Don't Forget Your Tickets

Boxing Day Special: The Ultimate Football Fan Journey; Ashley Lambell on Ground-Hopping, Matchday Magic, and the 92 Stadiums Challenge

• Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg

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This episode of Don’t Forget Your Tickets is a special one. It’s a heartwarming and inspiring conversation that celebrates the magic of football fandom through the eyes of a true supporter. For the first time, we’re joined by a fan who has achieved something extraordinary – visiting all 92 Premier League and EFL stadiums.

Ashley Lambell, a lifelong Northampton Town supporter and ground-hopping enthusiast, shares his incredible 26-year journey to complete the “92.” In this feelgood Boxing Day special, Ashley sits down with our co-host Clare Kenny to reflect on the highs, the lows, and the unforgettable moments that have defined his football adventures.

Highlights from the conversation:

  • The 92 Stadiums Challenge: Ashley recounts how his love for football turned into a lifelong mission to visit every Premier League and EFL ground, from iconic venues like Anfield to quirky gems like Kenilworth Road.
  • Matchday Magic: Hear Ashley’s thoughts on the best and worst matchday experiences, including standout clubs like Burton Albion, Exeter City, and Bolton Wanderers, who go the extra mile to make fans feel welcome.
  • Football and Family: Discover how football has shaped Ashley’s life, from childhood away days with his family to working in media at Nottingham Forest.
  • The Fan Journey: Ashley reflects on how ticketing has evolved over the years, from queuing outside stadiums to the seamless digital experiences offered by platforms like TicketCo.
  • The Human Side of Football: From the camaraderie of fans to the unique culture of English football, Ashley shares why the sport holds such a special place in people’s hearts.

Tune in for a feelgood Boxing Day special that celebrates the passion, loyalty, and community spirit of football fans everywhere.

Don't Forget Your Tickets is powered by TicketCo and hosted by TicketCo’s CEO, Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg. The podcast was originally named TicketingPodcast.com

SPEAKER_02:

What inspires a football fan to visit every Premier League and EFL stadium in England? Welcome to Don't Forget Your Ticket, the podcast exploring the business of sports. In this Boxing Day special, we're stepping away from the border to hear from a true fan. Claire Kenny acts with Ashley Lamble, a Northampton town supporter and groundhopping enthusiast about his journey to completing the 92 and the stories behind it. Enjoy.

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to Don't Forget Your Tickets, the podcast that shines a light on ticketing and the people shaping the landscape in sports. I'm Claire Kenny, and today's Feel Good Boxing Day special is all about the fans. This is the first time we have had a fan, and what a fan, on the podcast. And Boxing Day football is a cherished British tradition. So it's the perfect time to celebrate the magic of football through the eyes of a supporter. My guest today, Ashley Lambell, is a lifelong Northampton town fan who's visited all 92 Premier League and EFL stadiums. From Crooky Grounds to the highs and lows of fandom, Ashley's story is a true celebration of football. Ashley, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00:

Hi, Claire. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01:

You are very welcome. Now we want to hear all about your epic journey that I believe started when you were eight. But you know, be honest, when did this stop being a nice idea and become a full-blown obsession?

SPEAKER_00:

I have to say that when I was supporting Northampton town, it probably wasn't an ambition to get round and see every ground in the country because I just didn't think that was going to be a realistic possibility. But I went on to start a job working for Nottingham Forest in their media and communications department. And so I was very, very fortunate to visit a lot of stadia that I perhaps wouldn't have had the opportunity to visit otherwise. So I spent nine years working for Nottingham Forest and just had an amazing time visiting some of the top grounds in the country in the Premier League and the championship. And that's when it became a realistic proposition that actually I could do this. I could visit every single one of the 92 grounds. And so it's taken nearly 26 years, but finally I managed to tick the last one off a couple of weeks ago.

