Some people love cars or bikes. Others get excited about pubs and restaurants. Me? I love football grounds! Now, I hate the term “ground hopper” because it’s so geeky and, well, downright American – but, I guess I must admit, the anorak fits - a ground hopper is what I must be!

No two venues are the same and it’s fascinating to me how there can be such an infinite number of variations in the configuration of what basically boils down to a piece of grass surrounded by something to watch from, somewhere to buy refreshments and a place to park your car outside. There are around a thousand grounds in the top ten levels of the pro’ and semi-pro’ game and every single one is unique.

One of the great consequences of gaining promotion is that it means you get to travel to a large number of new grounds! And this season we have visited a lot of interesting places. I think all grounds should be celebrated as the great theatres of entertainment and passion they are. So in true communitarian style, where everyone wins and no one leaves empty-handed in case it gives them a “complex”, here are my awards for those I have visited with the Brewers this term…

HYDE – Most developed stadium and best-surfaced car park and best carpeted pitch! 3 awards in one for today’s visitors. All four sides of Ewen Fields are properly developed and covered and there are numerous excellent vantage points. A spacious fully tarmac’d car park and approach road is a rarity at this level of football. The excellence of the other facilities helped me overlook the shortcomings of the artificial playing surface.

MOSSLEY – Highest ground above sea level! Well, OK, only the 4th highest altitude in the country overall, but the highest in this division. Nice Pennine aspect too!

OSSETT TOWN – Closest to a town centre or most mobile phone masts! Many clubs now rely on income from mobile phone companies to make ends meet but Ingfield boasts more than the rest. Just over the road from the bus station for PT users.

BAMBER BRIDGE – Best modern permanent stand or closest to a major road! Beside a slip road off the A6, Irongate has a brilliant, modern, raised side stand, offering unrestricted views of the action.

GOOLE – Best name and most time spent retrieving the ball or closest to a water tower! The Victoria Pleasure Grounds sound delightful but the 4-lane running track means that a lot of game time is lost. Perhaps, with more in-play time, Goole could have saved themselves from the drop?

RAMSBOTTOM – Darkest car park or latest switching on of floodlights! Having negotiated the way from the pitch-black car park into the ground, we were greeted with yet more blackness, with the floodlights being rationed before kick-off and then turned off before we’d even left the ground at the final whistle.

BURSCOUGH – Most in need of some TLC! The poor Linnets are going through the wringer on and off the pitch at the moment, sadly. Victoria Park exudes a sense of a glorious past but nowadays it more than a little tired.

OSSETT ALBION – Best redevelopment project! The Unicorns have very ambitious plans to create a new clubhouse, changing rooms and full-length stand along the South side. Works are already underway and I look forward to seeing big changes next season.

PRESCOT CABLES – Biggest stand or muddiest pitch! Cables’ main stand is huge by NPL standards. It may have seen better days but it provides a great view of the pitch. The only problem is that the pitch is the most worn and muddy in this division – largely due to the ground-sharing arrangement with St Helens Town. And the great news is that next season we get to go twice – Skelmersdale United are moving in soon too!

CLITHEROE – Smallest car park and most vociferous fans! A car park the size of the average suburban driveway doesn’t detract from a very boisterous home crowd. Perhaps the long walk to the ground warms them up!

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH – Most resilient club! Boro’ were already raising funds to repair their stand, burned down by arsonists in the days prior to our December visit. A real “phoenix club”!

FARSLEY CELTIC – Most frustrating ground! Frustrating, not just because we somehow lost 5-1, but also because despite having developed both sides and one end of the ground, so much of it is unworkable – bad sight lines, seats out of action. And yet somehow, I really like the feel of it!

DROYLSDEN – Loudest tannoy or best covered end terrace! If you like loud “Madchester” music, The Butcher’s Arms is the place for you! Great covered Kop too!

COLWYN BAY – Most income generated from Tad fans! Charging £10-a-head to our largest away following of the season, combined with refreshments necessary after such a long journey meant the Welsh club made a healthy profit on our cross-border visit!

TRAFFORD – Greenest surroundings and biggest car park! Situated in a leafy Cheshire suburb, with a golf club next door and surrounded by grass and trees, Shawe View is an ideal place to relax – unfortunately, our defence agreed! Huge car park too!

LANCASTER CITY – Closest to a railway station and best uncovered terrace! With the station next door and the Castle behind that, a full day out can be had in a radius of just a few hundred yards. Great permanent terrace behind one goal too!

BRIGHOUSE TOWN – Longest imaginary players’ tunnel! Players must navigate a full 50 yards from dressing room to pitch. Pre-match warm ups are unnecessary!

GLOSSOP NORTH END – Best food or best sand pit! A severe drainage problem caused by nearby building work left a section of the pitch resembling Morecambe Bay, but a tasty pie and peas soon take your mind of it!

KENDAL TOWN – Best scoreboard! We could easily have “troubled” it 4 times in the first half alone, but had to make do with a share of the points in the end!

COLNE – Best views or most sloping pitch! Even by NPL standards, Colne play on the side of a mountain! The pitch may be almost vertical but the stunning views more than make up for that!

SCARBOROUGH (renting at Bridlington Town) – Best draining pitch or closest to a gas tower! Despite gale-force winds and torrential rain battering it for entire 90 minutes during the cup-tie, the Queensgate pitch played superbly – unlike the referee, unfortunately!

For all that I love visiting new towns and grounds, there really is no place like home! The i2i with its pristine grass pitch (sorry Hyde!), on a sunny day, beside the River, watching Taddy in full flow, is my idea of paradise! Home results since Christmas have been much improved. We need to make this place a fortress once again and taking three points from our Red Rose rivals today will put another big stone block in the perimeter wall – Come on you Brewers!