Amateur football players from the Polizeisportverein Braunschweig are bringing abandoned sports grounds back to life by playing matches at historical and disused stadiums across Europe, NDR reported in its November 2026 sports broadcast.
The group operates under the banner of groundhopping—a subculture dedicated to visiting as many stadia in as many countries as possible—by taking on the heavy logistical labor required to revive dormant facilities.
Reviving Forgotten Grounds Through Amateur Football
The initiative stems from a self-described fascination with the patina, weathered stands, and distinct atmosphere of abandoned stadiums where competitive matches ceased years ago. Rather than visiting traditional cultural landmarks, the team treats historic pitches as their primary destinations.
“Andere wollen in ihrem Leben einmal den Louvre oder Notre-Dame sehen, unser Kultururlaub findet eben auf verschiedenen Fußballplätzen statt,” striker Helge Keller told NDR, describing the philosophy behind their unusual excursions.
Preparing a lost ground for a single fixture requires extensive planning and manual labor. Team members must clear and roll the playing surfaces, clean dilapidated structures, install temporary sanitation facilities, and produce a dedicated matchday programme for every fixture.
From Ostfriesland to England and the Alps
Past projects undertaken by the Braunschweig squad include matches at the Motodrom Halbemond in Ostfriesland and the historic Millmoor Ground in England. In another notable undertaking, the club transformed the Olympic Ski Jumping Stadium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen into a regulation-sized football pitch capable of accommodating thousands of spectators.
The dedication behind these temporary revivals often emotionalizes visitors within the international groundhopping community. “Wenn sich die Groundhopper nach dem Spiel mit Tränen in den Augen dafür bedanken, dass wir das möglich machen und sie für ein weiteres Stadion sammeln konnten, dann weiß man, warum man das alles auf sich nimmt,” club captain Nils Burgdorf told NDR.
Photographer Ian Hunter documented the team’s matches during their visits to England, capturing the atmosphere of the country’s historic and increasingly obsolete sporting infrastructure.
Expanding Representation in the Groundhopping Community
While groundhopping remains predominantly male, participation is gradually diversifying as enthusiasts document their travels across social media platforms. Wiebke Roprecht, a supporter from Wilhelmshaven who follows the team’s fixtures, actively uses Instagram to share her experiences and encourage broader female engagement.
“Groundhopping ist populärer und auch ein bisschen diverser geworden. Aber Frauen sind immer noch unterrepräsentiert,” Roprecht told NDR regarding the demographic balance within the traveling fanbase.
The Jahnstadion Marl Restoration Project
The squad’s most recent project shifts their focus to the Ruhr region and the Jahnstadion in Marl. The venue historically hosted TSV Marl-Hüls in front of crowds reaching 18,000 spectators, but its stands have since fallen into disrepair, and the pitch has been repurposed for baseball.
The Braunschweig team arrived in Marl to ready the facility for football once more, and allow traveling collectors like Roprecht and Hunter to register another venue.
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