SPEAKER_01:

It's just fantastic. So did you ever sit in a stand and think I've absolutely peaked as a football fan right now?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah, 100%. I was 18 years old. Northampton Town played Liverpool in a League Cup match at Anfield. So for anyone, and I'm sure listeners will know Anfield as one of the historic football grounds in the world, probably, let alone in this country. And Northampton actually won on penalties in the League Cup to beat Liverpool and to get through to the next round. And that was a night where I just thought, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to top this. And 17 years on, I'm not sure I have yet. But yeah, that was probably the peak and the pinnacle of my football and support in life to date.

SPEAKER_01:

That's brilliant. So let's talk about the highs and the lows of your epic journey. So, first of all, I mean, what was the most beautiful stadium that you've visited?

SPEAKER_00:

I'd have to say Brighton and Hove Albion's new American Express community stadium, it looks aesthetically incredible. Every time you see drone shots of it, every time you see it from above, it just looks superb. And then once you get inside, the facilities, because of how much Brighton have spent on it, how long it took to build, it is absolutely incredible. So I would absolutely say Brighton as well. I think Tottenham Hotspur, their new stadium, looks out of this world. And when I went down for a game there last season, that was absolutely stunning. So Brighton and Tottenham, I would put as my top two in terms of most beautiful.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, as a Tottenham fan, I can't disagree. And now the other end of the spectrum, what was one that felt like it violated health and safety laws that you wouldn't necessarily want to rush back to?

SPEAKER_00:

I think I come back to this one every time, Claire, but I think Luton Town and Kenilworth Road at Luton is one of those traditional English football grounds that I think everybody absolutely loves because it's traditional, it's been there for so many years. But just from a safety point of view, from a view that you get of the pitch from the facilities, it's just not up to scratch anymore. And I know Luton fans agree with that because they're looking forward to hopefully moving to their new stadium in the next couple of seasons. So yeah, I would put Lutontown's Kenworth Road as the worst in terms of facilities.

SPEAKER_01:

Lutontown, please take note. Obviously, you must have encountered a lot of different fans along your journey. Which fans were the most welcoming? And which ones greeted you like you just nicked their car or something?

SPEAKER_00:

I think most welcoming I would put as Exeter City. For anyone who knows or has been to Exeter City, it can take a long time to get down there to the southwest. But when you get there, the fans are extremely welcoming. They are a supporter-run football club, so they have a huge appreciation of what it means to be a fan because the fans own the club. So every time we've been to Exeter, they are kind, welcoming, friendly. We always sit and have a drink before the game with them, have a chat about how we think the game's going to go. We stand and we watch the game, obviously in separate ends because that's how football is. But then we go back into the clubhouse after the game, we sit and have another drink and we chat about, you know, how the game's gone and the talking points throughout. So I would say Exeter for that one. And then I think the other one for us is Peterborough United in terms of fans that don't welcome us. For people who don't know, Northampton and Peterborough share a kind of local rivalry. So we played Peterborough actually Saturday Just Gone in December, and that was a really tough atmosphere. Peterborough fans didn't like us, we don't like them. So it's just what a local derby is all about. So I would put Peterborough United down as the least welcome in for that one.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, that's fair enough. And that derby has a special name, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't know how you pronounce it, but I've read about it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so being from Northampton, I call it the Nen Derby. If you're from the other side of the river, you'd call it the Nin Derby. So of course, football fans need to argue about these petty kind of things, don't they? Because that's how we get these rivalries.

SPEAKER_01:

That's all part of the fun. So how did you get around? You've pretty much covered all corners of England. So how did you get around? Did you drive, trains, you know, and what was the most memorable journey that you had?

