Groundhopping: Over land and sea

The match is already underway but Pedro is still trudging purposely around the pitch, counting carefully. After about 20 minutes, he returns to the three stone steps that constitute the terrace and announces the result: "139."

That's not the number of passes completed by either JSK Rodgau or Rot-Weiss Darmstadt, and not even the number of missed passes. It's the total attendance at this sixth-division state league match just to the south of Frankfurt on a cold, gray Thursday evening in September. 

Pedro is a groundhopper. One of several among the 139. While other football fans aim to complete their sticker collections year on year, groundhoppers 'collect' football stadiums.

Jonas Schulte is another. He's here in Rodgau for the first time, "ticking it off." That's what groundhoppers say when they visit a new football ground for the first time and can cross it off their list.

Schulte is having a good year so far, on course to beat his record.

"I set a personal best two years ago with 153 matches, but I'll beat that this time around," he says. "But I must admit, I'm small fry. I know people who go to 250, maybe even 300 games a year!"

From England to Germany and beyond

Like football itself, groundhopping began in England. In 1974, Geoff Rose was the first to suggest that fans who have visited all 92 professional English league grounds should receive a special tie as a reward. Four years later, the so-called "92 Club" was founded.

Since then, groundhopping has gone international and has become particularly popular in Germany and the Netherlands. But there are still no official rules or regulations; groundhoppers do things their way.

Some remain in their own countries, looking to "complete leagues," while others travel abroad to gather "country points." Some stick to the top divisions in various countries while others are happy to as far down the pyramid as possible. Most agree that one has to have seen at least 45 minutes of a match in order to tick off a ground, before perhaps "hopping" on to the next.

Bratwurst ratings

On their travels, groundhoppers develop quaint habits. Some count the spectators, others synchronize their watches with the referee's to time the match themselves. Others have more important things on their mind and test the local bratwurst, rating the German sausages online.

Some groundhoppers travel in small groups, others travel alone – but never for long. Using the "Groundhopper App," visitors can officially "check in" to grounds and see which other groundhoppers have done the same. In this way, new acquaintances and friendships develop as fans discuss their recent trips or upcoming plans.

"There are times when you end up missing the whole game chatting," admits Schulte. "Although I do personally always try and see a bit of the action."

Collecting home and away

But it's not just about sport. "It's about more than just football," says Philipp Kunz, another groundhopper, as Rot-Weiss Darmstadt take control of the game and go 1-0 up. "It's great to visit a ground for the first time and take it all in. But for a game like today, okay, you're just there to tick it off and complete the league!"

Kunz is most interested in gathering country points. He's already watched football matches in 36 countries and has just returned from a "hopping tour" in the Balkans.

"The number isn't that impressive, to be honest," he insists. "I recently met a groundhopper with 200 country points!"

To put this into perspective: FIFA has 211 member associations.

The search for that special ingredient

Next up for Schulte is a trip to Slovakia – football-related, of course. He's not overly bothered about completing leagues and prefers to visit clubs with unique stadiums and stories. Such as SV Willofs – a 10th-tier club from a village near Fulda in central Germany.

"SV Willofs are fielding a team for the first time in over 20 years!" explains Schulte. "It's a village of 400 people. They simply didn't have enough players for a team.

"But now they've renovated the old wooden stand and drained the swamp that had developed on the old pitch and the whole village is delighted that they can watch local football again. I've been back a few times!"

A daily hobby

For many groundhoppers, their hobby is a full-time job and, inevitably, it's not always easy for friends and loved ones.

"They don't really understand it," admits Kunz. "It's more like acceptance." Schulte, on the other hand, is often accompanied on trips by his girlfriend and says it fits quite well with their daily routines.

One thing is certain: Weekends are never boring and, even during the week, evenings are rarely spent at home. Never mind Netflix and chill, how about an overgrown terrace and some non-league football?

Sixth division or Superclasico?

Out on the pitch, the game nears its conclusion as Rot-Weiss Darmstadt increase their lead over JSK Rodgau to 3-0 and pocket all three points. No great drama today, but the groundhoppers have bigger fish to fry.

Kunz is planning a trip to Argentina in October to fulfill a lifelong dream: the Superclasico between Boca Juniors and River Plate. "That would be it, it can't get any better than that," he says. "We just need to find out how to get tickets."