked about as far away as Petts Wood and Swanscombe) watching teams you’ve never come across before; it’s an education, an experience, it’s part of the beauty of the game.

Over recent years groundhopping has taken on a life of its own with its particular rituals and rites of passage, some of the best football websites are dedicated groundhoppers who lovingly document their experiences in the football grounds they’ve visited. Groundhoppers have become the critical commentators of the general state of football in this country especially at this level.

There’s even academic papers written about the activity – one in particular written by the University of Sydney called Groundhopping: nostalgia, emotion and the small places of football sums up nicely the attitude and enthusiasm embedded in the typical groundhopper.

It’s with this in mind that we have decided to nominate our Saturday 13 October home game against Glebe as official 2018 Ground Hopper Day. It is also Non-League Day which gives you all the more incentive to make it down to St Paul’s to watch the Fish in action.

If you’re a groundhopper and haven’t yet visited St Paul’s then saturday is the perfect opportunity to put the record straight.

Some of the things we will have on offer are:

vintage Fisher programmes for sale
free copy of the November issue of When Saturday Comes for the first 100 people through the turnstiles
free souvenir matchday A3 posters for the first 50 people through the turnstiles (after that they’re being sold for £3 each)
free hot drink with a Fisher twitter token – anyone with a Ground Hopper related Twitter handle (see here for details: https://twitter.com/Emma_FisherFC)
A showcase of our History, Football ground photo exhibition and memorabilia in the clubhouse
fresh batch of the classic Fisher enamel pin badges on sale
local artisan craft cider on offer in the Fisherman’s Rest – Hawkes of Bermondsey London’s first urban cidery and based here in the heart of South London
Fisher legendary meat pies – the envy of the SCEFL, “every bite is a meal in your mouth” – Nigella Lawson
a guaranteed great game of football!