SPEAKER_00:

So when I was younger, obviously not being able to drive, I started going to away games when I was 10 years old. So we used to go as the family on the supporters coaches that Northampton put on. So I used to go to every away game on the supporters coach with fellow fans. And that was fantastic because you're going with like-minded people, you have the kind of relaxing feel of not having to drive or anything like that, or having the stress of a way to park and all that sort of stuff. But yeah, as I've got older, I've started to drive myself, my mum and stepdad as well. We go as the three of us, we go in the car to pretty much every away game. And sometimes we make weekends of journeys, we go for a whole day, we experience loads of different amazing parts of the country, parts of the country I perhaps wouldn't have seen without football. So it has been really special. And then on the odd occasion, if we go to a London-based game, we might go on the train because it's just easier than trying to find somewhere to leave the car in the middle of London. So we do lots of different things in that way. The most memorable journey for probably the wrong reasons goes back to I think 2008. We played Carlisle away. So that journey from Northampton to Carlisle takes about five hours. We went on the supporters bus and there were a group of lads at the back of the coach, and they were probably only 15, 16. They'd been let out by their parents for the day to go on the supporters' coach to go and watch Northampton. And let's just say nothing. They had a couple of drinks on the bus as well as at a local pub just outside Carlisle. One of them, probably only being 16, didn't handle the drink particularly well. And so as we were on the route from the pub to the stadium, the lad was pretty unwell at the back of the coach, to put it politely. And then as the coach braked at roundabouts and traffic lights and stuff like that, then the stuff that he'd kind of left had had rolled down the bus. So it was not a nice journey and just showed the perils of being let out when you're 15, 16 and thinking that you're older than you are. So that was probably my worst journey as a whole.

SPEAKER_01:

And also the perils of going on the supporters bus.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. That's why it's safer to drive.

SPEAKER_01:

Now you mentioned your mom. You're from a football family, yeah, and your mum looks after match day experience at Northampton town. So let's talk about that. I mean, obviously, you've had a lot more experience than most, but obviously that experience starts when you're buying your ticket. So, what was that like in terms of the fan journey? I mean, obviously remembering it across so many matches, I'm sure it's difficult. But in terms of the highs and lows, does anything sort of come to mind in terms of what was the easiest to start with?

SPEAKER_00:

I think just quickly, Claire, if I touch on, as you guys will have experience of more than I will, just how much the ticket purchasing journey has changed over the years. As a fan, I remember queuing up as a 12, 13-year-old at the stadium to buy tickets for important matches. And it was physically queuing up outside a stadium, it was queuing up throughout the night. We played Manchester United in an FA Cup game in 2004, and me and my dad queued up for, I think, since three in the morning to try and get tickets for the game. So, you know, that was that. And obviously, we've progressed into, you know, technologically speaking, and through companies like Ticketco, we've progressed to such a stage where ticket purchasing is so easy now and makes the whole experience for a supporter so much more enjoyable than it was going back 20 years. So I have really enjoyed it. When I purchased tickets for Tottenham Hotspurs Europa League game last season against Roma, that was a really easy experience from start to finish. I was very lucky in that a friend had a membership, but the whole process of purchasing a ticket, having it sent to my phone, being able to download it into my Apple wallet, and then just take it and have it scanned at the turnstile was perfect. And I can understand a lot of people talk about the importance of having a physical ticket still, because a lot of people like to keep them, as I do, have a huge collection of physical tickets at home. But the digital ticketing world needs to come to the fore. It just makes life so much easier, so much safer and more secure. And I think companies like Ticketco are doing a wonderful job in bringing that advancement of technology and making the fan experience so much better.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I totally agree with that. But were there any clubs where the ticketing system felt like it was designed in 97 and never forgave the internet?

SPEAKER_00:

They're not a club, and I feel really treacherous for saying this, but every time I buy a ticket for an England match through the FA's ticketing website, it feels like it's going to be a good couple of years before I actually get the ticket. So I would put the FA's uh ticket inside down as the worst, and I'm thankful that I don't have to use that too often, just on a sort of three to four monthly basis, because it drives me mad every time I use it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, well, I think you'd be best placed to give them some advice moving forward. So, traveling to all of these, it'd be interesting to know. Obviously, the Premier League and EFL, and we hear about the exponential difference between Premier League clubs and EFL. Did you experience that? You know, certainly in terms of EFL championship clubs. And what did you feel? And what were the differences you really felt about the Premier League experience versus the EFL one?

SPEAKER_00:

I think it's horses for courses, Clara. I think it depends on what you want from your match day experience. So if I go to a Premier League game now, it's thoroughly enjoyable. Everything is top class, really. It's best in class standard for lots of Premier League clubs because they have so many people working on these sorts of things, so many people concentrating on the matchday experience is fabulous. It really is. I would say though that the EFL still holds a slightly higher standard in terms of making their fans feel closer to the action because I think they need to hold those fans in slightly closer because they're in smaller numbers. So when I've been to Premier League matches, I've thought, yeah, this is really good, but I do feel like just one of a crowd of 60,000. And if I have a good time, great. If I don't, okay, someone else will buy a ticket for the next game if I decide not to come. Whereas in Leagues One and Two, the fan experience is so important because they are so reliant on those fans coming back, repeat purchases, repeat visitors. So you have to make that matchday experience as a League One or two club as good as you possibly can and work on all the feedback that you get, whether it be positive or negative, because if you don't, those fans won't come back. And that is the lifeblood of clubs in League One and Two and the National League and below, as we know. So I do feel like there is a more concerted effort nowadays in leagues one and two with the introduction of sportiliaison officers and match-to-experienced staff, which is fantastic. And clubs at that level just don't have the money to match Premier League experiences, as we know. But I do think they are working extremely hard in order to keep fans coming back because they know they have to for the future of their clubs.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and probably make up for it by that extra care and attention that they give the fans. So staying with fans, you know, what did this journey teach you about football fans that you don't see on TV?

SPEAKER_00:

Just that there are so many incredible stories out there at every football club of loyalty, of passion, of memories that can be created, whether it be with family or friends. And it is a cliche, but the football family more widely can give each other at times of strife, at times of heartache, at times of disaster, whatever it might be. Football fans of all clubs will stick together. And I think that is really that's a novelty that doesn't exist as much across other sports. So I just think, I mean, when I worked for Nottingham Forest, there were so many people that said, I would really struggle with mental health if I wasn't coming to watch Forest every week, every fortnight, you know. So football holds such a special place in people's hearts, not just in England, but all over the world. It does genuinely bring people together. And I think there is just a really unique characteristic about football that it is accessible to all, and it's just a shared love that stretches across the world. And I think in this country I feel it more strongly than anywhere that people just come together around football. It is the centre of something. I've made so many special memories with my family, with my friends. I've met friends that I didn't have before through football. So it means an awful lot to me, and I know it does to many others as well.

SPEAKER_01:

That's wonderful. So let's talk about the important stuff now. Best food and worst food. Go on. So, first of all, best catering in a football stadium in the UK, 72 EFL clubs, 20 Premier League clubs. I presume you've eaten all of them.

SPEAKER_00:

I have. To be fair, Claire, I would go for a club that is no longer in the EFL. So if anyone gets a chance to go to Kidderminster Harriers, they are now in the National League North, so two steps below the Football League. If you get a chance to go to Agborough, which is Kidderminster's ground, and try the pies there, they are incredible. So if you live anywhere near Kidderminster in the West Midlands, or if you are just out for a groundhopping day and want to experience some excellent food, go to Kidderminster. It is my absolute number one for food.

SPEAKER_01:

It sounds like they need to market themselves as a foodie destination.

SPEAKER_00:

It was one of those things, Claire, that it just got around the fans of all clubs. You know, you must go to Kiderminster, you must try their food. And I'm pretty sure their away attendances must have gone up as a result of people just wanting to go and give it a try. And absolutely you should do.

SPEAKER_01:

Right, I'm gonna give it a try. And worse, anything that sticks out in your mind as being the most terrible thing you've ever eaten.

SPEAKER_00:

I have to say that I went to Forest Green Rovers, again, a club that were in the EFL when Northampton were playing them. And for anyone who hasn't been to Forest Green, they are a club that provide vegan food only, which is completely fine. And I think as long as fans are made aware of that before they go, it's completely right, and that's what they do. But I did go to Forest Green and I did try a vegan burger, which was not too bad. But I did try vegan hot chocolate, which was possibly the worst thing I've ever drank in all my life. It was black, the colour of tar, and it tasted not too different to that either. So apologies to anyone who is vegan who might be listening, but that was my absolute worst. It sticks in my mind and will do for many years.

SPEAKER_01:

Brilliant. Now, in terms of atmosphere, obviously the fans really bring the atmosphere. Which fans have got the best singing voices?

SPEAKER_00:

I have experienced two. So I have to go for Nottingham Forest. There's a partial bias in that, as all the years that I worked for Forest, but I still think when I go back to games, even though I don't work there anymore, their fans are incredible and they make such a noise at the city ground. And then secondly, Leeds United. If you've ever been to Ellen Road, if you haven't got there just for the atmosphere, it is one of those things where the hairs on the back of your neck will just stand up. So if you do get a chance to go and watch Leeds at any point, do go because it is a real cathedral of English football. And I don't think you regret it because the atmosphere and the noise they make is out of this world.

SPEAKER_01:

I went to Ellen Road in the 90s for an Echo Cup quarter final, and yeah, I can definitely attest to that. But what about Sellhurst Park? My personal favourite is Crystal Palace for the atmosphere.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. And Crystal Palace are such a good example of when you get like-minded fans and you position them in the stadium together. They have in the Holmesdale Rodem behind the goal, they have a kind of Scandinavian style feel of putting fans together, flags, banners, drums, and just providing an incredible amount of support. So I think they've really turned the atmosphere around at Sellhurst Park from what it was 15, 20 years ago. And it's no coincidence that the team have progressed as a result of it. So yeah, absolutely, Chloe. I'd agree with that one.

SPEAKER_01:

That's really funny you say that, because I was at the Escabron Fenabacho match in Bergen last week. And the way the fans were positioned behind the goals reminded me of Sellhurst Park. So that's a really good observation. In terms of access, are there any clubs that really stand out in terms of making it genuinely easy for fans to get in and out and just feel really welcome as part of that process?

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, I've been to a couple of games at Bolton Wanderers, who I can pinpoint as a club that we have a friend, he is eighty eight. Years old now. He's a Northampton Town season ticket holder through and through. But he is struggling now. 88 years old, he's finding it difficult to go to games and you know attend and do things as he normally would have done going back 20 years or so. And every time we've been to Bolton Wanderers, their stewards, their staff, everyone from the car park staff to the stewards in the stadium have made the whole process for him so easy. So they always stick in my mind. And then the other one is probably Burton Albion. Burton in our league are, and they won't mind me saying, a small club in our league who punch one of their weight on the pitch. But they are, I think, a tremendous example off the pitch of how you should make supporters feel welcome, no matter what the result is on the pitch, because ultimately, you know, you should be doing that no matter what happens. But Burton are a great example of having good, friendly staff who make you feel extremely comfortable, extremely at home. And I look forward to going back there when the fixture comes out because they're just extremely professional and brilliant at what they do.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, that leads me into the next question I wanted to ask you, which is, you know, those small details. And what's the smallest detail that has made a huge difference, whether it's friendly stewards, clear signage, a working app, you know, is there anything, again, that stands out as being something which you thought, wow, that's really made a difference to my day?

SPEAKER_00:

I would have to say last season we went to Burton, Albion, and my mum was just about a month away from having a hit replacement. So she was struggling to get up and down steps. She still enjoyed going to the matches, wanted to go to the matches, but was struggling to get up and down steps in the stands. And at Burton, she was meant to climb 11 or 12 steps to get to the back of the terrace behind the goal where we stood. And Stewart came over to her and said, Is everything all right? I see that you're struggling to walk and is everything okay? And she explained the situation and he guided her round to a different entrance that was on a level and allowed her to take a seat that we didn't have, but let her take a seat in the stand so she could watch the game and not have to worry about getting up and down the steps. And that was something he didn't have to do. He could have just watched her and let her struggle, get up the stairs and come back down again. But that was an example of someone putting themselves out when they didn't have to to make someone's day better and more enjoyable. And that's why Bert and Albion always stick in my mind as examples like that of how you should treat supporters of any sport because we're customers at the end of the day. And if you treat us well, we'll keep coming back season after season after season.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and you'll remember that forever.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. As I say, it's such a small thing to do. It didn't take a lot, it was just a case of guiding a 10 or 15 yards to another entrance, and it took about two minutes, but it's something that we'll remember for a long, long time.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, lovely. Well, we're coming to the end, but I've still got a few more questions. Now, obviously, we are a ticketing podcast, so I have to ask you a bit of a rapid fire. A few questions here.

SPEAKER_00:

Can I say ticket co? Yes. The ease of which, on a slightly non-football note, I'm a cricket supporter as well. And I buy all my cricket tickets for Northamptonshire through Ticketco. So extremely easy, and the fact that I can just get them delivered and download them into my Apple wallet top drawer.

SPEAKER_01:

Fantastic. Uh note to listeners, Ashley isn't being paid for this podcast. Okay, I'm gonna ask you the worst ticketing system.

SPEAKER_00:

Ticketmaster. If I ever have to buy anything through Ticketmaster, I need to have a stiff drink next to the laptop and take a big deep breath and go through it. So apologies to them. I'm sure they do try and make a really strong working product, and maybe I've just been unlucky. But yeah, it's not my favourite, shall we say?

SPEAKER_01:

No. Well, I'm not going to comment uh on that, but have heard that before. What were the most expensive tickets and the most affordable tickets as you were going around the country? Were there any that you were like, ouch, that was painful?

SPEAKER_00:

I bought tickets for Manchester City in the Champions League, and they had quite a few thousand empty seats for a game in the Champions League against Sevilla, but they still charged me£75. And I thought that was extortionate, given that they still had lots of tickets to sell. So that hit me hard, but I still went because you do, don't you? And then affordable, I think I would have to put Exeter City as my number one. Exeter don't charge a lot in terms of standing on the terrace behind the goal down at St. James Park, and it's always an extremely good experience. And I would rate Exeter as my kind of best value for money versus what they charge to what you actually get on the day. And a small touch by Exeter is they always give you a little drinks token when you get there for a free cup of tea or coffee if you've made a long journey. So again, going back to small things that clubs can do to make people feel welcome. That's the sort of thing I think about.

SPEAKER_01:

And then lastly, so if if someone told you today that they were going to start the same journey that you've been on, what advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_00:

Save plenty of money, save yourself plenty of time and do your research. Do your research before you head into a match, where to park, where to drink, where to sit, all this sort of stuff. It makes a massive difference to your match day experience. But my number one piece of advice would be absolutely do it. You will make so many incredible memories, you'll meet so many fantastic people, and you'll see so many parts of the country that you wouldn't if you weren't doing this journey. I don't think anyone who's ever ticked off all 92 grands regrets it. And I think they've all got some incredible stories and memories to share having done it. So get started. Start just by following the team that you support to the grounds that you can get to, and then just build it up as and when. And don't rush it. Just enjoy every moment. Do it as quickly or as slowly as you can feasibly do it. But you will get there, even if it takes 26 years like it took me. But yeah, enjoy every moment of it.

SPEAKER_01:

Ashley, thank you so much. You're just brilliant, and I've enjoyed this chat immensely, and I hope our listeners have too. So I just want to say happy Boxing Day to you and to everybody listening. And thank you for your time. I hope we have plenty of opportunity to carry on this chat. Thank you again.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks, Pat.

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Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg

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